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It's been a little over a year since the Jacksonville Jaguars entered the 2025 offseason searching for a new head coach after firing Doug Pederson following a disappointing 4-13 campaign.
As with every NFL coaching search, the franchise was required to comply with the Rooney Rule, which mandates that teams interview minority candidates for coaching vacancies before making a hire. Among those candidates was previous Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
Graham is a highly respected assistant who had built a reputation as one of the league's top defensive minds after coordinating defenses for the Dolphins, Giants and Raiders.
Graham's resume, leadership experience and multiple interviews during previous hiring cycles made him a legitimate candidate for a head coaching opportunity, even as Jacksonville's search increasingly centered on Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen.
According to a story published by ESPN on July 22, Graham was left waiting at the altar. Or in this case, the restaurant.
Rather than receiving a traditional interview experience for the head coach position, Graham reportedly arrived at a Jacksonville restaurant expecting to meet with Jaguars owner Shad Khan. Only Graham was left waiting as the organization's pursuit of Coen accelerated behind the scenes.
The story reports that Graham was left "hurt through the process," stating that Graham was reduced to tears, left to ponder what more he could do to get a top coaching job in the NFL.
Graham's experience as a Black football coach is just one example of the mistreatment of minority coaches and why several coaches believe portions of the Rooney Rule process have become performative.
"The process is broken," according to an anonymous coach, quoted to ESPN.
Graham wasn't unqualified by any means. He has spent more than 15 years in the league, including stints with the Patriots, Packers, Dolphins, Giants and Raiders. Graham was part of the Patriots coaching staff that won Super Bowl 49 and later earned defensive coordinator jobs in Miami, New York and Las Vegas. Under Graham, the Giants improved from 25th to ninth in scoring defense in 2020, while the Raiders' defense jumped from 26th to ninth in scoring defense in 2023.
The Rooney Rule was established in 2003 by NFL to address the barriers to hiring minority coaches and executives. After a recent change in 2025, the rule adjusted to interviewing at least two diverse candidates for head coach, general manager, and coordinator positions. Teams also must interview at leave one diverse candidate for quarterback coaching positions. There is no requirement to hire, however, making it seem like a hiring checkbox to many.
The NFL had 17 new hires for head coaches since last year. Out of the hires, only two have been minorities: Robert Saleh, who is Lebanese, and Raheem Morris, who is Black.
Jacksonville's pursuit of Liam Coen became one of the most dramatic coaching searches in recent NFL history. After initially withdrawing from consideration and agreeing to remain with the Buccaneers, Coen re-entered the process following the Jaguars' decision to part ways with general manager Trent Baalke. Jacksonville quickly arranged a second meeting with Coen, and owner Shad Khan ultimately decided he had found the franchise's next head coach, leading the Jaguars to cancel Robert Saleh's scheduled interview and complete the hiring shortly afterward.
Graham's experience has since become one of the defining anecdotes in the broader debate surrounding the Rooney Rule. ESPN reported that the veteran defensive coordinator traveled to Jacksonville expecting a legitimate opportunity to compete for the position. Instead, he found himself waiting while the organization focused on completing its pursuit of Coen. Although Graham fulfilled the Jaguars' Rooney Rule interview requirement, the episode fueled criticism from coaches who argue that minority candidates are sometimes brought into searches after teams have effectively settled on another hire. Graham has continued coaching in the NFL, becoming Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator, but his experience has become a frequently cited example in discussions about whether the league's hiring process needs reform.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Why Patrick Graham says Jaguars left him waiting during coach vacancy
Continue reading...
As with every NFL coaching search, the franchise was required to comply with the Rooney Rule, which mandates that teams interview minority candidates for coaching vacancies before making a hire. Among those candidates was previous Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
Graham is a highly respected assistant who had built a reputation as one of the league's top defensive minds after coordinating defenses for the Dolphins, Giants and Raiders.
