Panthers DC Ejiro Evero's HC Snub May Be Part of an Alarming NFL Trend

The NFL had 10 head coach openings this offseason. So many teams wanted to move on from their coach for a variety of reasons, be it a stagnation with longtime leaders or an unsuccessful run from those without as much tenure.

Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero was one of many who got passed up for one of those jobs. Evero interviewed with three teams: the Las Vegas Raiders (who interviewed him twice), the Atlanta Falcons, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Ultimately, none of the teams hired him. The Raiders reportedly had him number two behind Klint Kubiak, whom they are expected to hire after the Super Bowl. His situation is just one of many across the NFL in what appears to be a troubling trend.

Ejiro Evero's lack of HC gig speaks to wider issue in NFL

The NFL shield logo on the field at Allegiant Stadium | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Ejiro Evero was not the only black coordinator or coach to get interviewed by an NFL team during this busy coaching cycle. There are also a ton of factors as to why Evero did not get a job, most of which are not due to his skin color.

However, his situation is at least a data point in this situation. Since the inception of the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview minority candidates for their openings, five seasons have had zero black head coaches hired.

Years when no new Black head coaches were hired since start of Rooney Rule in 2003:
2026: 0 of 10 openings
2020: 0 of 5
2013: 0 of 8
2010: 0 of 3
2008: 0 of 4 https://t.co/NYhaAZPeo7
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) February 1, 2026

The year with the most openings to meet that criteria was 2026. The last time it happened was with five openings in 2020, so the NFL had seemingly been doing better in this regard for a few years, only to backslide in a big way.

There were others more deserving than Evero, to be certain. Brian Flores is perhaps the best example because he has prior head coach experience and has proven to be an excellent defensive coordinator.

Evero doesn't have that track record, so it's not all that surprising he was passed up. His defenses have been mediocre at best during his three-year tenure with the Panthers. The unit made great strides, but still wasn't great in 2025.

The defensive coordinator also does not have any head coach experience. He's a well-regarded assistant, but there's not much on his resume right now that screams head coach.

It's not so surprising that he was passed over this cycle, but he does join the list of black coaches passed over in a year with a shocking amount of openings.

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