EAGAN, Minn. -- Mike Pettine has long understood the problem: A lack of diversity among NFL coaches. This spring, he was inspired to do something about it.
Pettine, in his first season as the Minnesota Vikings' assistant head coach, organized a three-day coaching diversity summit this week at team headquarters, a program designed to increase the diverse candidate pool for entry-level NFL jobs. A total of 11 men and one woman -- Roseana Smith, an assistant coach at Oberlin College -- will spend their time participating in mock interviews, learning the NFL's culture, listening in on coaching meetings and working an OTA practice.