The Fritz Pollard Alliance honored the Lions last year with its Game Ball Award, recognizing the team’s commitment to providing opportunities to minority coaches and executives.
By hiring Jim Caldwell as coach in 2014, the Lions became the first team in NFL history with a black head coach and general manager, Martin Mayhew.
But the Lions fired Mayhew in November, and with Bob Quinn hired Friday as the new GM, Caldwell’s future is unclear.
John Wooten, the chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, is making a push for Quinn and the Lions to retain Caldwell.
“Jim Caldwell has earned the right to continue coaching the team,” Wooten said Sunday.