I was thinking about this recently. Obviously, there is a concerted league-wide effort to hire black coaches with a multi-pronged plan of attack. The Rooney Rule is one way to force the issue, the minority executive training program is another, adhering to the “one drop rule” ie Mike McDaniel is also another.
Coaching staffs are bigger and more expansive (and expensive) than ever, too, which provides a nifty way to hide mediocrity. Head coaches have the freedom to delegate play-calling down the chain of command, along with who knows what other duties. It’s a team effort.
You think of quarterbacks and centers as the most “cerebral” positions on the field. This could translate well to a coaching role. There have been plenty of other positional players that have gone onto coaching roles, especially as assistants for their particular perrsonnel group.
But running back! That’s almost always the lowest Wonderlic average score at the annual combine. You might pick a gap based on your pre-snap read, but overall, there isn’t much brain power required.
I’m sure Thomas Brown is not the dumbest running back to have played recently, but it’s funny that the Bears chose this particular unicorn to look over their prized rookie QB, even just for the interim. If the NFL makes enough progress, someday, all head coaches could be former running backs!
