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Colts Facing Backlash For Hiring Jeff Saturday And Not Interviewing Minority Coaches

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The Indianapolis Colts have found themselves at the center of controversy this week.

On Monday morning, the team fired head coach Frank Reich and shockingly hired Jeff Saturday as their interim head coach despite the fact he has no professional football coaching experience.

The NFL told Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio that the Rooney Rule, which forces team to interview minority candidates, does not apply to interim head coaching hires during the season.

Via Pro Football Talk

“The rule does not apply to an interim head coach during the season,” Chief NFL Spokesman Brian McCarthy told PFT via email. “It does apply after the conclusion of the team’s season. The club would have to fulfill the rule before hiring a full-time coach.”

In other words, Colts owner Jim Irsay can hire Saturday to handle the rest of the season. However, Saturday can’t be given the permanent job without a full-blown search that complies with the rule.

Whether that should or shouldn’t be the rule is a different issue. It’s a potentially powerful loophole, which could be used by a team to get a head start on hiring a coveted head coach who is not under contract with another team. If that would ever happen, however, the team may have a hard time persuading minority candidates to interview for the job, once the season ends.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport minority assistant coaches around the league are not happy about the Saturday hiring.

There’s frustration around the league from really qualified assistants, coordinators, especially those who are minorities with this

Journalists also voiced their displeasure with the Saturday hiring.

Jorge Alonso BroBible avatar
Brobible sports editor. Jorge is a Miami native and lifelong Heat fan. He has been covering the NBA, MLB and NFL professionally for almost 10 years, specializing in digital media.
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