Leslie Frazier
As this is going to post, its reported that the Seahawks have a deal with Carroll on the same Saturday they're reportedly still interviewing Leslie Frazier.
Moreover, it would mean the Fritz Pollard Association did not pressure the Seattle Seahawks to stop press leaks that Pete Carroll was the coach they wanted all along.
Here's what happened.
On Friday rumors circulated that USC Head Coach Pete Carroll was highly sought after by the Seattle Seahawks, who fired Head Coach Jim Mora, Jr. after only one season. But the NFL has a provision called "The Rooney Rule" which states that each team considering a head coaching candidate must interview a qualified minority coach.
But The Rooney Rule does not force minority coaches to interview with NFL teams, so when the Seattle Seahawks called on Leslie Frazier to be interviewed, really to comply with The Rooney Rule, he at first said "no".
Smart.
The Rooney Rule has been used to set up a number of less-than-sincere interviews of black coaches for head coaching positions when the NFL team had zero intention of hiring a black coach. Meanwhile, the NFL has continued a track record of hiring coaches who are white and have poor records, but then are rehired again by another team. By contrast, the NFL has no problem assuming a running back is good in part because he's black.
(It's also why a number of bloggers including this blogger started comparing Stanford Running Back Toby Gerhart to Jim Brown. First, Toby Gerhart reminds many of Jim Brown, but it wasn't the first comparison offered in conversation; John Riggins of the Washington Redskins was. Riggins is white, as is Gerhart; Jim Brown is black)
In this case, Pete Carroll has a poor NFL record and yet would be rehired by a team in the NFL, if a deal was done.
Leslie Frazier changed his mind after a day when the Fritz Pollard Association, which has worked to assure that NFL teams were in compliance with The Rooney Rule, stepped in, and got Seahawks EVP Tim Lewicky to agree that they were not going to give Pete Carroll control over personnel decisions. And on that basis, the interview happened.
Why?
Because it was believed that not giving Pete Carroll full control of the team means that he's not "their guy" in the mind of the Fritz Pollard Association. It's a twisted logic that could lead to Pete Carroll getting the Settle Seahawks job because he was "their guy" anyway and Leslie Frazier left out to bear the cold winter of Minnesota.
Leslie Frazier deserves his shot as an NFL Head Coach. He's coached many of the top players and created some of the NFL's best defenses. He should be given the same chance that many white NFL defensive coordinators, from Wade Phillips to Dave Campo (and both with the Dallas Cowboys) have received.
Pete Carroll won at USC because he was a great recruiter and a great coach. But at the NFL level, he would just be a great coach. That does not guarantee the amazing level of success Pete Carroll has had at USC.
Meanwhile, this episode should really cause the league to look at The Rooney Rule. Pete Carroll will not fare well at Seattle because he's not the best scheme person and at the NFL level, teams will zero in on what he's doing and stop it by the seventh game of the season. By contrast, Mike Holmgren knew and coached the Walsh Offense before he came to Seattle.
Seattle will learn, the hard way.
Stay tuned.
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