The NFL has long been under fire for its lack of diversity at the head coaching position. And from the looks of this year’s head coaching cycle so far, that won’t be changing anytime soon.
On Thursday, multiple reports indicated that Green Bay OC Nathaniel Hackett, who is white, is set to become the next head coach of the Denver Broncos.
During today’s episode of First Take, ESPN figurehead Stephen A. Smith said this hire was “sickening” and “insulting” to see as a Black man.
The Broncos moved past Eric Bieniemy as a head coaching option earlier this week. Smith argued that Chiefs OC, who is Black, has a better resume than Hackett.
“It’s just a damn shame when I see something like this. In regards to Eric Bieniemy and his resume, and then you put that up against Nathaniel Hackett’s resume because the great Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been to the Super Bowl since 2010 and Hackett wasn’t even an offensive coordinator in the National Football League at that particular moment in time,” Smith said.
“He didn’t get to Buffalo until 2013. And so for him, to end up getting a head coaching job when he had Aaron Rodgers and him in combination with Matt LaFleur hasn’t been able to get you over the hump. And you just scored 10 points in an NFC divisional playoff game on your home turf in inclement weather when you were supposed to be the deciding advantage against the San Francisco 49ers team that was playing on a short week and had Jimmy Garoppolo as their quarterback and special teams scored. The defense for Green Bay held you to six points and your offense can’t generate more than 10 points. And a couple of weeks later you get a head coaching job, but Eric Bieniemy, with those qualifications, doesn’t get the job.
“I’m telling you right now, as a Black man, it is sickening, it is insulting, and it bothers the living hell out of me.”
Bienemy has the Chiefs’ offense primed to take on their fourth straight AFC Championship game since he arrived in 2018.
After the firing of Miami’s Brian Flores and Houston’s David Culley, Steelers leader Mike Tomlin is the only remaining Black head coach in the league.
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