The NFL's revamped accelerator program features several notable head coaching and general manager candidates -- and even a head coach from 2025.
The program, created in 2022 with the intention of increasing diversity in leadership roles but paused in 2025, returns at the NFL owners meetings Monday and Tuesday in Orlando, Florida.
Among the notable names in the 34-person pool, obtained by ESPN, is Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, the Miami Dolphins coach from 2022 to 2025.
The program shifted focus from high-potential candidates to senior-level executives and coaches more aligned with head coach and general manager readiness.
"The May accelerator is intended to focus on advancing talent from underrepresented groups," the NFL wrote in a March memo addressed to all 32 teams, "while remaining open to qualified senior-level candidates of all backgrounds." That includes non-minority candidates.