Stephen A. Smith Isn’t Impressed by the NFL Hiring a Multiracial Head Coach: ‘This was a Conversation About Black Men’

The NFL has a clear diversity problem among its head coaches and according to Stephen A. Smith, the Miami Dolphins hiring a multiracial candidate didn’t do much to help.

Sunday night, the Dolphins hired former San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel to replace Brian Flores as their head coach. The firing of Flores last month, prompted the now-former head coach to hit the NFL with a lawsuit, alleging racial discrimination within the league and spotlighting their lack of diversity.

Although McDaniel is a minority candidate, Smith made sure to note that he doesn’t believe the Dolphins hire helps fix the NFL’s head coaching issue.

“That’s how HE identifies as multiracial, okay fine. This was a conversation, last week, about Black men, not getting jobs in the National Football League as head coaches,” Smith said as his First Take co-host Molly Qerim clarified that McDaniel’s father is Black. “I’m not knocking him. I wish him nothing but the best.”

“What I’m saying is the conversation, last week, pertaining to the Brian Flores situation is the scarcity of Black men who have been given opportunities to be head coaches in the National Football League,” Smith continued Monday on ESPN’s First Take.

At the time he was hired, McDaniel became the league’s fourth minority head coach, joining the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Tomlin, the Washington Commanders’ Ron Rivera, and Robert Saleh of the New York Jets. The Houston Texans are reportedly set to hire Lovie Smith as their next head coach, who will become the league’s second Black head coach, joining Tomlin.

Watch above via ESPN