The NFL is one of the few professional sports leagues that has instituted a rule designed to improve diversity in high-ranking coaching and front-office positions.
The Rooney Rule has led to a considerable uptick in minority head coaches, general managers, position coaches, and more.
Led by head coach Mike Tomlin, the Pittsburgh Steelers have the most diverse coaching staff in the NFL with 68.4 percent of the staff filled by coaches of color. The Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and New York Jets are the only other teams where coaches of color make up at least 55 percent of the staff.
On the other hand, the Cincinnati Bengals have the least diverse coaching staff in the NFL with 75 percent of positions filled by white coaches, a number which has actually improved by +1.2 percent year-over-year.
Below, we’ll break down the most diverse and least diverse NFL coaching staffs in 2023.
How The Rooney Rule Has Helped Improve Diversity In NFL Franchises
The Pittsburgh Steelers are known for the Rooney Rule, which aims to increase the number of minorities hired in head coach, general manager, and other executive positions.
Named after Dan Rooney, the late owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the NFL adopted the Rooney Rule in 2003 based on recommendations made by the league’s Workplace Diversity Committee.
The rule has undergone some changes over the years, according to NFL Operations. In 2009, the policy was amended to include more than just head coaching positions, adding general manager jobs and other front office positions under its umbrella.
As of November 2020, teams are also rewarded for developing minority talent that move on to become GMs or head coaches across the league. The incentive seemed to work, as openings filled by candidates of color jumped from 19 percent in 2019-20 to 37 percent in 2020-21.
Here is a quick breakdown of the Rooney Rule.
- NFL teams must interview at least two diverse candidates from the Career Development Advisory Panel list
- Teams must conduct an in-person interview with at least one external minority candidate for any GM or head coaching interview
- Franchises must continue to consider multiple diverse candidates
- Teams must maintain complete records and provide them to the league upon the Commissioner’s request
- If the final decision maker is involved from the beginning of the hiring process, they must be involved through the conclusion of the process
Most Diverse NFL Coaching Staffs In 2023
In the NFL, an estimated 75 percent of the players are men of color, according to data published by The Institute of Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida.
Yet, coaches of color make up 50 percent of the staff or better on just eight NFL teams.
Unsurprisingly, the Steelers lead the league in that category with 68.4 percent of coaches of color on Mike Tomlin’s staff. The Seattle Seahawks are next on the list at 58.3 percent while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made the biggest year-over-year change, going from 45.8 percent in 2022 to 56.5 percent in 2023.
Overall, the NFL employs 20 more coaches of color in 2023 than it did in 2022. However, the league added 30 additional coaching jobs in the offseason, meaning the number of diverse NFL coaches rose by just one percent to 44.3 percent in 2023.
The Buccaneers (five) and Philadelphia Eagles (three) are the only teams with more than two coaches of color in coordinator-level positions or higher.
Here is the list of the top 10 most diverse coaching staffs in 2023.
| Team | 2023 Coaches of Color (%) | 2022 Coaches of Color (%) |
% Change Year-over-Year |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 68.40% | 63.20% | 0.052 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 58.30% | 59.10% | -0.80% |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 56.50% | 45.80% | 0.108 |
| New York Jets | 56% | 59.10% | -3.10% |
| Washington Commanders | 54.20% | 45.80% | 0.084 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 52.40% | 39.10% | 0.133 |
| Houston Texans | 50% | 60% | -10% |
| San Francisco 49ers | 50% | 45.80% | 0.042 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 48% | 41.70% | 0.053 |
| Detroit Lions | 48% | 47.80% | 0.002 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 48% | 36% | 0.12 |
Least Diverse NFL Coaching Staffs In 2023
There are 10 NFL teams with white men occupying all of the head coach and coordinator positions.
According to the data, the Bengals have the least diverse coaching staff in the NFL with only 25 percent being coaches of color. That number is actually up from 23.80 percent in 2022, when Cincinnati also ranked dead-last in the league.
The New Orleans Saints, L.A. Chargers, and Kansas City Chiefs are next on the list with coaches of color making up only 30.4 percent of their respective staff.
Meanwhile, the Raiders also landed on the list of least diverse coaching staffs but that number has since changed after head coach Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi, and general manager Dave Ziegler. Las Vegas replaced McDaniels with Antonio Pierce and Ziegler with Champ Kelly, adding two candidates of color in interim roles.
Here is a list of the least diverse NFL coaching staffs in 2023.
| Team | 2023
Coaches of Color (%) |
2022 Coaches of Color (%) |
% Change Year-over-Year |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 25% | 23.80% | 0.012 |
| New Orleans Saints | 30.40% | 31.80% | -1.40% |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 30.40% | 36.40% | -6% |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 30.40% | 30.40% | 0% |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 34.60% | 36% | -1.40% |
| Las Vegas Raiders* | 37.50% | 45% | -7.50% |
| Green Bay Packers | 37.50% | 39.10% | -1.60% |
| Carolina Panthers | 40% | 37.50% | 0.025 |
| Buffalo Bills | 40% | 38.10% | 0.019 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 40% | 45.80% | -5.80% |
Note:The Raiders hired Antonio Pierce to replace Josh McDaniel on Nov. 1, 2023
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