Over three seasons, Mularkey coached the Titans to a 20-21 report. Horton, 61, coached two extra seasons: as defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns in 2016 and as defensive backs coach with Washington in 2019. Horton remains to be looking for work within the N.F.L., however mentioned within the grievance that he was considered as a “stale” candidate and that he had not been referred to as to interview for any head coach job openings.
“After I realized from Coach Mularkey’s statements that my head coach interview with the Titans was a sham, I used to be devastated and humiliated,” Horton mentioned in a press release.
He added: “Though I do know that I’m taking a danger being related to this case, it might be an even bigger danger to face on the sideline and provides the N.F.L. a move for the systemic discrimination that has harmed me and so many others.”
The claims by Wilks and Horton echo allegations Flores made in his authentic grievance. Earlier than being employed by the Dolphins in 2019, Flores mentioned, he sat for what he referred to as a “sham” interview with executives from the Denver Broncos. In that assembly, Flores mentioned, John Elway, then the crew’s basic supervisor, and Joe Ellis, the crew’s president, and others confirmed up an hour late. Flores felt the one motive he was interviewed was so the crew may adjust to the Rooney Rule, an assertion the crew denied. Elway referred to as Flores’s characterization “false and defamatory.”
After Flores was fired by the Dolphins on the finish of the 2021 season, he interviewed for different head teaching positions, together with with the Giants. In his authentic grievance, Flores mentioned he had been “humiliated within the course of because the New York Giants subjected him to a sham interview in an try to look to offer a Black candidate with a official probability at acquiring the job.”
Final week, a co-owner of the crew, John Mara, denied the allegations and mentioned he had no plans to settle the go well with. “We’re very comfy with our hiring course of,” he mentioned. “It was a good course of, and we ended up making the choice that we made primarily based on a variety of elements, none of which needed to do with race.”