Does hiring of Raheem Morris by Tampa Bay make Rooney Rule obsolete?

January 17, 11:58 AMSports ExaminerPaula Duffy

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Raheem Morris at Bucanners practice, 2007

Mike Florio of profootballtalk.com has stirred up a conversation about race and the NFL coaching ranks. I thought with the Rooney Rule in place we didn't have to talk about that any longer. In a radio appearance this past week he put the usefulness of the rule out there for debate.

For a review of the finer points of the Rooney Rule click here.

Florio points out the gaping hole in the rule as it exists now. There is an exception made for teams who have to contractually promise a head coaching position to someone as a condition of signing the individual in a lesser role or as a way to keep a guy with the team if he is interviewing elsewhere for an opening as head coach.

Like the Seahawks did with Jim Mora Jr. Like the Colts did with Jim Caldwell. But Florio points to the hiring of Mike Singletary by the 49ers and correctly notes that it doesn't fall into the exception. And now we have "The Curious Case of Raheem Morris".

Morris is rumored (at this writing an introduction has yet to take place) to be the likely replacement for Jon Gruden, fired on Friday as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That move came out of the blue according to most NFL-watchers and it was accompanied by the companion ousting of general manager Bruce Allen.

In their places are expected to be Morris and Mark Dominick as GM. Morris is African American. He was most recently elevated to defensive coordinator after Monte Kiffin left for a spot on his son's staff at Tennessee. He had been the defensive backs coach during the 2007 and 2008 seasons and worked in various assistant coaching positions in four previous seasons in Tampa Bay.  His full resume can be seen here.

It doesn't appear Morris like Singletary was hired at his most recent position with the promise of succeeding the then current head coach. Perhaps that isn't the case but I'm sure we'll find out when he is introduced at a press conference.

If he wasn't promised that role and he assumes the position without the ritual interviews required by the Rooney Rule then Florio's concern about the established norm might be true. Does the league need it any longer? Wasn't the point to give minority candidates a chance to crack the top ranks of the coaching brotherhood?

Seems like Morris and Singletary have done that without following the rules. The Glazers of Tampa Bay will not be able to point to the exception. If the league sanctions this hiring and doesn't impose a fine as outlined in the Rooney Rule then perhaps it should rethink the policy. Thoughts?