Rooney Rule still needed says first black Super Bowl coach

MIAMI (Reuters) - A black head coach is guaranteed to lift the Vince Lombardi trophy for the first time once the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts have thrashed out the Super Bowl on Sunday.

But it is not yet time to shelve the Rooney Rule which ensures NFL teams interview at least one minority candidate for any head coaching vacancy says the Bears' Lovie Smith.

Smith faces Colts' Tony Dungy in an historic showdown between African American head coaches in the NFL title game.

"I would like to think owners would hire the best coach but I'm here because of the Rooney Rule," Smith told reporters during a news conference on Monday. "I definitely think we have to keep it in place.

"It's just good guys like (Pittsburgh Steelers coach) Mike Tomlin have gotten an opportunity to be a head football coach.

"I think Mike would have gotten an opportunity still, but I think it speeds up the process a little. Whenever you can get in front of someone (for an interview) it's good and the Rooney Rule gives you that opportunity."

Smith became the first black head coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl when the Bears thumped the New Orleans Saints on January 21 to win the NFC championship.

A few hours later, Smith's good friend and mentor Dungy booked his trip to Miami when the Colts edged the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game.

OVERDUE BREAKTHROUGH

As a result, for the first time in the Super Bowl's 41-year history, not one but two African American head coaches will hold the spotlight on one of the sporting world's biggest stages, marking a long overdue breakthrough for a league which still enforces a rule that requires teams with coaching vacancies to interview minority candidates.

Despite the fact that more than 70 percent of NFL players are African American, few graduate to head coaching and front office positions.

Challenged to improve its hiring practices after a study revealed a lack of minority hirings, the NFL formed a diversity committee and in 2002 introduced the Rooney Rule, named after Pittsburgh Steelers chairman Dan Rooney.

In 2002, the NFL had just two black head coaches and when this season began their ranks had grown to seven.

Two coaches, Oakland Raiders Art Shell and Arizona Cardinals Dennis Green were sacked at the end of the season but last week the Steelers offset some of those losses by hiring Tomlin.

However, despite the presence of two black head coaches in Super Bowl XLI there is a feeling much more work still lies ahead.

"As far as extra pressure, we're excited to be here and I'm excited to cross that road and to be one of the first to participate in this game," said Smith. "As far as our players, my family, I mean, they are just excited about being here as much as anything.

"So we realize the importance of taking that step and again, we like being a part of that.

"Whenever you cross one barrier or whatever you say, it isn't as big a story. But right now we realize it is.

"I'm just excited that progress is being made and next year by us being in this position, we won't have to talk about all of these things."

(Writing by Steve Keating in Toronto)