The NCAA will host more than two dozen football coaches who aspire to head coaching posts at the 2008 Football Coaches Academy. This year, 26 assistant coaches from Divisions I, II and III programs will gather in Indianapolis June 29 through July 1 to take advantage of the professional development opportunity.

This is the fifth straight year for the academy, which is designed to reinforce key aspects of securing, managing and excelling in a head football coaching position within intercollegiate athletics.  Aimed at participants with up to eight years of coaching experience, session topics will include professional conduct skills and training, NCAA compliance, finance and budget development, media training and networking.

Other sessions will focus on becoming a defensive or offensive coordinator, working with athletics directors, and assistant coaches’ salaries and contracts. Participating coaches also will have opportunities to engage in one-on-one and group discussions with current head coaches and other key representatives in the academic and athletics fields.

Selected NCAA staff, other athletics administrators and guest coaches will serve as facilitators during the three-day workshop.

The following individuals were invited to the 2008 NCAA Football Coaches Academy:

Theron Aych, assistant coach, University of Central Missouri

Chris Beatty, running back and slot receivers coach, West Virginia University

Cheston Blackshear, offensive line coach, Columbia University

Keith Braxton, assistant football coach, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

Cornelius Corprew, wide receiver coach/head track coach, Livingstone College

Ulrick Edmonds, recruiting coordinator, running back coach, James Madison University

Steve Ellis, defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach, Nicholls State University

Joseph Gaither, recruiting coordinator, Winston-Salem State University

Ernest Henderson, assistant football coach, Princeton University

William Jackson, offensive coordinator, Frostburg State University

Bruce Johnson, special teams coordinator & offensive line coach, Jackson State University

Omar King, assistant football coach, Long Island University-CW Post campus

Jimmy Lindsey, defensive ends/co-special teams coordinator, Miami University (Ohio)

Van Malone, assistant football coach, Texas A&M University

Kevin Moore, assistant football coach, Catholic University

Michael Morand, offensive coordinator, Virginia State University

Jeffrey Parker, pass game coordinator, Norfolk State University

Jeffrey Phelps, assistant football coach, Northern Illinois University

Jason Phillips, assistant coach, University of Houston

Sidney Powell, assistant coach, Ball State University

Marshall Roberts, secondary coach, Liberty University

John Scott, defensive line coach, Western Carolina University

Junior Smith, assistant coach, East Carolina University

Willie Taggart, assistant coach, Stanford University

Floyd Webb, assistant coach, Grinnell College

Terrell Williams, defensive line coach, Purdue University

Of the current 119 Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) head football coaches, six are African-American, one is Asian/Pacific Islander, and one is Latino. The NCAA Football Coaches Academy was established in 2004 in an effort to address the lack of diversity of head coaches in Division I football. Mike London, head coach at Richmond, is among the program’s graduates.

The NCAA also hosts the Expert Coaches Forum, which provides skill enhancement for coaches with more than eight years of experience. 

“The Coaches Academy and Expert Coaches Forum are outstanding examples of high-level professional-development programs that foster the Association's vision of enhancing the diversity of and inclusion of coaches who nurture, support and promote excellence within the NCAA,” said Charlotte Westerhaus, NCAA vice president for diversity and inclusion. “As a result of these programs, which are facilitated by respected college presidents, conference commissioners, directors of athletics and other coaches, program participants will be uniquely prepared to lead intercollegiate football programs at all NCAA divisions.”