NFL creates program to get more women involved in football

On Thursday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the launch of the Coaches and Executives Accelerator program that seeks to provide more job opportunities in the American soccer league to women and minorities.

"The NFL is committed to diversity and inclusion, and this program is the latest in a series of steps designed to improve our hiring practices and create opportunities for advancement," the commissioner said.

The program, held on May 23-24 at the NFL's spring meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, will call for more than 60 prospects to become head coaches or general managers and will have representation from all 32 teams in the league. 

"The program will help ensure that teams receive exposure to emerging and high-performing talent and that candidates have the opportunity to learn the business at the working level from team owners and executives," Goodell explained.

Las mujeres están cada vez más presentes en la NFL. Entrenadoras, dueñas, con puestos administrativos y oficiales, las oportunidades han crecido. El futuro está aquí.💁🏼‍♀️🏈🔝#NFLEspañol pic.twitter.com/9RnjPjs9KL

— Mundo NFL (@MundoNFL) March 2, 2021

The Accelerator seeks to open more positions in the NFL for women and minorities in coaching and management with development sessions that will connect them with experts in soccer operations as well as team owners. Speakers will include Dawn Aponte, senior vice president of soccer operations and chief administrative officer of the NFL, Kelly Kleine, special advisor to the general manager of the Denver Broncos, and Jacqueline Davidson, director of soccer research for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, among other executives.

This program emerged after former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed a lawsuit last February against the NFL, the Dolphins, Broncos, and Giants for discrimination with respect to their interview process for the head coaching position. Flores was fired from Miami in January of this year despite leading the Dolphins to their first two winning-record seasons in 2020 and 2021, dating back to the 2003 campaign.

In the lawsuits against the Giants and Broncos, Flores claimed that the interviews he had for the coaching position were only to comply with the NFL's "Rooney" rule, which requires teams to interview minority candidates. An image that the league is willing to erase with the implementation of new programs.