Refresher: The rules for interviewing coaches currently on NFL teams

Toast88

Well-known member
Joined:
May 10, 2014
Posts:
14,562
Liked Posts:
14,818
We're almost there, so a bit of a refresher, since rules have changed recently.

The key things to remember:

*NFL teams may interview head coach candidates without current NFL jobs at any time, virtually or in-person.

For head coach candidates currently employed by an NFL team:

WHEN CAN MY TEAM REQUEST AN INTERVIEW WITH A HEAD COACHING CANDIDATE CURRENTLY ON AN NFL TEAM?

Monday, Jan. 6

WHEN CAN MY TEAM INITIALLY INTERVIEW A HEAD COACHING CANDIDATE CURRENTLY ON AN NFL TEAM?

Team has not made the playoffs: 3 days after their team's final Week 18 game. (Must be virtual, not in-person.)

Team has made the playoffs with a 1st round bye: 3 days after their team's final Week 18 game, but BEFORE the Wild Card games begin. (Must be virtual, not in-person.)

Team has made the playoffs with a Wild Card game: 3 days after their team's Wild Card game, but BEFORE the Divisional games begin. (Must be virtual, not in-person.)

WHEN CAN MY TEAM CONDUCT IN-PERSON INTERVIEWS?

Starting Monday, Jan. 20, but can only be done with candidates who teams' initially spoke with virtually.

If a team has not conducted an initial virtual interview with a candidate on an NFL team by the time of the Divisional Round games, teams may not interview that coach---virtually or in-person---until that coach's season is over.

OK. MY TEAM VIRTUALLY INTERVIEWED A CANDIDATE DURING WILD CARD OR DIVISIONAL ROUND WEEK. THAT CANDIDATE'S TEAM LOST AND DIDN'T MAKE THE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP, THOUGH. ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS ON THESE CANDIDATES?

Nope. They're free to do virtual or in-person interviews with anyone once their season is over.

WHAT ABOUT CANDIDATES MY TEAM INITIALLY VIRTUALLY INTERVIEWED, BUT WHO MADE THE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP?

Your team may speak with those candidates in the first week between the Conference Championship and the Super Bowl (Jan. 27-Feb. 2), then MAY NOT speak to candidates on either Super Bowl team until the Monday after the Super Bowl a week later.

WHAT ABOUT THE ROONEY RULE?

Contrary to popular belief, the Rooney Rule not only requires teams to interview TWO candidates of color. Those interviews must be:

1) in-person
and
2) with EXTERNAL candidates

This means the Bears interviewing Thomas Brown WOULD NOT fulfill half of the Rooney Rule.

This means the Bears MUST interview at least TWO external candidates of color during the initial virtual interview period, with the full expectation of also interviewing those people in-person, in order to not bog down and slow their coaching search.
 

Canth

Well-known member
Joined:
Mar 23, 2016
Posts:
4,371
Liked Posts:
6,041
On the one hand, I get the restrictions on access to coaches for teams still in the playoffs.

But the limited window given for those virtual interviews, that must be done ahead of in-person interview, also forces teams with an open GM position to interview coaches ahead of hiring a GM or they miss the windows to otherwise talk to those coaches.

I would think that a future tweak would be that in that timeframe where in person interviews are allowed that you would allow for a virtual interview for teams that previously did not talk to those coaches - especially if they had been in the process of hiring a GM. So, allow a virtual but not in-person to still happen in that same timeframe considering you are already allowing for an interview to happen anyway. Maybe even restrict it to only teams that hire a new GM and only that virtual. I don't know, just seems weird.

I know they would never do it, but if they are really worried about letting guys stay focused on the playoffs, they could always just say no interviews allowed for anyone until after the Superbowl and put everyone on the same timeline.
 

Top