Overview
- Patrick Graham says he traveled to Jacksonville expecting a genuine interview but was left waiting at a restaurant and later said the experience 'hurt' him, with reporting also noting he ran into Liam Coen earlier that day.
- The Jaguars moved quickly to pursue Liam Coen, arranged a second meeting with him, canceled Robert Saleh’s scheduled interview, and then completed Coen’s hire while Graham’s meeting did not lead to an offer.
- Coaches quoted in the coverage called the process broken and said teams sometimes use minority interviews to satisfy the Rooney Rule rather than to seriously consider candidates.
- The NFL expanded the Rooney Rule in 2025 to require at least two diverse interviews for head-coach, general manager and coordinator roles, but the recent hiring cycle produced 17 new head coaches and only two hires who were minorities.
- Graham is now the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive coordinator and his account has renewed calls for changes that go beyond interview mandates to increase transparency, alter who makes hiring decisions, and hold teams accountable.