Advocacy Group Asks Whether Raiders Followed Rooney Rule

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — The Fritz Pollard Alliance is calling on the NFL to investigate whether the Oakland Raiders violated the "Rooney Rule" when they hired Jon Gruden as coach.

Fritz Pollard Alliance counsel Cyrus Mehri and N. Jeremi Duru issued a statement Wednesday expressing concern that Raiders owner Mark Davis came to an agreement with Gruden before the team interviewed any minority candidates.

Davis said Tuesday after introducing Gruden as the team's new coach that he believed that Gruden was "all in" to take the job during a meeting on Christmas Eve. Davis fired Jack Del Rio a week later and the team officially hired Gruden on Jan. 6.

Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie said Tuesday he interviewed two minority candidates before Gruden's hiring was announced. Those candidates were Oakland tight ends coach Bobby Johnson and Southern California offensive coordinator Tee Martin.