Since the inception of the National Football League, there have been over 500 head coaches over that time. However, only 24 of those coaches were black.
Although the League tweaked the Rooney Rule to expand diversity, at the time of this writing there is currently only one Black head coach of an NFL team.
The NFL has a long way to go to be more inclusive and diverse, however, let us shine a light on those great few that trailblazed their way on the field! Check out the FULL list below!
1. Frederick Pollard
?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2022Frederick Douglass “Fritz” Pollard
Fritz Pollard was the first African-American football player to play at Brown University. In 1921, Coach Pollard became the first African-American head coach in the NFL, coaching the Akron Pros. #BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/W1bXqGIfl0
— CCSU FOOTBALL (@CCSUfootball)
Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard
— CCSU FOOTBALL (@CCSUfootball) February 2, 2022
Fritz Pollard was the first African-American football player to play at Brown University. In 1921, Coach Pollard became the first African-American head coach in the NFL, coaching the Akron Pros. #BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/W1bXqGIfl0After the Akron Pros appointed him as co-coach in 1921, Fritz Pollard became the first African-American head coach in NFL history.
However, before becoming the first Black coach of an NFL team, Pollard broke the color barrier earlier by being one of the first NFL players, according to the NFL official website.
Pollard was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
2. Art Shell
Shell became the first Black head coach since the 1920’s. Coaching the then LA Raiders from 1988 through 1994, when the team moved to Oakland, CA.
Shell was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989.
3. Dennis Green
Green was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings for 10 seasons from ’92-2001. According to an article on Sportscasting.com, not only was Green the first Black head coach of the Vikings, but also the first to become head coach without playing in the NFL!
Green passed away in 2016 and has yet to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
4. Ray Rhodes
Over the course of his career, Rhodes coached in various capacities for nearly 40 years, including five years as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and later as head coach of the Green Bay Packers.
Rhodes is a 5x Super Bowl champ and was named NFL Coach of the Year 1995.
5. Tony Dungy
In a career spanning more than 40 years, Dungy first coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1996, and then famously went to coach the Indianapolis Colts.
Dungy was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
6. Herman Edwards
Edwards coached in the NFL for over 20 years. He was the head coach of the New York Jets from 2001-05, soon after joining the Kansas City Chiefs.
7. Marvin Lewis
Lewis was the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals from 2003-2018.
Lewis is a 1x Super Bowl Champ and was named AP Coach of The Year in 2009.
8. Lovie Smith
Smith coached the Chicago Bears for 9 seasons from 2004-2012, before coaching the Tampa Bay Bucs for a brief stint.
He was named AP Coach of The Year in 2005.
9. Terry Robiskie
In his nearly 40-year career coaching in the NFL, Robiskie served as interim head coach twice, once for the Washington Redskins during the 2000 season, and again with the Cleveland Browns during the 2004 season.
10. Romeo Crennel
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Crennel coached the Cleveland Browns from 2005 to 2008, and he later coached the Houston Texans for one season.
Crennel is a 5x Super Bowl Champ, and is currently the Senior Advisor for Football Performance for the Texans.
11. Mike Tomlin
Tomlin has been the head coach of the Steelers for 15 seasons since 2007. He is the only Black head coach in the NFL at the time this list was published.
12. Emmitt Thomas
During the middle of the 2007 season, Emmitt Thomas was named interim head coach of the Atlanta Falcons following a sudden resignation. Thomas coached the Falcons for just four games before the team hired someone else in the offseason.
Thomas was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
13. Mike Singletary
Singletary coached the San Francisco 49ers for three seasons from 2008 to 2010.
Mike Singletary was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998.
14. Jim Caldwell
Jim Caldwell has served as head coach of two NFL franchises: the Indianapolis Colts from 2009 to 2011 and the Detroit Lions from 2014 to 2017.
Caldwell was mentioned in Brian Flores’ lawsuit as an example of a Black NFL head coach who was terminated despite his success.
15. Raheem Morris
From 2009 to 2020, Raheem Morris served as the head coach of two different teams, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011, during which time he also managed the defensive unit. He served in the same double capacity with the Atlanta Falcons in 2020.
16. Perry Fewell
The Buffalo Bills had Perry Fewell as their head coach for a single season in 2019. Fewell was also interim head coach of the Carolina Panthers in the 2019 season.
17. Leslie Frazier
In an NFL coaching career spanning nearly 20 years, Leslie Frazier was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2010 to 2013.
18. Eric Studesville
Studesville was the head coach of the Denver Broncos during the final four games of the 2010 season. Recently, he served in the role of defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins under then-head coach Brian Flores during the 2021 season.
Studesville is also a 1x Super Bowl Champ.
19. Mel Tucker
For the final five games of the 2011 season, Tucker was named the interim head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. He is currently the head coach of the Michigan State Spartans.
20. Todd Bowles
Bowles was a head coach in the NFL for five seasons. First as the interim head coach of Miami Dolphins in the 2011 season and four other seasons leading the New York Jets from 2015 to 2018.
He’s also a 3x Super Bowl Champ. One as player, executive and coach.
21. Hue Jackson
Hue Jackson led as an NFL head coach with two franchises for four seasons. He coached the Oakland Raiders during the 2011 season and then the Cleveland Browns from 2016 to 2018.
22. Anthony Lynn
In the span of five seasons, Lynn was a head coach in the NFL for two teams. He led the Buffalo Bills for one season in 2016 and soon was hired by the Los Angeles Chargers the following season and served in that capacity through the 2020 season.
23. Vance Joseph
Vance Joseph was the head coach for the Denver Broncos for the 2017 and 2018 seasons. It was recently reported he interviewed for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job that was left vacant after Brian Flores was fired.
24. Brian Flores
Brian Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 through the 2021 seasons, after which he was fired. Recently Flores has filed a class action lawsuit against the NFL and three teams, alleging racial discrimination during the hiring process.
