Skip Bayless claims to know why the NFL has a diversity issue when it comes to hiring black head coaches.
During Thursday’s episode of “Undisputed” on FS1, the host said he believes white NFL owners don’t want to hire black coaches because they don’t feel comfortable interacting with their significant others.
“I have been dumbfounded by it,” Bayless told his “Undisputed” co-host Shannon Sharpe about the NFL’s lack of diversity. “It has been inexplicable to me, but then in the end, it’s really pretty explicable.
“I’m going to boil it down to: These older white owners just aren’t that comfortable with a black head coach because they need to interact, they need to go to dinner with the wives or the significants or whatever. And they’re just not that comfortable. When they do have an interview, it’s gonna be a quicker click with a young white hot candidate.
“It’s just culture, it’s just the way life is. And I don’t know how to defeat it, because each of these guys is an independent owner in the umbrella of the NFL and it’s hard to legislate ‘you must hire a black coach’ … you can’t unless it’s in the man’s heart to do the right thing — and every once in a while you have [Steelers owner, Art Rooney] the Rooneys in Pittsburgh who did the right thing.”
During the show, Bayless brought up an article by Time and an op-ed written by USA Today’s Nancy Armour that both highlighted how Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has yet to secure a head coaching job in the NFL.
After mentioning Armour’s opinion piece — titled “NFL Owners Don’t Want Black And Brown Men As Their Head Coaches” — Bayless said that he’s been saying the same thing “on national TV” for the past 15 years.
Bieniemy — who helped lead the Chiefs to a 38-35 win over the Eagles in Super Bowl 2023 — has been the talk of the NFL coaching circuit for years.
The 53-year-old Bieniemy has transformed the Chiefs offense and helped develop two-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes since joining head coach Andy Reid‘s staff in 2018. His success in Kansas City has made him a deserving candidate for a head coaching job, yet he’s had unsuccessful attempts at landing one.
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Bayless’ rant came after Sharpe sounded off about the situation on Tuesday’s “Undisputed,” saying Bieniemy has been continuously passed over for head coaching jobs by less-qualified candidates.
That came on the same day the Arizona Cardinals hired Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon as their new head coach.
On Friday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Commanders and Bieniemy have mutual interest, adding that things are trending towards him becoming their offensive coordinator as both sides are working through specifics.
Rapoport said a deal could become official on Friday.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the matter last week during his state of the league address before Super Bowl 2023.
“I think there’s progress, and we’re pleased to see progress,” Goodell said. “But it’s never enough. We always look to sort of say, ‘How can we do better?’ A number of the things we implemented last year have proven to be direct beneficiary of some of the changes that occurred.”