What do the Rooney Rule changes mean?
Yahoo Sports' Terez Paylor breaks down the significance of the Rooney Rule changes.
Video Transcript
TEREZ PAYLOR: There have been some things that have been changed regarding the Rooney Rule. Um, the league currently requires teams to interview one minority candidate for head coach or general manager vacancies. Under the new rule, teams will be required to interview two external minority candidates for a head coaching position and one for a coordinator position.
Teams will also be required to interview minority and/or female candidates-- that's a cool inclusion-- for senior-level executive positions, such as team president. The changes will go in effect after this league meeting.
You know, again, I talked to people throughout the league about this. You know, here's the thing. Minority coaches already know the deck is stacked against them, right? And it's pretty disheartening. But many of the guys I talk to, man, they feel like, you know, the rule is a joke. And they're trying to strengthen it, right? But there's this key aspect of it.
They can make owners jump through all the hoops they want. The owners have to be willing to make these hires, number one. But that's not it. If a team has sham Rooney Rule interviews, will the league enforce the rule?
CHARLES ROBINSON: Right.
TEREZ PAYLOR: This has to get enforced. There have been interviews throughout the past where people are like, that wasn't really real, but the league doesn't really dive into it.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Right.
TEREZ PAYLOR: If they want this stuff to have teeth, they have to start enforcing it in a real kind of way.