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Cox: Not enough minority hiring

NEW ORLEANS -- Bryan Cox would like to coach in the league or even run a team. He is not sure he'll get the chance.

The 33-year-old Patriots linebacker knows the end of his career is near. He doesn't have a contact for next season, and foresees the possibility that Sunday's Super Bowl against St. Louis will be his final game.

After that? He'd like to remain in football, working in a front office somewhere. But Tuesday, he was pessimistic about that happening.

"I want to be a personnel manager or a coach, but I am not playing on a level field," Cox said, questioning why so few minorities have significant management positions on NFL teams. "The chances are not even 90-10 for me to become a general manager or a personnel director or a head coach. It just doesn't match the number of minorities."

During his early seasons with the Dolphins, Bears and Jets, Cox was known as much for his outrageous behavior and the huge fines they drew as for his play. He has mellowed a bit, but not that much.

"Give me a meaningful job," he said. "The years I put in this league should earn that for me. I'm smart enough to play in your league. I'm also smart enough to coach in your league.

"I wish this league would take time to look at minorities and seriously consider them for jobs -- and not, "Okay, we're giving you guys a look.' Well, you're really not giving us a look, you are embarrassing yourselves."

League spokesman Greg Aiello said all potential coaching candidates are placed in a video library, and that the NFL had record numbers of minority assistants and coordinators this season.

"This year we had 147 black assistants (out of approximately 475 overall) and 12 black coordinators (out of 62), and that's a pipeline for future head coaches," Aiello said.

Ozzie Newsome, the Ravens' vice president of player personnel, was the league's 2000 executive of the year. When the Bucs fired Tony Dungy early in January, he almost immediately was hired to coach the Colts.

While Cox enjoys being in his first Super Bowl, he sees it as a forum for important issues. And if Cox has been anything during more than a decade in the league, he has been outspoken.

"This hits me in the heart and needs to be talked about," he said. "Nothing is being done; the process is so slow."

Rams linebacker Don Davis said he believes Cox sees only the negative side of a multifaceted subject. Davis, a former Buc, also hopes to coach when he stops playing -- he is 29 and isn't thinking retirement yet.

"The opportunities will be there, I believe that," Davis said. "We see a lot of powerful CEOs in the new millennium who are minorities and you wouldn't have seen that 10 years ago. The tide is changing."

UNSURE: Rams coach Mike Martz said his team was preparing for Drew Bledsoe to play quarterback for New England. He later backtracked, saying he might have spoken without knowing what he was talking about.

"I was on the airplane early (Monday) morning, and I have been locked up in the bunker over here," Martz said. "I don't know what the injury report is."

LIGHTENED UP: As an assistant under Bill Parcells, Patriots coach Bill Belichick was dour. He tended to speak in Xs and Os and sometimes didn't speak at all.

These days Belichick, 49, is more gracious, open, even humorous. At media day, he thanked a reporter who remarked that the coach seemed more open.

"I guess I've learned a lot since 1991," said Belichick, who became Browns coach that year. "A lot on the field and a lot off the field. I think I'm more flexible now."

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