INDIANAPOLIS--- The NCAA has invited 30 individuals who have a budding interest in coaching college football to its Future Coaches Academy, Jan. 10-12 in Orlando, Fla.  The Academy will be held in conjunction with the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) convention.

The Future Coaches Academy is the first of four programs in the NCAA’s Coaching Academy series.   The Future Academy is slated for individuals who have recently completed their collegiate eligibility and have a desire to enter the college football coaching profession.    

The goal of the NCAA’s Coaching Academy programs is to assist with career advancement, networking and exposure opportunities and to raise awareness regarding the substantial pool of talented and qualified coaching candidates.  

While academy invitations focus on ethnic minorities due to their low numbers in the coaching ranks of all three NCAA divisions, the programs accept coaches of all races.   The individuals selected for the Futures Academy were selected by a committee consisting of athletics administrators, AFCA members and former college coaches.

The Future Coaches Academy will discuss academic issues; building successful football programs; career opportunities; communication techniques; diversity and inclusion; lifestyle balance; management and fiscal responsibilities; NCAA compliance considerations; and the preparation of student-athletes for overall academic and athletic achievement.

The NCAA Diversity and Inclusion group will also host a reception during the Future Coaches Academy celebrating the recent minority hires of the 2009 football hiring cycle.   All NCAA football academy alumni will also be invited to the reception.   To date, there have been close to 150 football coaches who have participated in the NCAA football coaching academies.

The conclusion of the 2009 football season signaled a slight rise in the number of ethnic minority head coaching selections at NCAA colleges and universities.   Coming into the 2009 college football season, eight of 119 head football coaching positions were held by ethnic minorities at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level.   Today, 14 of 119 head football coaching positions are held by ethnic minorities at the FBS level.

At the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level, seven out of 101 head football coaches are ethnic minorities.    In Division II, two out of 133 head coaching positions are held by ethnic minorities, while three out of 229 coaches are ethnic minorities in Division III.    There are a total of 582 NCAA football programs, with 26 of the positions held by ethnic minority coaches (4.4%).    The figure does not include historically black colleges and universities.    The percentage of football student-athletes of color at NCAA schools is as follows:  FBS level (54.9%); FCS level (56.1%); Division II (47.9%), Division III (21.3%).  

In addition to the Future Coaches Academy, the NCAA also offers its Coaches Academy program (coaches with three-eight years of experience); its Expert Coaches Academy (coaches with  eight or more years of experience); and the top-tier Champions Academy for individuals who have gone through the Expert Academy.