THOUSAND OAKS — Kevin O’Connell’s reported hiring as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings could be seen as part of the NFL’s problem with lack of diversity in positions of power.

But the Rams’ offensive coordinator says he wants to be part of the solution.

O’Connell is committing, in general terms, to using his new role with the Vikings to help create more chances for minority coaches to receive promotions.

“If that opportunity (with the Vikings) ends up being something I get to do, it’s very, very important to me,” O’Connell, who is white, said Friday on Zoom during a press conference nine days before the Rams face the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium.

“I’ve been lucky enough to talk to some really great teams in the past few weeks (about head coach openings), and each and every time, (I’m) making it very evident that that would be a big part of the plan that would be in place,” O’Connell said of expanding diversity.

O’Connell said “diverse coaches” are some of the best he has worked with and deserve shots at offensive and defensive coordinator jobs, which are steppingstones to head coaching jobs.

“I think it’s really important that the individuals in our league that are coaching at such a high level deserve those opportunities,” O’Connell said, “and deserve the chance not only to interview but get those positions and continue to ascend, because it’s the best thing for our league.”

After the firings of Brian Flores by the Miami Dolphins and David Culley by the Houston Texans, the NFL has one Black head coach in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Tomlin, and two other non-white coaches in the Washington Commanders’ Ron Rivera and the New York Jets’ Robert Saleh.

Flores filed a lawsuit against the league and several teams this week, alleging racial discrimination as he sought a new head-coaching job this year.

All five head coaching vacancies filled officially so far this offseason have gone to white coaches.

That doesn’t include O’Connell’s hiring to replace Mike Zimmer in Minnesota, a move likely to become official after his responsibilities with the Rams finish with the Feb. 13 Super Bowl. O’Connell would be the fourth former member of Rams coach Sean McVay’s staffs to get a head coaching job, following the Bengals’ Zac Taylor, the Chargers’ Brandon Staley and the Green Bay Packers’ Matt LaFleur. Each of them is white.

A former San Diego State quarterback and NFL backup, O’Connell, 36, held the title of offensive coordinator with Washington for one season and the Rams for two.

Among the candidates he apparently beat out for the Vikings job is Raheem Morris, 45, the Rams’ defensive coordinator, who has been a head coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (going 10-6 in 2010 but 17-31 overall) and an interim head coach for part of 2020 with the Atlanta Falcons (going 4-7 after Dan Quinn went 0-5).

Morris reacted to Flores’ lawsuit by saying it’s “unfortunate that we even have to talk about this.”

“Obviously we have a lack of diversity hiring in the National Football League,” Morris said Friday. “That’s clear-cut.”

But he said he hadn’t perceived discrimination as he interviewed for jobs with the Denver Broncos in 2009 and Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020, as well as the Bucs in 2009, Falcons in 2021 and the Vikings both in person and on Zoom last month.

“I really felt the people in all those organizations did a great job in how they treated me,” Morris said. “But that doesn’t mean that works for everybody, and that doesn’t mean that everybody’s getting treated the same way.

“I just feel bad that it happened to Flo (Flores). I don’t discredit anything he says, because he’s a man of honor, like he said, he’s a man of character.”

Morris praised Rams owner Stan Kroenke, chief operating officer Kevin Demoff, general manager Les Snead and McVay for hiring minorities and women in coaching and executive positions. Of the 20 assistant coaches listed on the Rams’ website, 10 are Black. They include Thomas Brown, the assistant head coach and running backs coach.

“I think it is something the NFL wants to be intentional about,” McVay said Thursday, “continuing to diversify these staffs, especially in some of these leadership roles with the opportunities that are too few right now.”

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Demoff pointed with pride this week to “progressive” elements of the Rams’ history, such as signing Kenny Washington and Woody Strode to break pro football’s color line in 1946, making James Harris the first Black player to open a season as starting quarterback in 1975, making Michael Sam the first openly gay player to be drafted by the NFL in 2014, and making Sophie Harlan the highest-ranking female executive with an NFL team when she became the Rams’ director of football operations in 2020.

“I think that’s one of the ways I want people to look at our brand,” Demoff said.

NOTES

Rams tight end Tyler Higbee (knee) and offensive lineman Joe Noteboom (chest) sat out practice Friday, and the team’s injury report said they’d be doubtful to play in the Super Bowl if the game were this Sunday instead of next week. Running back Cam Akers (shoulder), wide receiver Van Jefferson (knee), offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth (quad) and cornerback Jalen Ramsey (shoulder) were listed as questionable.