Black NFL head coaches of 2014

Though their numbers are a bit on the sparse side, there are a handful of African American professional football coaches that are leading major teams in the NFL. These rare gentlemen are making strides toward keeping the door open for Blacks in the coaching profession. They should be congratulated for the work, as well as their participation in keeping minorities in important roles in the sport.

Here, we’ve listed these achievers along with the teams that they are leading:

• Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals: Coach Lewis has held the head coach position with the Bengals since the beginning of 2003. He holds the distinction of being the second longest tenured head coach in the National Football League.
• Jim Caldwell, Detroit Lions:  Coach Caldwell is the current head coach of the Detroit Lions, who has also held the same role with the Indianapolis Colts (from 2009-2012).
• Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers:  Coach Tomlin is the head coach for the Steelers. He has taken his place in history as the third youngest coach in any of the top U.S. pro sports. He is formerly the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings.
• Lovie Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Coach Smith is the head coach for the Buccaneers, and was also the head coach for the Chicago Bears before moving south to Tampa.

Although their numbers are not many, these coaches are continuing to blaze a trail that has not long been blazed. Out of 32 teams, only a few are coached by African Americans, and only slightly more have a quarterback of color, so there is plenty of room for growth and advancement.