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NFL chief administrative officer Dasha Smith
said the program will come back in May 2026.
“This will allow us to reimagine the program, reflecting on the
feedback and engaging with stakeholders so we can ensure a
successful program in the future,” she said in a statement
Tuesday. “We’re steadfast in our commitment to strengthen our
talent pipeline and create an environment that reflects the
diversity of our fan base. The NFL strives to be a unifying
force, and we are confident the next evolution of our efforts
will take us one step closer to that goal.”
CBS Sports first reported the decision.
The NFL recently held an accelerator program for general manager
candidates at league meetings in December, a three-day candidate
development program at the scouting combine and the ninth-annual
women's forum.
Among the people who have gone through the accelerator program
and eventually got top jobs are New York Jets head coach Aaron
Glenn and former Tennessee general manager Ran Carthon.
Smith said the league intends to combine the coaching and front
office accelerator programs and remains committed to increasing
diverse hirings for key leadership positions.
"We believe diversity of thought and background is essential to
our success, and it’s reflected in the policies, programs, and
partnerships that help us attract, develop, and retain top
talent at every level on and off the field,” she said.
The NFL currently has seven minority head coaches and seven
minority general managers. Commissioner Roger Goodell reiterated
the league's commitment to diverse hiring at the Super Bowl.
“I believe that our diversity efforts have led to making the NFL
better,” he said in February in New Orleans. “It’s attracted
better talent. We think we’re better if we get different
perspectives, people with different backgrounds, whether they’re
women or men or people of color. We make ourselves stronger and
we make ourselves better when we have that.”
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