NFL head coach interview process: What to know about league policies, Rooney Rule (original) (raw)

With the regular season wrapped up, NFL franchises that didn’t make the postseason now turn their attention to 2025. For some of those teams, the first step will be finding a head coach.

The New York Jets, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars all have openings and a few other teams could be in the market for a new coach as well.

Several coordinators like Detroit’s Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn are expected to begin the interview process with the hope of landing one of the few coveted openings. But what exactly does the interview process entail and what are the league’s rules?

Let’s take a look at the timeline of how and when NFL teams can interview candidates:

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NFL head coach interview process/rules

The NFL has a series of rules for head coach interviews:

• Teams with open head-coaching positions were able to begin requesting interviews with candidates from other teams on Jan. 6. Those interviews must happen virtually before the end of divisional-round games.
• Last year, the NFL recommended that teams with open head-coaching positions used this “virtual interview window” to set up initial interviews so those teams would be eligible to request a second interview with a candidate from a Super Bowl team during the bye week.
• Note: Teams may not interview employees of other teams that didn’t make the postseason until the third day after the employer teams’ Week 18 game (for example, Jan. 7 for a game on Jan. 4, or Jan. 8 for a game on Jan. 5).

These are the interview requirements for coaches of teams in the postseason:

• If the employer team has a bye in the wild-card round, virtual interviews may begin three days after Week 18 games and must happen before the end of wild-card games.
• If the employer team is participating in the wild-card round, virtual interviews may begin three days after the team’s wild-card game and must happen before the end of the divisional-round games.

Starting the day after the divisional round ends:

• Teams can conduct in-person or virtual interviews with candidates employed by other NFL teams whose seasons ended.
• Teams cannot hold initial interviews with candidates employed by teams participating in the AFC and NFC championship games until the end of the employer team’s season. A candidate’s employer team may not voluntarily grant permission for those interviews.

During the bye week between conference championships and the Super Bowl:

• Second interviews, either in-person or virtual, are allowed with head coach candidates employed by teams in the Super Bowl. The team(s) conducting the interviews must notify the employer team(s).

Contact with head coach candidates in the Super Bowl is not allowed from during the Super Bowl week until the day after the game.

Additionally, no contract signing, contract announcement or contract agreement is permitted until after the end of the employer team’s season.

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What about coaches not employed by NFL teams?

Teams looking to interview candidates that aren’t employed by NFL teams, most notably former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel, can do so now without restrictions. For example, the Jets interviewed former Carolina and Washington coach Ron Rivera last week.

What about college coaches?

The NFL’s notes do not address college coaches. Teams can interview those coaches now.

What is the Rooney Rule?

NFL teams must also abide by the Rooney Rule, the league’s policy that requires teams to interview candidates from minority groups for head coach, general manager and executive positions. The rule was adopted in 2003 and named after Dan Rooney, the former owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and chairman of the NFL’s Workplace Diversity Committee.

The rule was established to increase diversity in team leadership and has been amended multiple times since it was introduced to broaden the scope of included groups — such as women — and roles.

Regarding head coaching jobs, teams must conduct an in-person interview with at least two external candidates who are people of color and/or women. Virtual interviews don’t satisfy Rooney Rule requirements, per the NFL.

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(Photo: Mike Mulholland / Getty Images)