Hangin’ with Herm Edwards: Super Bowl LX Preview

A Conversation About Football’s Biggest Stage and Its Biggest Challenges

When ABC News correspondent Rhiannon Ally sat down with ESPN analyst and former NFL coach Herm Edwards in early February 2026, the conversation naturally gravitated toward the upcoming Super Bowl LX matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. But as is often the case when speaking with someone of Edwards’ experience and perspective, the discussion went far beyond X’s and O’s, touching on one of professional football’s most persistent and troubling issues: the league’s ongoing struggle with diversity in its coaching ranks. Edwards, who made his mark both as a player and coach in the NFL, brought his characteristic blend of football wisdom and unflinching honesty to both topics, offering insights that remind us why his voice remains so vital in conversations about America’s most popular sport.

The Super Bowl LX matchup represents a fascinating collision of football philosophies and organizational approaches. The Seattle Seahawks, continuing their tradition of building through smart drafting and player development, have once again found themselves on football’s biggest stage. Their journey to the Super Bowl showcases the kind of complete team effort that defines championship-caliber organizations. Meanwhile, the New England Patriots, a franchise synonymous with winning over the past two decades, demonstrate that their culture of excellence extends beyond any single player or coach. Edwards analyzed this matchup with the eye of someone who has stood on NFL sidelines, understanding that Super Bowl games are won and lost on the smallest of margins—a perfectly executed play, a critical adjustment at halftime, or simply which team handles the pressure of the moment better. His preview went beyond simply picking a winner; he talked about what each team needed to do to claim the Lombardi Trophy, the chess match between coaching staffs, and the players who would need to step up when everything was on the line.

Breaking Down the Battle: Seahawks vs. Patriots

Edwards’ analysis of the Seahawks highlighted their balanced attack and defensive tenacity. Seattle’s ability to control games on both sides of the ball has been their calling card throughout the season, and Edwards emphasized that this formula becomes even more critical on the Super Bowl stage, where teams face the ultimate test of their identity. He discussed how the Seahawks’ offensive line would need to protect their quarterback against a Patriots defense that has proven adept at creating havoc at the most inopportune moments for opponents. The running game, Edwards noted, would be crucial—not just for moving the chains but for controlling the clock and keeping New England’s offense off the field. On defense, Seattle would need to rely on their secondary to make plays and disrupt the Patriots’ timing routes, forcing turnovers and creating short fields for their offense. Edwards spoke passionately about how championship games often come down to which team makes fewer mistakes and which squad executes fundamentals at the highest level when fatigue sets in during the fourth quarter.

When turning his attention to the Patriots, Edwards acknowledged the organizational excellence that has defined this franchise for so long. Even as rosters change and new faces emerge, the Patriots maintain a standard of preparation and execution that makes them perennial contenders. Edwards broke down how New England’s coaching staff would likely approach the Seahawks’ defensive schemes, looking for weaknesses to exploit and matchups to attack. He talked about the importance of the Patriots establishing their offensive rhythm early, getting into manageable down-and-distance situations that would open up their entire playbook. Defensively, the Patriots would need to contain Seattle’s multifaceted attack, forcing them into obvious passing situations where New England’s pass rush could pin their ears back and get after the quarterback. Throughout his analysis, Edwards returned to a theme that defined his coaching career: football games are won by teams that play with discipline, execute their assignments, and maintain their composure when adversity strikes. The Super Bowl, he reminded viewers, amplifies everything—the good, the bad, and the ugly—which is why mental preparation matters just as much as physical talent.

Confronting the Uncomfortable Truth: The Lack of Black Head Coaches

Yet as important as the Super Bowl preview was, Edwards didn’t shy away from addressing an issue that has plagued the NFL for far too long: the stark underrepresentation of Black head coaches in a league where the majority of players are Black. This wasn’t the first time Edwards has spoken on this subject, and his frustration was evident, though channeled through the measured perspective of someone who has navigated these waters personally. Edwards pointed out the uncomfortable mathematics—in a league with 32 teams and a player population that is approximately 70% Black, the number of Black head coaches has remained stubbornly low, often dipping into the single digits. This disparity isn’t just a statistical anomaly; it represents a systemic issue in how the NFL identifies, develops, and hires coaching talent. Edwards spoke from experience about the challenges Black coaches face in even getting interviews, let alone job offers, despite often having more extensive coaching résumés and playing experience than their white counterparts who receive opportunities.

The conversation delved into why this problem persists despite the NFL’s implementation of policies designed to address it, such as the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operation positions. Edwards expressed his belief that while well-intentioned, these policies haven’t produced the systemic change necessary because they don’t address the underlying biases in how owners and general managers evaluate coaching candidates. He talked about the concept of “looking the part” and how unconscious bias influences hiring decisions, with owners gravitating toward candidates who remind them of previous successful coaches—a pattern that tends to perpetuate the status quo. Edwards also discussed the importance of the NFL creating more pathways for Black coaches to gain the coordinator experience that often serves as a springboard to head coaching positions, noting that offensive coordinator roles in particular have become the primary pipeline to top jobs, yet Black coaches have historically been steered toward defensive positions or special teams coordination, limiting their advancement opportunities.

The Path Forward: Hope, Accountability, and Action

Despite the frustration evident in his words, Edwards refused to succumb to pessimism about the future. Instead, he talked about what needs to happen for real change to take root in the NFL’s coaching landscape. He called for greater accountability from ownership, suggesting that the league needs to examine hiring patterns more critically and ask hard questions when teams consistently overlook qualified minority candidates. Edwards also emphasized the importance of mentorship programs that connect experienced Black coaches with the next generation, ensuring that knowledge and wisdom get passed down while creating networks that can help open doors. He spoke about the need for teams to be more creative in identifying coaching talent, looking beyond the traditional pipelines and recognizing that great coaches can emerge from various backgrounds and experiences. Throughout this part of the conversation, Edwards balanced realism about the challenges with optimism about the possibility of progress, reminding viewers that change happens when good people refuse to accept the status quo and demand better from institutions they care about. His message was clear: the NFL has made strides in many areas, but when it comes to coaching diversity, there’s still substantial work to be done, and that work requires commitment from everyone—owners, league officials, current coaches, and fans who hold the league accountable. As the interview concluded, Edwards returned briefly to Super Bowl LX, offering his final prediction while noting that regardless of who wins, both the Seahawks and Patriots represent organizations committed to excellence. But his words about coaching diversity lingered, a reminder that football’s most important competitions aren’t always played on the field—sometimes they’re fought in boardrooms and hiring meetings, where decisions get made that shape the sport’s future and determine whether it lives up to its stated values of opportunity and meritocracy for all.