Football fans noticed the exact same thing after the annual photo of all 32 NFL coaches was released today.
The 2026 league meetings are being held in Phoenix, Arizona. The NFL coaches, executives and owners all get together to talk about important matters ahead of the draft, which runs from Apr. 23-25.
As per tradition, all 32 head coaches got together to pose for a photo.
The Observation
Fans specifically noted the lack of diversity among this year’s head coaches. This was a hot talking point when the 2026 hiring cycle was complete. Meanwhile, the Florida Attorney General is pushing to scrap the NFL’s “Rooney Rule.”
“I can count the number of black coaches and GMs on one hand?” one fan asked.
“Way too many white guys,” another said.
“More than 55% of the league is black or person of color but only 3 HC are black. You can’t tell me there are no qualified black coaches,” said a fan.
“This is so white it looks like a Kenny Chesney concert,” a user wrote.
“Old white guys. Looks like the US government,” quipped another.
The Numbers
Robert Saleh (Tennessee Titans) was the only minority head coach hire in the 2026 cycle. Saleh, who previously coached the New York Jets from 2021 to 2024, is of Lebanese descent.
Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Aaron Glenn (New York Jets) and DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans) are the only three black head coaches entering the 2026 NFL season.
The 10 New Head Coaches for 2026
This year’s NFL head coach hiring cycle was unlike any other. We saw the league’s two longest-tenured HCs, Mike Tomlin (resigned from the Pittsburgh Steelers) and John Harbaugh (fired by the Baltimore Ravens), leave their respective teams.
In a massive stunner, the Buffalo Bills fired beloved head coach Sean McDermott after their playoff loss to the Denver Broncos. That’s three Hall of Fame-caliber coaches exiting in one offseason.
Harbaugh took the New York Giants’ HC vacancy, and the Bills promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach. Aside from those two and Saleh, the other new coaches for 2026 are:
Kevin Stefanski (Atlanta Falcons), Jesse Minter (Baltimore Ravens), Todd Monken (Cleveland Browns), Klint Kubiak (Las Vegas Raiders), Mike LaFleur (Arizona Cardinals), Jeff Hafley (Miami Dolphins) and Mike McCarthy (Pittsburgh Steelers).
The Bottom Line
The NFL’s annual coaches photo dropped. And everyone noticed the same thing: not enough color.
Three black head coaches. One Lebanese-American. Twenty-eight white guys. In a league where more than 55 percent of players are Black. The Rooney Rule was supposed to fix this. But the numbers say otherwise. And fans are asking the same question: how is this still happening?