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The Cardinals have worked with the Fritz Pollard Alliance, a foundation set up to improve diversity within the NFL. Then Rod Graves, the former general manager of the Cardinals, took over as the Foundation’s executive director. Now, “it’s more important to us because it’s personal,” Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said. Bidwill – along with brother Tim and sister Nicole – were among those in attendance Thursday at the Foundations’ 18th annual Johnnie Cochran Salute to Excellence awards, held at the downtown Courtyard by Marriott during Super Bowl week. Michael Bidwill serves on the NFL’s diversity, equity and inclusion committee, and the Cardinals have been at the forefront of some of the league’s first minority hires over the years. But as commissioner Roger Goodell said during his press conference on Wednesday and then again during remarks at the Pollard event, the work for the entire league is ongoing. “The mission we are on to improve diversity throughout the league,” Goodell said. “There has been progress but like any progress, not deep enough and not fast enough. We have more work to be done, but some of the things that we have put into place recently will bear real fruit and provide that opportunity.”With two open head coaching jobs – the Cardinals and Colts – the NFL currently has six minority head coaches: Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin, Tampa’s Todd Bowles, Miami’s Mike McDaniel, the Jets’ Robert Saleh, Washington’s Ron Rivera and new Houston coach DeMeco Ryans. Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, one of the award winners and one-time head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, said he reached out to Ryans to tell him whatever he needed for support to let him know, regardless of being on different teams. “It’s not about the competition,” Frazier said. “We want to see him succeed.” The current two head coaching candidates for the Cardinals are non-minority – Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo – after Brian Flores recently took himself out of the running by taking the Vikings defensive coordinator job. But with both the GM and coach searches, Bidwill was able to use the NFL’s new accelerator program, in which owners and rising minority personnel men and coaches can get to know each other better and potentially spark interest. “This idea of informal setting and people getting to know other people, and I know I felt I got a head start on our process for both general manager and head coach were because of some of these new rules and programs we put in place,” Bidwill said. “We know it’s working. We aren’t done making progress, but we will continue to make progress.” Graves knows it is important work, although he had his jokes. He turned to Goodell at one point and said if the Fritz Pollard Alliance was just willing to pay him the same amount the NFL pays Goodell, then “we can get the damn thing done.”

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At Fritz Pollard Event, The Push For NFL Diversity Continues

Former Cardinals GM Rod Graves heads up important work