Jon Gruden has resigned from his post as Las Vegas Raiders head coach amid further allegations of offensive emails.
The 58-year-old signed a 10-year deal worth $100m (£73.5m) with the Raiders in January 2018 but has stepped down in the wake of a New York Times report over alleged homophobic and misogynistic emails.
Gruden is alleged to have used offensive terms towards female referees and gay players, while a separate Wall Street Journal report claimed that he used racist language when talking about NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith in 2011.
Responding to the allegations and Gruden's resignation, Smith said on social media: "The email from Jon Gruden - and some of the reaction to it - confirms that the fight against racism, racist tropes and intolerance is not over.
"This is not about an email as much as it is about a pervasive belief by some that people who look like me can be treated as less."
In a statement, Gruden said: "I have resigned as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. I love the Raiders and do not want to be a distraction. Thank you to all the players, coaches, staff and fans of Raider Nation. I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone."
Assistant coach Rich Bisaccia is now set to take interim charge of the Raiders, who lost 9-20 to the Chicago Bears during Gruden's final game in charge.
Ben Knapton
