Tomlin speaks out on minority hirings at NFL owners meeting

By BARRY WILNER
AP Pro Football Writer

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Mike Tomlin did not hire Brian Flores as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers out of sympathy for the former Miami Dolphins head coach. Tomlin, who like Flores is African American, did so because Flores is “a good coach.” That Flores had sued the NFL and three teams — the Dolphins, Giants and Broncos — claiming racist hiring practices, did not dissuade the long-time Steelers coach in any way, Tomlin said Monday at the NFL owners meetings. A member of the league’s powerful competition committee and one of the most influential coaches in the sport, Tomlin spoke strongly about the lack of minority head coaches in the NFL.