Graham's resume, leadership experience and multiple interviews during previous hiring cycles made him a legitimate candidate for a head coaching opportunity, even as Jacksonville's search increasingly centered on Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen.
According to a story published by ESPN on July 22, Graham was left waiting at the altar. Or in this case, the restaurant.
Rather than receiving a traditional interview experience for the head coach position, Graham reportedly arrived at a Jacksonville restaurant expecting to meet with Jaguars owner Shad Khan. Only Graham was left waiting as the organization's pursuit of Coen accelerated behind the scenes.
The story reports that Graham was left "hurt through the process," stating that Graham was reduced to tears, left to ponder what more he could do to get a top coaching job in the NFL.
Graham's experience as a Black football coach is just one example of the mistreatment of minority coaches and why several coaches believe portions of the Rooney Rule process have become performative.
"The process is broken," according to an anonymous coach, quoted to ESPN.
Graham wasn't unqualified by any means. He has spent more than 15 years in the league, including stints with the Patriots, Packers, Dolphins, Giants and Raiders. Graham was part of the Patriots coaching staff that won Super Bowl 49 and later earned defensive coordinator jobs in Miami, New York and Las Vegas. Under Graham, the Giants improved from 25th to ninth in scoring defense in 2020, while the Raiders' defense jumped from 26th to ninth in scoring defense in 2023.
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What is the Rooney Rule
The Rooney Rule was established in 2003 by NFL to address the barriers to hiring minority coaches and executives. After a recent change in 2025, the rule adjusted to interviewing at least two diverse candidates for head coach, general manager, and coordinator positions. Teams also must interview at leave one diverse candidate for quarterback coaching positions. There is no requirement to hire, however, making it seem like a hiring checkbox to many.
NFL head coach hires from 2025/26
The NFL had 17 new hires for head coaches since last year. Out of the hires, only two have been minorities: Robert Saleh, who is Lebanese, and Raheem Morris, who is Black.
- Mike LaFleur – Arizona Cardinals
- Kevin Stefanski – Atlanta Falcons
- Jesse Minter – Baltimore Ravens
- Todd Monken – Cleveland Browns
- Joe Brady – Buffalo Bills
- Klint Kubiak – Las Vegas Raiders
- Mike McCarthy – Pittsburgh Steelers
- Robert Saleh – Tennessee Titans
- Jeff Hafley – Miami Dolphins
- John Harbaugh – New York Giants
- Ben Johnson - Chicago Bears
- Mike Vrabel - New England Patriots
- Kellen Moore - New Orleans Saints
- Liam Coen - Jacksonville Jaguars
- Pete Carroll - Las Vegas Raiders
- Jonathan Gannon - Arizona Cardinals
- Raheem Morris - Atlanta Falcons
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What happened with Liam Coen?
Jacksonville's pursuit of Liam Coen became one of the most dramatic coaching searches in recent NFL history. After initially withdrawing from consideration and agreeing to remain with the Buccaneers, Coen re-entered the process following the Jaguars' decision to part ways with general manager Trent Baalke. Jacksonville quickly arranged a second meeting with Coen, and owner Shad Khan ultimately decided he had found the franchise's next head coach, leading the Jaguars to cancel Robert Saleh's scheduled interview and complete the hiring shortly afterward.
Where did Patrick Graham end up?
Graham's experience has since become one of the defining anecdotes in the broader debate surrounding the Rooney Rule. ESPN reported that the veteran defensive coordinator traveled to Jacksonville expecting a legitimate opportunity to compete for the position. Instead, he found himself waiting while the organization focused on completing its pursuit of Coen. Although Graham fulfilled the Jaguars' Rooney Rule interview requirement, the episode fueled criticism from coaches who argue that minority candidates are sometimes brought into searches after teams have effectively settled on another hire. Graham has continued coaching in the NFL, becoming Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator, but his experience has become a frequently cited example in discussions about whether the league's hiring process needs reform.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Why Patrick Graham says Jaguars left him waiting during coach vacancy
Continue reading...
