MLS Amends ‘Rooney Rule’: Changes to Hiring Policy Unveiled

Major League Soccer (MLS) has revamped its hiring practices for coaching and front-office roles by removing the requirement for minority interviews and various enforcement measures related to these obligations, as reported by multiple sources to ESPN.

The former “MLS Diversity Recruitment Policy” has now been renamed to the “MLS Advanced Policy.”

The updated approach is more decentralized, permitting teams to create their own hiring guidelines with minimal oversight from the league.

Initially launched in 2007, MLS’s version of the Rooney Rule (inspired by the NFL’s minority hiring initiative) was significantly revised in 2021, aiming to provide more opportunities for minority candidates applying for technical roles, such as general managers, assistant general managers, and coaching positions. The intention was to foster increased minority hiring.

The changes made in 2021 sought to enhance the policy’s effectiveness, promote the interviewing of Black candidates, and tighten enforcement mechanisms. Specifically, it mandated that shortlists for open technical roles must feature at least two non-white candidates, including one Black/African American. Failure to comply could lead to fines for teams.

These stipulations have now been lifted. MLS has stated that teams should establish their own hiring frameworks for technical and front-office roles.

Clubs are also encouraged to form a committee to oversee the interview process and appoint a senior leadership figure responsible for executing the club’s recruitment strategy. The clubs are to sign an affidavit ensuring they undertake these actions and adhere to the league’s registration standards. MLS claims its focus is on supporting underrepresented candidates early in the recruitment process rather than merely fulfilling a formality.

The revised policy is likely to diminish transparency in the hiring practices of clubs. Not only do new team guidelines not require league approval, but there is also no obligation for clubs to disclose who the finalists for positions are.

When asked how minority candidates would still receive interviews, MLS EVP Chief Engagement Officer Sora Winley pointed out the competitive nature of the teams, suggesting that clubs have every incentive to hire top talent, including minorities.

“Even if a club attempted to limit their candidate pool, that would not likely position them well against their competition,” he explained. “Clubs are pushed to seek the best talent, so they need to maintain processes that allow for a broad candidate search.”

Regarding enforcement, Winley mentioned that MLS Commissioner Don Garber possesses the authority to penalize teams that fail to comply with the new policy.

However, given the diminished strength of the revised policy, there will likely be fewer situations necessitating intervention from the Commissioner.

“The league prefers not to act as compliance enforcers but strive to be supportive, helping clubs excel and grow. Progress originates from collaboration, not merely compliance,” Winley stated.

Winley affirmed that compliance is strong and that clubs must take ownership of their recruitment initiatives. He emphasized the importance of engaging executive leaders to represent these efforts, emphasizing collaboration and trust with the clubs.

Such trust hasn’t always been reciprocated by clubs in previous instances, as both LA Galaxy and Inter Miami CF have been penalized for violating roster rules. In 2022, DC United faced fines for not adhering to the league’s recruitment policy.

Black Players For Change, a group advocating for Black soccer players in North America, stated its commitment to promoting equality at the highest levels, emphasizing the importance of supporting the next generation of Black coaches and executives in both MLS and the broader U.S. soccer landscape.

This policy shift will now extend to corporate recruitment within the clubs as well.

Evan Whitfield, a former U.S. Olympian and Chicago Fire FC defender, criticized the changes, suggesting that the league’s dedication to inclusivity has diminished over the past four years. As part of the Human Rights Soccer Alliance, which advocates for fairness and inclusion ahead of the 2026 World Cup, he remarked, “The lack of diversity at high-level coaching and front-office positions remains striking.” He expressed concern over the dilution of the diversity hiring policy and the consequent inadequacy of minority representation among candidates for critical roles.

MLS recently announced a program expected in 2026, aimed at offering retired players opportunities in coaching.

Officials confirmed that a pre-committee composed of select owners, alongside a working group of league executives, designed the recent changes, which were submitted and approved outside of formal meetings in May.

In light of former President Trump’s administration applying pressure on various organizations to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, America First Legal, a conservative group, has filed numerous lawsuits against companies on grounds of perceived “wokeness,” among other issues.

When questioned about the influence of current political pressures on the league’s revised hiring policy, Winley denied any correlation, asserting that the policy reviews have occurred annually since its prior revision. He stated that the latest assessment commenced in spring 2024, before Trump’s second term. An MLS spokesperson affirmed that the league had not been contacted by America First Legal.

As it has only been six months since the new policy’s adoption, the full ramifications of the board’s decision are still to be witnessed.

As of the recent changes, MLS continues to have the same three Black managers it had in 2021, all of whom are foreign-born, alongside four Latino/Hispanic managers. This represents 10% and 13.3% of the managerial positions respectively. (Currently, four managerial roles are vacant.)

When including general managers and assistant coaches, the percentage of Black coaches and executives drops even further to 7.8%, with Latino/Hispanic representation at 16.7%.

Back in 2021, MLS highlighted how Black and Hispanic/Latinx coaches were significantly underrepresented in leadership positions despite forming a considerable portion of the player base—25% of players were Black and 30% Hispanic/Latinx, while only 10% of head coaches and 7% of assistant coaches were Black.

“I am pleased with our current situation,” Winley commented. “I’m satisfied with our accomplishments thus far; however, we have more progress to achieve.”