Hue Jackson was hired by the late great Al Davis to turn the Oakland Raiders into a respectable team. Before Jackson’s arrival, the Oakland Raiders had lost 91 games and won only 37 since 2003. In Jackson’s first year with the team in 2011, the Raiders posted an 8-8 record and were one game away from making the playoffs.
But after an exceptional first season, Jackson was fired by the Raiders today. With the death of Al Davis, who owned and served as the team’s general manager, the Raiders decided to hire Reggie McKenzie as GM on Friday.
McKenzie served as an executive for the Green Bay Packers before joining the Raiders. He helped to build Green Bay into a Super Bowl winner, but his decision to fire Jackson after one season is a bit erratic and selfish.
Unfortunately, black coaches in the NFL continue to be the last hired and first fired. Raheem Morris of the Tampa Bay Bucs led the team to 10 wins in his first season. But after a dismal 2011 campaign, he was fired.
On the other hand, subpar coaches, such as Norv Turner (San Diego Chargers), are allowed to keep their NFL jobs after years of mediocrity.
Although the “Rooney Rule” ensured that black coaches would get an opportunity to interview for head coaching positions, it doesn’t guarantee that they will get an opportunity to gradually make a team better. –amir shaw
