Thomas Brown Criticizes NFL’s Recent Head Coaching Hires for Lack of Black Candidates

This year, ten NFL franchises named new head coaches, yet none of the selections were Black. Among the many qualified Black assistants who interviewed for multiple positions but were passed over is Thomas Brown, the New England Patriots’ passing game coordinator and tight ends coach.

In an interview with ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Brown acknowledged that the recurrent experience of earning interviews without securing a head-coaching role has been personally challenging.

“This is a nuanced issue that resurfaces in dialogue nearly every year,” Brown said. “To describe it as merely frustrating would be an understatement. For the past six seasons, I have repeatedly heard that organizations hire the most qualified individuals, and I sincerely hope that is the case. However, the outcome has almost invariably excluded Black coaches, which is deeply disappointing. The claim that the pipeline lacks candidates is one I dispute, having worked alongside exceptional communicators and leaders at every stage of my career.”

At 40, Brown is a former college running back who was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Following a three-year playing career, he transitioned to coaching and has spent 15 years on staffs across the league, including a five-game stint as interim head coach of the Chicago Bears in 2024.

The league currently features three Black head coaches: Todd Bowles of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, DeMeco Ryans of the Houston Texans, and Aaron Glenn of the New York Jets.

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