Insiders praise Patriots’ Aaron Glenn decision for “faking” the Rooney Rule

Robert Kraft is official hiring Mike Vrabel as the next head coach of the New England Patriots. The former linebacker played eight of his 14 NFL seasons in Massachusetts, so the hiring makes sense. However, it seems that the team were clearly despised Rooney’s rule to get his man, i Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Aaron Glenn wanted no part of it.

“This week, the Patriots brought Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton into town to interview for the head coach position.” No black man has coached in the NFL since 2022, with Hamilton last serving as Houston’s offensive coordinator and Leftwich as Tampa Bay’s OC,” CBS Sports insider Jonathan Jones reported Sunday.

“Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn turned down Patriots offer.” He has requests from every team that has a vacancy and plans to interview with everyone except New England,” the insider continued. “Glenn’s refusal to interview was met with praise around the league from coaches and staff members of all stripes who, in conversations with CBS Sports, believed the Krafts were running a bogus Rooney rule.”

The Rooney Rule, named after the late Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney, dictates that teams interview at least two minority candidates for any open head coaching, coordinator or general manager role and at least one minority candidate for any open running backs coaching position.

It makes perfect sense for a coach like Aaron Glenn, who is a top contender for several jobs this recruiting cycle, to skip this mock interview when almost everyone has figured out that Robert Kraft wants Mike Vrabel and is going to hire him. Going through the interview was a waste of time, so it’s only fair to commend Glenn for sticking to his guns.

However, while this may not be exactly how the NFL intends the Rooney Rule to work, it may be a good example of how it does good for the league even when it’s not enforced in good faith. Leftwich and Hamilton have been out of the league for a few years now, and while they aren’t legitimate head coaching candidates, having their name attached to the head coaching search could help them get back into the league.

This is obviously not ideal, but in the end it might work out for everyone involved.

Team Crean began writing sports in 2016 and joined ClutchPoint in 2022. He excels in his all-round coverage of the NFL, NBA, football, sports media and more. As a longtime self-proclaimed sports junkie, it’s a dream to write about sports professionally.