Marshall Faulk Blasts NFL Hiring Practices After Falcons Shake-Up
His criticism has intensified scrutiny of league hiring equity during the NFL’s cooperation with a Florida attorney general subpoena.
Overview
- Marshall Faulk publicly criticized the NFL’s treatment of Black coaches in a USA TODAY interview, using the Atlanta Falcons’ recent firing of Raheem Morris and their hires of Kevin Stefanski and Matt Ryan as examples.
- Faulk contrasted the paths given to some white former players and executives with the barriers Black former players face, citing Matt Ryan and JJ Redick as examples of people promoted without prior coaching experience.
- The NFL told reporters it is cooperating with a subpoena issued by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on May 13, 2026, that is probing whether the Rooney Rule and related diversity practices run afoul of state law.
- Despite the Rooney Rule, the league will enter the 2026 season with only three Black head coaches — Todd Bowles, Aaron Glenn, and DeMeco Ryans — a point critics use to argue the rule has not produced sustained change.
- Faulk’s move to Southern University and comments highlight a recurring route for Black coaches who must often lead HBCU programs or take non-NFL roles to build résumés, a pattern that shapes who gets future NFL opportunities.