Last month, the NFL canceled its Accelerator program, raising eyebrows with the decision to scrap the initiative designed to improve diversity hiring practices for head coaches and front office positions. 

Lost amid the contentious tush push debate, the league gave reasons for the cancellation one week before the coaches’ Accelerator program was supposed to take place at the owners meetings in Minnesota, saying it needed to take a step back to “reimagine the program” and make it “as impactful as possible.” 

Still, the poor optics and timing for this pivot raised questions, given the political climate and how President Donald Trump priority of eliminating programs focused on diversity, equity and inclusion. 

Starting in 2022, the league held two separate accelerator programs, one for coaches and one for front-office employees. Only Ran Carthon, the former Tennessee Titans’ GM, and Aaron Glenn, the new head coach of the New York Jets, have gone on to get hired after participating in the program. According to reports, the league has plans to bring back the Accelerator program next year, possibly combining the two events. 

Sports Illustrated spoke with coaches and front-office executives about various topics surrounding the Accelerator program. One high-ranking team executive, choosing to speak anonymously, believes the league is sincere when it says it wants to improve the program and help more alums land prominent positions. 

“I think talking with [league officials], they have a sense that they knew it could be improved and wanted to take a fresh look at the overall perspective,” says the team executive. “Again, the timing may seem politically motivated, but I actually think the league was planning this well in advance of the current climate. 

“The program had run its course. Overall, I think they needed to rethink how to make it better for all of the participants and the teams. I know participants found it valuable, but without a ton of turnover, you either had people who had been a number of times and therefore were getting diminishing value or you were starting to get people who were more junior where I think they were farther away from the actual ability to get hired. I don’t think either was the goal of the program when it started.”

The anonymous team executive said the NFL should consider opening the Accelerator program to everyone, not just minority candidates because it’s often not solely the owners who are doing the hiring—the GMs, the consultants and the head coaches have plenty of say. Having more people participate could defeat the purpose of getting more minority candidates hired, but there are some peer-to-peer benefits with this line of thinking. For example, say a rising coach and executive connect at the Accelerator program and keep in contact. Later, one becomes a head coach or GM and eventually hires the other.

“We don’t meet any of our colleagues until before the game,” says Los Angeles Rams assistant head coach Aubrey Pleasant, an Accelerator alum. “It’s either the combine, the Senior Bowl or pro days. If you don’t go to any of those things, you don’t see any of your colleagues, so it’s hard to get to know your other colleagues in the NFL, especially if they’re minorities that are progressing or people that think are doing well. 

“The thing that was really cool for me was being able to go there and meet several coaches that I have heard about and getting a chance to actually sit down and be able to talk to them. That was something that really jumped out to me.”

Rams coach Sean McVay also believes more interactions between peers across the league could improve diversity in hiring, but is also aware of the challenges that come with competitive people wanting to share their experiences. It’s similar to a veteran quarterback being willing to mentor the incoming first-round rookie brought in to take his job eventually. The same could be applied to coaches and executives, so getting them to build connections early in their careers could lead to long-term benefits, especially when GM and head coach positions open simultaneously for an NFL team. 

“What is the intent?” McVay said when asked last week about what the league can do to improve the Accelerator program. “To provide opportunities and educated experiences to be able to help and better prepare people for upward mobility. I think the intent is all in the right place and you’ve seen really good progress in that regard. I think it’s really just about, alright, ‘Hey, how do we make sure that you’re setting up situations and circumstances where people are around others that are willing to be able to share their experiences, are able to ask the questions where there’s that safety and equity built up and that willingness to be able to share?’ 

“We’re in such a competitive environment, but I think those things are really cool opportunities to be able to make connections, to be able to learn from people that have maybe gone through some of the experiences that you want to be able to get a chance to be able to go through. I think there’s been a lot of guys that have been a part of that program here that have really used it for the benefits of making authentic connections, learning based on maybe some of the things that you haven’t necessarily been exposed to and then when they get their opportunity, they're ready to go shine. I think it’s a really cool thing and I know when they bring it back, it’ll be better than ever.”

Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, who participated in the Accelerator program last year, said he found the job interview simulations beneficial. Scheelhaase had multiple interviews for offensive coordinator positions this offseason despite having less than two years of coaching experience in the NFL. There’s usually more attention on McVay’s assistant coaches because many have become successful head coaches, but there’s also value to being an Accelerator alumni. 

“I think that it’s very bold for an organization to say, ‘Hey, we think this guy has potential,’ and pretty much letting everyone know,” says Pleasant, who was the Rams’ head coach for a preseason game last summer after McVay decided to step aside to help create the valuable experience. “That’s something that I’ve really appreciated about my organization here [with the Rams], that I’ve felt like in my time here, they’ve tried their best to put me in positions to make sure I get my opportunity to grow.

“I think the one thing he’s [McVay] trying to highlight, which I think the league should take notice of, is that there are several different routes to become a head coach and the traditional route doesn’t always mean it’s the correct route.”

- Rams assistant Aubrey Pleasant

“I think the one thing he’s [McVay] trying to highlight, which I think the league should take notice of, is that there are several different routes to become a head coach and the traditional route doesn’t always mean it’s the correct route.”

Besides expanding the network and aiming to go in the right direction, many agree that the league needs to find a better date for the Accelerator program. The one for the coaches in May was a problem because it required participants  to get permission to leave their respective teams in the middle of OTAs, which in turn didn’t allow head coaches to participate. One solution for this is having the program in late March when owners meet, and head coaches gather, including for the annual group photo.  

However, changing the date changed and finding more prominent figures to participate are minor fixes if the league truly does desire to improve the Accelerator program. Scheelhaase said he had many beneficial conversations with top coaches and executives at the program last year, including Baltimore Ravens president Sashi Brown, Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan and Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who often checks in with Scheelhaase. So this raises the question as to why the league couldn’t just move forward with the Accelerator program this year while working to tweak it for next year. There’s a bit of a mystery as to who’s actually in charge of running the Accelerator program, and maybe those who have in the past weren’t available this year.

Another problem for the league is the trend of agents packaging coaches and GMs, which has short-circuited the hiring process. But none of these issues will get fixed without real intent from the league and owners to improve  diversity in the NFL. Out of the seven head coaching and four GM hires this offseason, only one was a minority (Glenn). There are only six Black head coaches and zero Black offensive coordinators in a league where about 70% of the players are Black, according to the Athletic. 

“I think owners care about meeting the candidates,” says the team executive. “I’ve watched owners put great effort into building connections to meet with people, but in the end, though, the odds of those people lining up in that search still isn’t a one-to-one ratio. 

“I think the Accelerator has great merit. I think the league and the teams believe in that. That doesn’t mean they can’t be improved to be a better experience for both the candidates and those they’re meeting with.”