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NCAA Invites 19 Coaches to 2011 Expert Forum in Orlando

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Contact(s)

Gail Dent
Associate Director of Public and Media Relations
317/917-6117


INDIANAPOLIS---The NCAA has invited 19 football coaches to its 2011 Expert Forum in an effort to address the critical shortage of ethnic minorities in head football coaching positions and help with career advancement, exposure and networking opportunities within the NCAA membership.

The Forum is June 16-18 in Orlando, Fla., in conjunction with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) convention.  

The 19 coaches are:

Though the NCAA does not have hiring authority over its member colleges and universities, the national office provides programming that helps prepares coaches for many of the issues they will experience at the head coaching level in the NCAA structure.   There is no on-field coaching instruction that takes place at the Forum; rather, coaches focus on off-the-field topic matter that will assist them  in handling management functions and NCAA issues as those areas relate to the head coach role.  

The Expert Forum programming covers several areas that fall in line with head coaching duties:  

The number of ethnic minorities who attain head football coaching positions has improved. However, the overall numbers are still low. Currently, there are 18 ethnic minority coaches throughout the 120 Division I Football Bowl Subdivision schools; 10 ethnic minority coaches at the 101 Division I Football Championship Subdivision schools; four ethnic minority coaches at the 133 Division II schools and nine ethnic minority coaches at the 229 Division III schools.  The figures do not include Historically Black Colleges and Universities.   Coaches who participate in the Expert Forum have expressed an interest in being a head coach at an NCAA college or university within their current division or in another NCAA division.  

In addition to the Expert Forum, the NCAA Leadership Development group also directs the Future Coaches Academy for student-athletes who want to learn more about the football coaching field; the Football Coaches Academy (less than eight years of experience); and the Champions Forum, which links participants from past Expert Forums with NCAA athletics directors who have hiring power and key networks in athletics.   The NCAA created its Coaching Academies in 2004.