ORLANDO, Florida -- The push to diversify the college football coaching ranks received a major boost with the debut of the NCAA Coaches Academy January 2-4 in Orlando in conjunction with the American Football Coaches Association's annual convention.

Twenty minority football coaches, including two head coaches, with at least four years of coaching experience comprised the inaugural class to participate in the Advanced Coaching Program, the first of three components that make up the academy. Fifty-five applications were submitted for consideration.

The NCAA Coaches Academy developed from a set of recommendations submitted by the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee to the Football Study Oversight Committee in 2002. The Division I Board of Directors also endorsed the creation of a coaches academy that would address key areas of development such as interview preparation, networking, media training and resume-building.

The academy was modeled after the NCAA Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males, a professional-development program also administered by the NCAA. One of the program's goals was to expose minority coaches to aspects of the game beyond the Xs and Os of on-the-field play.

The agenda for the rigorous three-day workshop consisted of sessions on media training, interview skills, ethics, fiscal responsibility, academic issues, building a successful program and contract negotiation. Facilitators relied heavily on interactive discussions, role playing and small-group activities.

Participants even had a chance to put some of their budding networking and communications skills to work during a reception organized in their honor. Among those in attendance were administrators from several Division I-A schools, as well as representatives from search firms.

Don Thompson, an assistant coach at the University of Illinois, Champaign, said the experience was more than worthwhile.

"I thought the academy would be an excellent opportunity to broaden my skills," Thompson said. "My expectations were to get some exposure to media and to budgets and to the behind-the-scenes of what is expected of a coach at the Division I-A level. The program exceeded my expectations."

Erik Campbell, assistant head coach at the University of Michigan, came hoping to gain more insight into the responsibilities facing head coaches.

"One of the most important things I took away from this weekend was learning the whole dynamics of what it takes to become a head coach," he said.

Campbell also pointed to the experience of meeting with four of the five current black head coaches in Division I-A -- Fitz Hill of San Jose State University; Tyrone Willingham of the University of Notre Dame; Karl Dorrell of the University of California, Los Angeles; and Tony Samuel from the University of New Mexico -- during a closed group session as a highlight.

"It was a great experience talking with the four head coaches about their experiences and what they had to overcome and still do today," Campbell said.

Thompson said meeting the coaches put into context what he and the other minority coaches are trying to accomplish.

"That was significant because you could actually get the real emotions and the real hands-on material of what it took for those guys to get where they are," he said.

Duane Brooks, defensive line coach at Yale University, said the weekend taught him something about himself.

"My biggest take-away would be what I've learned about myself. I'm kind of a guarded person and I've learned you have to be more presentable to people," he said.

Advocating change

During a dinnertime keynote address, Bernard Franklin, senior vice-president for governance and membership at the NCAA, called the academy historic. Franklin said the creation of a fair, open, honest, straightforward hiring process that examines everyone based on ability is the right thing to do. He also said that despite recent successes, such as the selection of Sylvester Croom at Mississippi State University, not enough has been achieved.

"I would say that as we applaud and celebrate those significant achievements, we must also be vigilant in continuing to push the envelope and stress the importance of this issue," Franklin said. "It is important, for not just African-American student-athletes to see African-American men in leadership roles at Division I-A football programs, in all football programs, but it's just as important for non-African-American student-athletes to have an opportunity to be mentored and also have these individuals serve as role models for them. It is important to recognize that minorities are just as effective in headsets as they are in helmets and pads."

Franklin said the process has to start at the top with presidents, conference commissioners and directors of athletics.

"That they understand the importance of this venture is what will strengthen our education and create an even better environment that speaks to diversity and also speaks to excellence," he said.

Franklin also took a moment to encourage participants to continue to strive toward the goal of becoming head coaches.

"I hope that even when there are moments of disappointment or despair that you will never lose sight of your vision. I often say you've got to experience the valley of disappointment and despair to appreciate the view from the mountain top of success. So, I implore you, I encourage you to hold onto your vision."

Bill Moos, director of athletics at the University of Oregon and a member of the Coaches Academy selection committee, vouched for the academy's importance.

"There are so many talented young black coaches in America who deserve an opportunity for a head-coaching job. I really feel that those we selected this year are simply outstanding and I certainly hope they have that opportunity down the road," he said. "Being a member of the Football Issues Committee, I've watched this thing grow from the very beginning and I hope that it continues to grow and that we find true success in the end."

Moos defines true success, in this case, as seeing more opportunities at the head-coaching levels in Division I for minority coaches.

"There are some very qualified coaches out there that hopefully the academy will help to showcase to those institutions that are looking for a real good quality head football coach," he said.

Proof in the hiring

San Jose State's Hill said that the academy not only has brought awareness to the lack of opportunities available for minority coaches, but also serves as a way of increasing the networking opportunities for these coaches.

"It's not that they are not qualified," he said, "it's the fact that they haven't made the connections. They need a support system to be in place when an opportunity comes."

Building that support system is exactly what several participants foresee happening now that the first class has entered into the program.

David Kelly, associate head coach, offensive coordinator and receivers coach at Stanford University, said the concept of the academy is great, but he questioned what comes after the weekend's activities.

"To me that's what's going to be critical, that participants stand close to each other, monitor each other and talk about different challenges and struggles that come," he said.

Kelly also hopes that organizers will continue to provide feedback to participants when coaching opportunities arise.

Illinois' Thompson said another measurement of the success of the academy will be the number of interviews this class of coaches receives now that they have completed the first phase.

"I'm confident that if these guys get interviews for these jobs, they will be hired," he said. "I know I'd hire them."

The second component of the NCAA Coaches Academy, the Expert Coaching Program, will be held in conjunction with the Black Coaches Association convention in June. Designed for coaches with at least six years of coaching experience, the Expert Coaching Program will focus on developing coaching approaches, strengthening player-coach relations, introducing new game strategies, game-day coaching skills and off-field concerns.

The Executive Coaching Program, the third component of the academy, is geared for coaches with at least eight years of coaching experience and will be conducted over a 12-month period. Selected coaches will travel to meet with assigned executive coaches twice a year. The executive coaches, which are veteran high-profile coaches and athletics administrators, assist participants with career development, networking and exposure opportunities.