Eugene Chung recently said that a team told him he was "not the right minority" while interviewing for a coaching job this offseason.
Rod Graves, the executive director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, the independent group that works to advance minority representation in the NFL, is calling on the league to investigate the claim made by former assistant coach Eugene Chung that a team told him he was "not the right minority" while interviewing for a coaching job this offseason.
"If the comments regarding his status as a Korean American are true, it is further evidence that despite good faith changes to diversity-related policies, the NFL's actual hiring practices are still riddled with discrimination," Graves said in a statement.
Last week, Chung, who is Korean American, said that he faced discriminatory comments this offseason while going through a hiring process.
"It was said to me, 'Well, you're really not a minority,'" Chung said during a webinar Thursday, according to the Boston Globe, adding, "I was like, 'Wait a minute. The last time I checked, when I looked in the mirror and brushed my teeth, I was a minority.'"
According to Chung, after he asked the interviewer to explain, he was told he was "not the right minority that we're looking for."
Chung, 51, did not identify the team.
"It was absolutely mind-blowing to me that, in 2021, something like that is actually a narrative," Chung said, per the Globe.
Chung played five seasons in the NFL from 1992-97. At the time, he was just the third Asian and second Korean American to play in the NFL.
He began his NFL coaching career in 2010 and has worked in a number of roles for the Eagles and Chiefs, most recently serving as an offensive assistant for the Eagles from 2016-19.
In recent years, the NFL has looked to address its lack of diversity. It has instituted and subsequently updated its Rooney Rule to mandate that organizations interview at least two minority candidates for head coaching and coordinator openings.
Owners have also passed a resolution in November that rewards teams for developing minority coaches and front office executives who go on to become head coaches and general managers for other organizations.
More NFL Coverage:
• Breer: Meet Eagles Coach Nick Sirianni
• Orr: 10 Interesting Offseason Story Lines
• Brandt: Solution to Keep Rodgers a Packer in 2021
• Rosenberg: Everyone Loses in Rodgers Feud
Eugene Chung recently said that a team told him he was "not the right minority" while interviewing for a coaching job this offseason.
Rod Graves, the executive director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, the independent group that works to advance minority representation in the NFL, is calling on the league to investigate the claim made by former assistant coach Eugene Chung that a team told him he was "not the right minority" while interviewing for a coaching job this offseason.
"If the comments regarding his status as a Korean American are true, it is further evidence that despite good faith changes to diversity-related policies, the NFL's actual hiring practices are still riddled with discrimination," Graves said in a statement.
Last week, Chung, who is Korean American, said that he faced discriminatory comments this offseason while going through a hiring process.
"It was said to me, 'Well, you're really not a minority,'" Chung said during a webinar Thursday, according to the Boston Globe, adding, "I was like, 'Wait a minute. The last time I checked, when I looked in the mirror and brushed my teeth, I was a minority.'"
According to Chung, after he asked the interviewer to explain, he was told he was "not the right minority that we're looking for."
Chung, 51, did not identify the team.
"It was absolutely mind-blowing to me that, in 2021, something like that is actually a narrative," Chung said, per the Globe.
Chung played five seasons in the NFL from 1992-97. At the time, he was just the third Asian and second Korean American to play in the NFL.
He began his NFL coaching career in 2010 and has worked in a number of roles for the Eagles and Chiefs, most recently serving as an offensive assistant for the Eagles from 2016-19.
In recent years, the NFL has looked to address its lack of diversity. It has instituted and subsequently updated its Rooney Rule to mandate that organizations interview at least two minority candidates for head coaching and coordinator openings.
Owners have also passed a resolution in November that rewards teams for developing minority coaches and front office executives who go on to become head coaches and general managers for other organizations.
More NFL Coverage:
• Breer: Meet Eagles Coach Nick Sirianni
• Orr: 10 Interesting Offseason Story Lines
• Brandt: Solution to Keep Rodgers a Packer in 2021
• Rosenberg: Everyone Loses in Rodgers Feud
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