LEADERS IN FOOTBALL, EQUALITY
Hervey pleased with progress in CFL
In a different world, or at least a better world than the one we’ve created, this wouldn’t be a story. But in today’s world, sadly, it is. Ed Hervey, the B.C. Lions’ general manager is African-American. Jarious Jackson, the Lions’ offensive co-ordinator, is African-American. So’s Mark Washington, the Lions’ defensive co-ordinator. So’s Torey Hunter, the Lions’ director of player personnel.
In the NFL and CFL, this level of minority representation in key organizational positions is unprecedented. Never mind that each man is almost over-qualified. And never mind that each of the four wants to be judged on wins and losses, not skin colour.
In 2018, this is still newsworthy. Maybe the game will get to a place where it won’t be a story and that will be a great day. Until then, this is important.
“Sure, it’s a story and we’re proud that it’s a story,” says Hervey. “But in today’s era, should it be a story? Probably not. We’re more than capable of doing the job. We just need the opportunity.” Even if those opportunities weren’t always there.
“There were guys 30, 40 years ago who were qualified who weren’t given opportunities,” says Washington. “All these men have more than earned it. They put the work in and they’ve been successful. It’s not a token thing at all.” Which should be the point, but it’s never that simple.
The CFL likes to believe it’s colour-blind, that it makes decisions based on merit, and its record allows it to make that claim. At least more forcefully than the NFL.
There aren’t any black head coaches currently in the Canadian game, but six of the 18 offensive and defensive coordinator positions are filled by African-Americans, including Jackson and Washington, Calgary defensive co-ordinator DeVone Claybrooks, Winnipeg defensive co-ordinator Richie Hall, Saskatchewan offensive coordinator Stephen McAdoo and Montreal offensive co-ordinator Khari Jones.
In Hamilton, Orlondo Steinauer returned to the Ticats this season with the title of assistant head coach after serving as the team’s defensive co-ordinator from 2013 to 2016. Marcus Brady also left his post as the Argos’ offensive co-ordinator this off-season to take a job with the Kansas City Chiefs.
In the front office, Hervey and Montreal’s Kavis Reed sit in the general manager’s chair and Hunter and Ottawa’s Jean-Marc Edme serve as directors of player personnel. In a nine-team league, that’s notable.
Hervey also says it’s reflective of the CFL. “I’d say the opportunities we’ve seen have been far greater than what they’ve seen down south,” he says. “The CFL has always been more open.”
There’s that question of opportunity again. The NFL currently employs eight minority head coaches: seven AfricanAmericans and Ron Rivera, the Carolina Panthers’ head coach. That ties for the highest number of African-American coaches in league history which, theoretically, suggests the Rooney Rule has made an impact.
As for the reality, that depends on who you ask. Enacted in 2003, the Rooney Rule forces NFL teams to interview minority candidates for head-coaching and senior front-office positions. There were six black coaches in NFL history from the league’s inception in 1920 to 2003. In the 14 years since, there have been 12 black head coaches.
So some progress has been made. But there have also been charges of sham interviews that satisfy the letter of the Rooney Rule but haven’t created substantive change. Critics also point to the lack of African-Americans in the two key offensive coaching posts — co-ordinator and quarterbacks’ coach — which is notable because the majority of head coaches come from the offensive side of the ball.
Last year there were three black offensive co-ordinators in the 32-team league. All were fired this off-season. Currently there’s one, Kansas City’s Eric Bieniemy, although Philadelphia’s Duce Staley has been promoted to assistant head coach. There were also two black quarterback coaches in 2017: Byron Leftwich in Arizona and David Culley in Buffalo.
In the CFL, there are three African-American offensive co-ordinators in the nine-team league: Jackson, McAdoo and
Jones. It’s presumed Jackson or Washington will succeed Wally Buono as the Lions’ head coach following this season. It’s also thought Steinauer will eventually take over in Hamilton.
As for the GM’s office in the NFL, there were four AfricanAmericans following Cleveland’s firing of Sashi Brown and the Giants’ firing of Jerry Reese in the off-season. When Reese was hired in 2007, he was the third African-American GM in NFL history. The first was Baltimore’s Ozzie Newsome, hired in 2002.
“I’ll be open with you,” says Hervey. “I knew I was Edmonton’s first black GM. I knew, after Roy (Shivers, in Saskatchewan), I was one of the first black GMs. I pay attention to that stuff. I felt I had a responsibility to do the job the right way because I wanted aspiring African-American or African-Canadians to see there is an opportunity out there.”
Geroy Simon is the Lions’ director of Canadian scouting. Hervey was asked about his future with the team.
“If I’m doing my job right, he won’t be here in three years,” he said. “He’ll be running his own team.” And there will be an opportunity for him to run his own team because that’s the way it should work.