Super Bowl LV: A Night for Black Coaches
Last night's super bowl was an achievement in more ways than one. Every year, we gather and watch the most important football game of the year. As great as the game usually is, the NFL has always had issues. The lack of diversity of coaching staff's has always been a pervasive problem. One of the most important things that happened last night happened off the field. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the first team in NFL history with all black coordinators. Seeing that they won the Super Bowl, these minds were the primary minds assisting the head coach In putting together the schemes and tactics to play such a dominant game.
We’ve long known that the reason there aren’t more black coaches in the NFL isn’t because of a lack of talent, it’s because of a lack of opportunity. The NFL is nowhere near the forefront of progressiveness and it’s not expected that this will be the beginning of any sort of progress. But for now, let’s celebrate these coaches and hope that the rest of the league is taking notice of what happens when the coaching staff better reflects the team.
Todd Bowles (Defensive Coordinator): Bowles is a native of New Jersey, a former NFL player, and head coach. Bowls was the defensive coordinator and secondary coach for both Morehouse College and Grambling State. He won a Super Bowl as a player with the Washington Redskins in 1998. Bowles was also honored in 2014 as the AP Assistant NFL Coach of the Year. Along with multiple assistant and coordinator positions, Bowles is the former head coach for the New York Jets.
Harold Goodwin (Assistant Head Coach/ Run Game Coordinator): Goodwin is a native of South Carolina, as well as a former offensive line coach for multiple NFL teams, and the offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals. Goodwin was an offensive line coach for Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan. Goodwin won a Super Bowl as an offensive assistant coach with the Pittsburg Steelers in 2009.
Byron Leftwich (Offensive Coordinator): Leftwich is a native of Washington, D.C., as well as a former NFL player and quarterback coach. While in college, Leftwich was named MVP of the 2000 Motor City Bowl. He was the MAC Most Valuable Player in 2001 and 2002. Leftwich played multiple seasons in the NFL and won a Super Bowl with the Pittsburg Steelers in 2008.
Keith Armstrong (Special Teams Coordinator): Armstrong is a native of New Jersey with years of professional coaching experience. Armstong played football for Temple University before starting his coaching career. Armstrong was a secondary coach at Oklahoma State and Atlanta Falcons as well as linebackers and special teams coach at Notre Dame. Armstrong was the special teams coach with the Dolphins and Bears before joining the Buccaneers.