Feb 2, 2010 8:55:04 AM

Two Division III institutions are the most recent NCAA members to hire ethnic minority coaches to lead football programs.

Widener hired Isaac Collins, previously defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Citadel and a graduate of the NCAA Expert Coaches Forum, and Greenville promoted Ordell Walker, an assistant head coach at the school since 2004 who has been leading the program on an interim basis since late December.

There are now 31 ethnic minority coaches serving in head football coaching positions at 582 NCAA member institutions, not including historically black colleges and universities. Six now are serving in Division III programs.

Collins, the 22nd head coach at Widener, has served for four seasons at Citadel. Before that, he was in charge of the secondary and served as recruiting coordinator at Delaware. He also was an assistant coach at Lehigh as well as associate head coach, defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Holy Cross.

"We were looking for a head coach whose values align with Widener's mission and who has the ability to lead our team to success on and off the field," said university President James T. Harris III, who recently became chair of the Division III Presidents Council and is a former member of the NCAA Executive Committee Subcommittee on Gender and Diversity.

Collins played football at Division III member Rochester, where he was team captain and was the University Athletic Association's offensive player of the year in 1992. He is the second-leading rusher in Rochester football history and a two-time all-conference selection.

He attended the 2008 Expert Coaches Forum, a professional development program targeting rising ethnic minority football coaches. He also participated in the National Football League Minority Fellowship Program, serving coaching internships with the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants.

Walker becomes the sixth head coach at Greenville, where he previously directed the team's defense.

His 2009 defensive unit led the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference in total defense, rushing defense, pass defense efficiency and four other statistical categories last season as the team finished with a 7-3 record and won the UMAC's South division.

Walker is credited with recruiting student-athletes from 14 states during his seven years on the football staff.

"It was very clear to everyone – from the president to members of the dean's council to the entire search committee – that he was the ideal choice to lead the football team," said Randy Bergen, Greenville vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college. "In this year of enrollment challenges, Ordell has qualities that will help the entire college grow."

Walker has served as a member of the American Football Coaches Association's Division III Assistant Coaches Committee.

Minority football coaches at NCAA institutions
As of February 1, 2010; historically black colleges and universities excluded