"Long before hatchets start dropping in NFL cities and the annual spate of coach firings begins, a group of men gather at the league's Manhattan offices to compile candidates who could join the next generation of coaches.

Among those in the room is commissioner Roger Goodell and Steelers owner Dan Rooney. They are not there to influence hires, but for a much grander purpose: promote racial diversity in NFL hiring.

To that end, the league's diversity committee familiarizes teams with qualified minority candidates who it and the Fritz Pollard Alliance deem worthy of consideration. Near the top of this year's list is Titans defensive coordinator Jerry Gray, an African-American who is among those interviewed so far during the Bucs' search to replace Raheem Morris.

After protests from advocacy groups led by famed attorney Johnnie Cochran, the NFL implemented the Rooney Rule in 2003 in a step toward leveling the playing field for minorities in a league that had consistently trailed other pro sports in diversity. The rule mandates teams interview at least one minority for head coach and general manager openings."