On February 1, former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed a class action lawsuit in the Southern District of New York, claiming that he and several other potential Black head coaches have been denied opportunities to advance in the NFL because the league’s racist hiring practices and flagrant violations of the Rooney Rule.
The examples Flores alleged were individual bombshells on their own. Taken together, they painted a picture of an NFL that is even more widely racist than some would have accused it of being before this complaint was released.
“God has gifted me with a special talent to coach the game of football, but the need for change is bigger than my personal goals,” Flores said in a statement. “In making the decision to file the class action complaint, I understand that I may be risking coaching the game I love, and has done so much for my family and me. My sincere hope is that by standing up against systemic racism in the NFL, others will join me to ensure that positive change is made for generations to come.”
