Colts Owner Defends Jeff Saturday’s Hire as Coach

Even Saturday, 47, was surprised by his hiring. “Shocked would be an understatement,” he said. “I asked Mr. Irsay, ‘tell me why I’m a candidate you would consider in any role.’”

Because Saturday, who is white, was tabbed as interim head coach, the hire did not appear to violate the Rooney Rule, which mandates that N.F.L. teams interview either nonwhite or female candidates for open head coaching and coordinator jobs.

At Monday’s news conference, Irsay promised the rule would be followed in the off-season when the search for a head coach would be subject to the Rooney Rule. But Irsay seemed to expect that Saturday would be hired.

“This is for eight games, hopefully more,” Irsay said.

Saturday’s hire comes as the league defends itself against a proposed class-action lawsuit brought by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores on behalf of Black coach and general manager candidates who he said have been discriminated against in hiring. In a filing made in February, Flores claimed that Black coaches have been subjected to sham interviews, denied opportunities to lead teams and given unequal terms and conditions of employment.

Two Black coaches, Ray Horton and Steve Wilks, now the Carolina Panthers interim head coach, joined Flores’s suit in April.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/08/sports/football/jeff-saturday-colts-nfl-coach.html