Breaking: NFL rules Raiders complied with Rooney Rule in head coach hiring process

The official word has come down today from the NFL which said officially that the Raiders complied with the Rooney Rule in their head coach hiring process which concluded with the hiring of Jon Gruden.

Said NFL Spokeperson, Brian McCarthy in a statement.

“The NFL confirmed today that its review of the hiring of Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden complied with the Rooney Rule and that the club conducted bona fide interviews with minority candidates as part of its search process.”

The Raiders interviewed former tight ends coach Bobby Johnson and current USC Offensive Coordinator Tee Martin during the week following the final game of the season, officially announcing the hiring Jon Gruden the following Monday.

There were some questions about the validity of the Raiders’ hiring process after Mark Davis said he and Gruden had a verbal agreement more than a week before the end of the season. This prompted a complaint by the Fritz Pollard Alliance and a request that the NFL to investigate. The NFL said they would look into it.

Had the NFL deemed there to be a violation, the Raiders would have been fined some $250,000.