The GIST: The countdown is on to tomorrow’s NFL postseason kickoff, but a different storyline has been dominating headlines this week: the head coaching (HC) carousel. And while Monday’s game will likely include some recognition of MLK Jr. Day, the league’s performative acts aren’t enough to distract from decades of discrimination against Black HCs.

The latest: Last weekend’s regular-season finale gave way to “Black Monday,” a day when underperforming HCs are often fired. The Houston Texans parted ways with HC Lovie Smith after just one season (more on that in a minute) while the Arizona Cardinals said goodbye to HC Kliff Kingsbury after three disappointing campaigns.

• Those firings mean new HC vacancies, and with it, new rumors. The offseason months are often filled with discussion about which top candidates are interviewing for which roles and predictions of where they might land.

• This year, former New Orleans Saints HC Sean Payton is among the most sought after — three teams have already requested interviews with the Super Bowl champ. Kevin James could never.

The no-background: This is the first full NFL offseason since former Miami Dolphins HC and current Pittsburgh Steelers assistant Brian Flores bravely sued the NFL and three of its teams for alleged racism in their hiring practices, shining a spotlight on a systemic issue that still plagues the league.

• Despite the fact that about 60% of NFL players are Black, the league has just two active Black head coaches (out of a possible 32) following Smith’s firing.

• Speaking of, Smith’s release is the latest in a disturbing pattern for the dumpster fire Texans, who last year fired Black HC David Culley after just one season while failing to commit resources to boost the struggling squad. Pretty fishy.

What’s next: The league’s Rooney Rule requires teams to interview at least two external minority candidates for every HC vacancy, but as Flores’ lawsuit demonstrated, there’s a track record of teams bringing in candidates as a way to essentially check a box and satisfy the rule. Time will tell if the league is ready to do the real work and address this unsolved issue.

As expected, Angel City FC selected LA’s own 18-year-old phenom Alyssa Thompson with the first overall pick in last night’s NWSL draft. But no one could’ve predicted what followed. The Kansas City Current traded beloved USWNT forward Lynn Williams to NJ/NY Gotham FC in exchange for the second overall pick, which they used to select Duke forward Michelle Cooper.

• Rounding out the top three was defender Emily Madril. The Florida State star is sticking to the sunshine state with the Orlando Pride.

The more footy news, the better. Two USWNT icons have been nominated for the Best FIFA Football Awards. Forward Alex Morgan is up for Best Women’s Player, while goalie Alyssa Naeher is up for, you guessed it, Best Women’s Goalkeeper.

• Love to see it, but we couldn’t help but notice U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year Sophia Smith’s absence from the list. What gives?

Content warning: This section contains mention of sexual assault.

Disgraced pitcher Trevor Bauer was (finally) officially released by the LA Dodgers yesterday after having his MLB suspension for sexual assault allegations reduced by the league earlier this month. But that means Bauer is now a free agent and eligible to be signed by any team starting today — a reality giving us a scare on this Friday the 13th.

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