The Rooney Rule is named after the Pittsburgh Steelers football team owner Dan Rooney. He championed the cultural diversity recruitment practice in 2002 to address the poor representation of coaches of color in the National Football League (NFL). The NFL adopted the policy in 2003. It requires league teams to interview candidates of color for head coaching and senior football operation jobs. It is sometimes cited as an example of affirmative action, though there is no quota or preference given in evaluating recruits. Variations of the rule are now in place in other industries.
The Rooney Rule ensures that candidates of color, especially African Americans, are ensured an interview whenever a new coach is recruited. Teams that do not abide by the rule face a fine. In 2003, the Detroit Lions were the first NFL team to be fined for not complying with the following. Since the Rooney Rule was established, African-American head coaches were hired by a number of NFL teams, including the Steelers themselves. The rule was extended to include recruiting for senior football operations positions.
The rule has been adopted by organizations beyond the NFL. The companies putting similar rules in place include Pinterest, Facebook, and Patreon.