Possible hiring misstep is probed

An NFL spokesman said in an email that the league will “look into” whether the Raiders violated the Rooney Rule while hiring head coach Jon Gruden.

The Fritz Pollard Alliance, which promotes diversity in NFL head-coaching and frontoffice jobs, asked the league Wednesday to investigate whether the Raiders complied with the rule, which requires any team with a head-coaching vacancy to interview at least one minority candidate.

At a news conference to introduce Gruden on Tuesday, Raiders owner Mark Davis said he had met with Gruden on Christmas Eve and came away “pretty confident” that Gruden — then still with ESPN — would return to coach the Raiders.

The team fired coach Jack Del Rio on Dec. 31 and announced Gruden’s hire Saturday.

In its statement Wednesday, the alliance said it was “deeply concerned” that the Raiders “came to an agreement with Jon Gruden about him becoming the Raiders’ next head coach before interviewing any candidates of color.”

General manager Reggie McKenzie said the team did interview two minority candidates before hiring Gruden: tight ends coach Bobby Johnson and Tee Martin, offensive coordinator at USC.

If found in violation of the Rooney Rule, the Raiders could face a fine or other punishment by the league. In 2003, thenCommissioner Paul Tagliabue fined then-Lions President Matt Millen $200,000 for failing to comply with the rule, which was established that year.