NFL Seeks to Promote Diversity with Front Office, General Manager Accelerator Programs

ALABAMA - The NFL is set to hold another Accelerator program in their effort to promote a more diverse and inclusive hiring process among its executive positions.

These programs will be held during December 11-13 in Dallas, offering an opportunity to 42 high potential candidates to experience practice interviews and mental wellness workshops, between other activities.

This will be the 4th time the NFL holds these kinds of Accelerator programs, launching the project in 2022, and it follows the league's Coach Accelerator initiative that took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota in May of this year.

"The NFL is committed to improving diversity throughout the league, and a large part of that is providing leadership opportunities to diverse candidates," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell during the league's announcement. "The Accelerator Program provides our clubs and owners an opportunity to connect directly with some of the finest candidates in the league who they may not know. Our intent is that these efforts translate into more diversity in leadership roles across the League."

Since its inception last year, the program has successfully contributed to more diverse candidates being interviewed for open positions, which has translated to recent front office hires.

"For the past several years, the NFL Front Office and General Manager program has played a key role in helping qualified diverse front office candidates develop relationships with owners and club leadership," said Chicago Bears President & Chief Executive Officer Kevin Warren during a press conference in Dallas. "The value of this initiative is both profound and powerful, and I look forward to encouraging participants to take full advantage of this unique, educational networking and professional development opportunity."

The NFL currently counts with seven minority team presidents, including five who are Black and three women. The league didn't have its first Black president until 2020, when the Washington Commanders hired Jason Wright. In terms of GM's, that number rises to nine, including eight Black General Managers. Miami's Chris Grier was the only Black GM just four years ago.

In terms of diversity among coaching positions, the NFL has also made a significant leap in their quest towards diversity and equity. Out of the 32 NFL coaches, only 5 of them come from minorities. Las Vegas Raiders' interim coach, Antonio Pierce, became the last minority head coach to join the league after Josh McDaniels was fired earlier this season.

Washington's Ron Rivera remains as the league's only coach of Latino descent, while New York Jets' coach Robert Saleh made history in 2021 as the first Muslim head coach in NFL history.

Minority head coaches currently in the NFL

Houston Texans: DeMeco Ryans (Black)
Las Vegas Raiders: Antonio Pierce (Interim – Black)
Tampa Bay Bucaneers: Todd Bowles (Black)
New York Jets: Robert Saleh (Muslim, Lebanese descent)
Washington Commanders: Ron Rivers (Latino descent)