Who was the first African American head coach in the NFL?

The NFL came into existence in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association(AFPA) with ten teams from four states,it then became known under it's current name (NFL) in 1922.The NFL was the first professional football league to successfully establish a nationwide presence, after several decades of failed attempts.

Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard was the co-head coach of the Akron Pros during the 1921 season. He also maintained his position of running back that same year. Pollard along with Bobby Marshall also holds the honor of being the first two African American players to play in the AFPA,later to be known as the NFL,in 1920.

Some sources also indicate that he served as co-head coach of the Milwaukee Badgers with Budge Garrett for part of the 1922 season. He also served as the head coach of the Hammond Pros in the 1923 and 1924 seasons, that's sixty six years before Art Shell became the head coach of the Oakland Raiders.

Pollard was born in Chicago on January 27, 1894. He attended Albert Grannis Lane Manual Training High School, also known as "Lane Tech," where he played football, baseball, and ran track. Pollard attended Brown University, majoring in chemistry. Pollard played half-back on the Brown football team, which went to the 1916 Rose Bowl. He was the first black football player at Brown. He became the first black running back to be named to the Walter Camp All-America team.