Mike Tomlin has been one of the most successful coaches in NFL history. He ended his 19-year tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, his departure from the team has freed him to speak plainly about the NFL’s diversity problem, and he’s pointing directly at ownership, questioning all 32 owners about the league’s lack of Black head coaches.

“It’s those 32 separate entities, those 32 separate businesses in terms of their decision-making,” Tomlin said when asked why there are so few Black head coaches by TODAY anchor Craig Melvin on a special edition of Glass Half Full.

“Guys like me get asked that question all the time, and we’re talking around it, but the reality is, no. It’s those people that own teams that make critical decisions, and so, like, the ball is in their court. Like, I respect the question, but ask them,” the coach quickly shifted the responsibility to team owners, coaches, and executives to answer.

While there are 32 teams in total, the total number of Black coaches remains only three for the 2026 season, including Aaron Glenn of the New York Jets, Todd Bowles of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and DeMeco Ryans of the Houston Texans.

The NFL’s player base is 67% Black, yet the league has produced only three Black head coaches. While many regard Art Shell, who was hired by the Los Angeles Raiders in 1989, as the first Black coach of the modern NFL era, Fritz Pollard had already served as the player-coach for the Hammond Pros in 1925. Tony Dungy became the first Black coach to lead a team to a Super Bowl win, with the Indianapolis Colts defeating the Chicago Bears 29-17 in the 2006 season.

Since then, only 28 Black coaches have been hired across NFL history, with this year’s hiring cycle also being completed with 10 vacancies in the league, but no Black coach was appointed. To prevent racial bias and solely promote the quality of a coach, the Rooney Rule, named after late Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, was also implemented in 2003, which made it mandatory to consider minority and diverse candidates for managerial positions.

“I had an awesome experience in Pittsburgh,” Tomlin appreciated the Rooney Rule in the same interview. “One of the initiatives is referred to as the Rooney Rule. They bought what they sold. And my journey, and my career, is a testament to that, and I respect it.”

But on the contrary, though the rule has been in effect since its implementation, many coaches have complained about how it works. Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores filed a lawsuit accusing the NFL, the New York Giants and two other teams of racial discrimination.

‘The Rooney Rule is intended to give minorities an opportunity to sit down in front of ownership,” Flores told CBS News. “But I think what it’s turned into is an instance where guys are checking the box. That’s been the case.”

Not only Flores, but the assistant coach of the New England Patriots, Thomas Brown, questioned why he wasn’t promoted to HC after leading the Patriots to a Super Bowl loss against Seattle.

“I’ve constantly heard this mantra the last six years in the NFL that people hire the most qualified candidates,” Brown said. “Which I hope is true and accurate. But you’re also seeing almost every time that it’s never a Black coach. Which is frustrating.”

Despite the rising allegations of the teams not conducting and following the Rooney Rule, the NFL commissioner has actively pointed out the importance of diversity in coaching in the league.

“I think we’ve proven to ourselves that it does make the NFL better,” Goodell said in February, 2025. “We’re not in this because it’s a trend to get into it or a trend to get out of it. Our efforts are fundamental in trying to attract the best possible talent into the National Football League both on and off the field.”

While the NFL continues to apply stricter rules and amend the Rooney Rule to ensure there is inclusivity, Tomlin might have just asked the questions to the right people.