ALAMEDA, Calif. — The NFL said Friday that the Oakland Raiders complied with the "Rooney Rule" when they hired Jon Gruden as head coach.
The league said a review found the Raiders conducted "bona fide" interviews with minority candidates during their search for a replacement for Jack Del Rio, who was fired after a disappointing six-win season. The "Rooney Rule" requires NFL teams to consider at least one minority candidate before making an offer to a head coaching candidate. The team officially hired Gruden on Jan. 6.
The Fritz Pollard Alliance, which had called for an investigation out of concern that Raiders owner Mark Davis came to an agreement with Gruden before the team interviewed any minority candidates, released a statement saying the NFL made the wrong call in not penalizing Davis.