Tag: Rooney Rule

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Running It Back – 50th Episode Celebration

50th Episode Celebration

WE MADE IT!!!

Tarlin and Mike are back to celebrate our 50th episode of Running It Back, the Lessons Learned from Sports Podcast. What began as an outlet for us in the midst of the sports-starved days of the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has now grown into a real body of work, an oeuvre, and a platform to grow.

We share highlights from our favorite episodes including Mike’s son Matthew’s appearance, Tarlin’s Ode to Tiger, and much more. We let listeners in on our creative process as we learn from the data and spitball what topics to cover next. And of course, there’s plenty of talk of Space Jam, Scottie Pippen memoirs, The Rooney Rule, Black Quarterbacks and more. We even celebrate some great 50s before we wrap.

Thanks to everyone who’s been with us so far. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to keep up with the latest. Visit us at RunningItBack.fm for more as we embark on our next 50. We look forward to you joining us for the ride!

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SXSW Running It Back Highlights Show

SXSWEDU

In a special bonus episode, we bring you highlights from Mike and Tarlin’s live panel in Austin at the SXSW EDU conference. We’re joined by Terri Givens and Dan Harrison in an exploration of storytelling, sports as a microcosm of the broader world, and the mythic elements of sports in our culture. We focus on recent conversations about the Rooney Rule and the Flores Suit before showcasing some of our favorite moments on the podcast.

We remember how this all got started with highlights from our very first episode on the Last Dance Bulls, before sharing moments from our Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Simone Biles, and Tiger Woods episodes before we wrap. We also reference our episodes on Scottie Pippen and Naomi Osaka in a free-ranging conversation that weaves together a lot of what we’ve been talking about over the past two years.

Subscribe to Running It Back wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at RunningItBack.fm for more Lessons Learned from Sports.

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The NFL’s Black Head Coach Problem

Mike Tomlin

As of the release of this episode, Mike Tomlin is the lone Black Head Coach remaining in the NFL. Tarlin and Mike run it back to our ongoing conversation about the Rooney Rule and soft affirmative action in the NFL referencing Tomlin, Art Shell, and Jim Caldwell. We talk Eric Bieniemy and Byron Leftwich. We reminisce and look for lessons from the careers and legacies of Tony Dungy and Bill Belichick. And ultimately, we celebrate Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s recent hiring as GM of the Minnesota Vikings.

Then Tarlin talks about the work of Guy Primus and The Board Challenge to effect the long, slow turnaround of institutions like the NFL. We admit that we can’t quit the NFL even though we know we probably should as we say goodbye to a friend of the show and talk about how we can give black head coaches more chances than they’re getting to turn the institution of the NFL around.

Subscribe to Running It Back wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at RunningItBack.fm for more lessons learned from sports.

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Running It Back 2021 Year in Review

2021

Tarlin Ray and Mike Palmer are back to look for lessons learned from a year’s worth of podcast episodes in 2021. We think back on the 20 episodes we released and break down the topics, themes, and human stories that made for an incredible year of programming.

Whether it’s Simone Biles, the Rooney Rule, Sports Parenting, or Kyrie and the Vaccine, we talk through our conversations about what bubbled up in the collective consciousness from the world of sports and try to make sense of it all while having some fun along the way.

We thank each other and most importantly our listeners as we begin to look ahead to build on what’s now a strong foundation heading into 2022. Thanks to everyone who is listening and supporting us. We couldn’t have gotten here without you!

Subscribe to Running It Back wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at RunningItBack.fm for more amazing lessons learned from sports.

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The Rooney Rule and Minority Head Coaches in the NFL

Tarlin and Mike are back to kick off 2021 with a dive into the history and relevance of the “Rooney Rule” which was established in 2003 to ensure that diverse candidates got interviews for open Head Coaching positions. We refer to the research of CC Dubois from the 2017 MIT Sloan Conference where she established a 19-21% positive impact on the diversity of NFL Coaching hires due to the Rooney Rule.

Recent trends in Head Coaching and GM hires in the NFL have brought this back into focus as we now have reverted close to 2003 levels with top Offensive Coordinators like Eric Bienemy and Byron Leftwich somehow being passed over for recent head coach openings. Do “soft” affirmative action practice like the Rooney Rule work? What can we learn from Tony Dungy’s example? What lessons can we apply to the broader world of work and diversity, equity, and inclusion based on what we’re seeing in the NFL?

We explore all of this and touch on the related challenges around the perception of black quarterbacks over the years on our latest episode.

If you like what you’re hearing, follow us at RunningItBack.fm and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.