Rob Woodfork, a communications star from Oakwood University, is an experienced on-air traffic and sports reporter who has worked at WTOP since 2011. During this time with the news organization, Rob Woodfork has authored hundreds of articles and columns on important social issues in sports, including the lack of management and coaching opportunities for visible minorities in the National Football League (NFL).
Around 70 percent of the players in the NFL are African-Americans. Yet, that isn't reflected in leadership among the league's 32 teams. There are only four minority head coaches in the NFL and two minority general managers. The league is aware of its racial disparity in management positions and has made diversifying leadership a point of emphasis during the 2020 off-season, particularly given the context of race relations in the United States and protests throughout the nation.
To help correct the issue, a measure was proposed to award teams higher draft picks for hiring minority head coaches or general managers. For instance, a team that hired a minority general manager would receive a 10-slot bump in the third round of the next NFL Draft. It would receive additional incentives if that manager was still employed after two seasons.
While this proposal was tabled for discussion at a later date, the league has implemented other measures to attack the root causes of its unbalanced hiring practices. These include plans for all 32 teams to adopt diversity and inclusion programs, the creation of a minority coaching fellow position for all 32 teams, and an expansion of the Rooney Rule, which now states teams must interview external minority candidates for head coaching and coordinator roles.
