The NFL received higher grades and scores when it comes to racial and gender hiring in an annual diversity report, but the NFL is still in search of balance when it comes to diversity in the league’s offices.  

The study, which was devised by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at Central Florida, handed out the grades to the NFL:  

• The NFL received an overall B grade  
• B+ for racial hiring  
• C+ for gender hiring.  

The study used data for the 2021 season to review several positions within league offices and franchises. 

Around 38.8% of women work in the NFL, which is an all-time high, and people of color make up 40.9% of the assistant coaches. 

Related: ‘It Is About an Equal Opportunity’: The Lack of Diversity in NFL Coaching 

“The overall categories increased by 2%,” TIDES director and lead report author Richard Lapchick said in an interview with The Associated Press. “That’s really difficult to do with the report card, to move it that much. The kind of across-the-board improvements in so many categories was definitely heartening.”  

The NFL received a slight bump from last year’s score, going from 79.1 to 81.8. The scores represent both racial and gender hiring.  

The NFL opened the season with five head coaches of color: 15-year Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin; third-year Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores; second-year Washington Football Team coach Ron Rivera; first-year New York Jets coach Robert Saleh; and first-year Houston Texans coach David Culley.  

The league received a C+ for five people of color working as general managers: Atlanta Falcons’ Terry Fontenot, Cleveland Browns’ Andrew Berry, Detroit Lions’ Brad Holmes, Miami’s Chris Grier and Washington’s Martin Mayhew.  

Related: Former Raiders Coach Jon Gruden Sues NFL Over Leaked Racist Emails 

“That’s true across all the leagues for the most part,” Lapchick said. “It’s how do you move those (diversity) policies to the club level. In some cases, the club level has embraced it. I think they’ve embraced it more this year.”  

The NFL also released a statement on its diversity and gender hiring.  

“While we have made progress over the last year, and that’s evident in this year’s report, we recognize there is still work to be done,” the league said. “We are committed to providing an environment where everyone can compete and thrive and ensuring there are equitable opportunities across the league for minorities and women, especially in leadership roles.” 

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