NFL confirms Rooney Rule enhancements

The NFL announced Tuesday enhancements to the Rooney Rule.

Clubs will now be required to interview at least two external minority candidates for head coaching jobs, one minority candidate for any coordinator vacancies, and one external minority candidate for senior football operations or general manager positions.

"The NFL is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, which I believe is critical to our continued success," commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "While we have seen positive strides in our coaching ranks over the years aided by the Rooney Rule, we recognize, after the last two seasons, that we can and must do more.

"The policy changes made today are bold and demonstrate the commitment of our ownership to increase diversity in leadership positions throughout the league."

NFL owners reportedly tabled the resolution to incentivize minority hirings of coaches and general managers with improved draft picks during their meeting Tuesday. They also approved changes to the league's anti-tampering policy, including amendments to prevent teams from blocking position coaches from interviewing for outside coordinator positions.

The Rooney Rule will now also apply to a wide range of executive positions.

Teams and the league office must now include minority and female applicants in the interview processes for senior-level front office positions. Those include roles such as club president and executive positions in communications, finance, human resources, legal, and football operations departments.

The Rooney Rule, established in 2003, originally mandated that every team must interview at least one minority candidate for a head coaching or general manager vacancy before making a hire.

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