The NFL has officially begun an investigation into the Oakland Raiders' hiring process, pertaining to the addition of head coach Jon Gruden, and whether or not the team violated the league's Rooney Rule, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, citing a league official.
The announcement comes one day after The Fritz Pollard Alliance asked the league to investigate the matter, citing a concern that Raiders owner Mark Davis failed to interview a minority candidate prior to hiring Gruden.
The issue arises from a statement Davis made during Gruden's introductory press conference when he said he believed he had a commitment from Gruden prior to the Raiders' game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Christmas Day.
The Raiders interviewed both tight end coach Bobby Johnson and USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin for the job, but if Davis and Gruden had in fact come to an agreement before those interviews took place, the potential for a Rooney Rule violation would be in place.
The Rooney Rule, named after former Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate for both head coaching and senior football operations vacancies.
