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FOR USE AS DESIRED
Lions President Matt
Millen Fined $200,000 For Failing To Adhere Detroit Lions President Matt Millen today was notified that he has been fined $200,000 for failing to satisfy the commitment that Millen made last December to interview minority candidates when hiring a new head coach. Millen’s commitment was part of a decision made by NFL clubs to endorse a recommendation by the league’s Diversity Committee. Commissioner Tagliabue in his letter to Millen acknowledged that the Lions have in recent years responsibly and positively pursued and hired minority talent for other senior coaching and front office positions. However, the Lions did not interview any minority candidates after Coach Marty Mornhinweg was released last January. Commissioner Tagliabue wrote to Millen: “As the President of the Lions, you participated in the decision by NFL clubs to commit to interview minority candidates when hiring head coaches; and you made that commitment for the Lions on the December 20 League conference call after full discussion of the Diversity Committee’s recommendation. As club President, it was your responsibility to ensure that you and the Lions’ organization met the commitment or demonstrated to this office that it was impossible to meet for some justifiable reason. While certain of the difficulties that you encountered in seeking to schedule interviews with minority candidates were beyond your control, you did not take sufficient steps to satisfy the commitment that you had made.”
Commissioner Tagliabue appointed the Diversity Committee of six club owners, chaired by Dan Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers, at a league meeting in New York last October.
Apart from the Lions’ matter, Commissioner Tagliabue informed NFL clubs at a league meeting in Philadelphia that future breaches of club commitments to interview minority candidates for the head coach position will be subject to fines of $500,000 or higher as “conduct detrimental” to the NFL.
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