There is just one week left in the 2023 NFL regular season: Week 18. The end of the regular season means the 2024 playoffs are almost here. It also means, however, that many teams will see their seasons end.
Among those teams with their seasons over, some will fire their coaches (or already have). That means they need to hire new coaches. What has changed in the NFL’s hiring rules in 2024?
What Are the NFL’s New Hiring Rules?
In May 2023, the NFL instituted a new hiring rule to improve the interviewing and hiring process for head coaches. The change was made to make the process more fair, thorough, and inclusive. It especially aims to advance the league’s Anti-Tampering Policy, which is applicable through May 31, 2024.
The resolution included two changes. The first change is that teams cannot interview a head coach candidate who is employed by another NFL team until the third day after the conclusion of that team’s Week 18 game. This primarily protects teams that did not qualify for the playoffs or teams that earned a first-round bye.
For teams that play in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, coaches cannot be interviewed until the following Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on which day their game is played on.
The second change states that no in-person interviews are permitted with candidates employed by other teams until after all Wild Card games have ended. Before the end of the Wild Card games, in-person interviews can only happen with candidates employed by the team hiring a head coach or candidates not currently employed by the NFL.
According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the NFL even considered pushing back in-person head coach interviews until after the Divisional Round of the playoffs, and the NFL owners later unanimously approved that proposal. The new rule will go into effect next cycle.
Another hiring rule that the NFL employs is the Rooney Rule. The rule was instated in an effort to promote diverse leadership among NFL teams, giving all promising candidates an opportunity.
As of 2022, the rule requires that NFL teams must conduct outside interviews with at least two diverse candidates from the Career Development Advisory Panel list or a diverse candidate not currently employed by the team. Teams must also conduct outside interviews with a minority candidate for vacant quarterback coach positions.
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The Rooney Rule also requires that teams must conduct an in-person interview with at least one external minority candidate for any general manager or head coach search. Additionally, the final decision-maker must be involved through the conclusion of the process if they are involved from the beginning. Clean, complete records must be kept.
Three teams (the Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Carolina Panthers) have already fired their head coaches in 2023. It is likely there will be at least one more, if not multiple, on or around Black Monday on January 8.
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