Did the Washington Redskins ignore the Rooney Rule in hiring Mike Shanahan?

UPDATE: Apparantly the Redskins kinda sorta adhered to the Rooney Rule by interviewing secondary coach Jerry Gray. As John Feinstein writes HERE, it's kind of a traveshamockery, if we're being honest.

When the news came out today that Mike Shanahan had been signed to a 5 year deal to be the next coach of the Washington Redskins, two thoughts came to mind.

1. Wow, really? Mike Shanahan? The guy who's done nothing without John Elway his entire coaching career? The guy who did that nothing, while being in a notoriously weak conference? THAT guy gets a 5 year deal, when other coaches such as Bill Cowher were allegedly available?

2. Wait....so they fire Jim Zorn a few days ago, and already have a deal in place with Shanahan? What about the Rooney Rule? You know, the rule where every team has to seriously interview and consider African American and other minority coaching candidates in their search?

The only name I heard mentioned in the articles I've seen is Mike Shanahan, and the random rumors and speculation on Bill Cowher and Mike Holmgren and other white coaches.

So did Washington just ignore the Rooney Rule? And is the NFL going to just ignore them ignoring the rule?

While discussing this on a sports forum I'm on, I mentioned how it seems to me that the NFL is selective in who they pursue as to ignoring the Rooney Rule. They'll fine some teams, and other teams won't be.

I don't pretend to know why that is, but it is a bit strange. For all I know, the Redskins DID interview an African American coach, and decided on Shanahan. For all I know, or any of us know, they honestly felt that Shanahan was the best coach they had talked to.

That's not out of the realm of possibility. However it's just strange how there was no names bandied about as serious contenders for that job, other than the one who ended up getting that job.

Maybe we'll hear more about this in the coming days. And maybe not. Maybe, as I said, it's selective, and the NFL won't go after Daniel Snyder, the owner of the Redskins. Print this post