The NCAA has selected 20 ethnic minority football coaches to participate in the first NCAA Advanced Coaching Program, which is a component of the recently created NCAA Coaches Academy.

The Coaches Academy is an NCAA initiative that addresses the critical shortage of ethnic minorities in head coaching positions in football. The mission of the Academy is to assist ethnic minority coaches in excelling in head coaching positions, to enhance and strengthen the skills that many ethnic minority coaches currently possess and to provide exposure and networking opportunities for ethnic minority coaches.

Of the 117 Division I-A head football coaches, only four are Black.

"Intercollegiate athletics must make significant improvement in hiring minority head coaches, and the Advanced Coaching Program is an important tool in that effort," said NCAA President Myles Brand. "The NCAA is taking a leadership role with this initiative, and I'm eager to see positive results from the program."

The following individuals have been selected to participate in the 2004 NCAA Advanced Coaching Program:

Anthony Alford, Iowa State University, assistant head coach

Roddrick Boykin, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, defensive coordinator

Earl Buckingham, San Jose State University, assistant head coach/defensive line

Erik Campbell, University of Michigan, assistant head coach

Mark Gale, Marshall University, associate head coach

Rodney Garner, University of Georgia, assistant coach/recruiting coordinator

Darryl Jackson, Arizona State University, receivers coach

David Kelly, Stanford University, offensive coordinator

Michael London, University of Virginia, assistant coach/recruiting coordinator

Reginald Mitchell, Michigan State University, running backs coach/
recruiting coordinator

Albert Preston, University of Notre Dame, assistant coach

Theilsen Smith, Clemson University, defensive line coach

Donald Thompson, University of Illinois, Champaign, assistant coach

Ronald Aiken, University of Iowa, defensive line coach

Duane Brooks, Yale University, assistant coach/defensive line

Derek Mason, St. Mary's College (California), assistant head coach/co-defensive coordinator

Darryl Mason, Northwestern State University, offensive coordinator

James Reese III, Tennessee State University, head football coach

Daniel Gonzalez, Lenoir-Rhyne College, co-offensive coordinator

Rubin Stevenson, Frostburg State University, head football coach

The 20 coaches chosen for the Advanced Coaching Program will receive intense three-day training in areas such as communication, fiscal responsibilities, building a successful program, moral/ethical considerations and academic issues.

"It is our hope that these 20 coaches, after they receive the exceptional training and mentorship through this program, will eventually become viable candidates for head coaching positions at Division I-A institutions and that they are seriously considered by college athletics directors, college presidents and boards of trustees," said Eugene Marshall, athletics director at Ramapo College and chair of the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee.

The Advanced Coaching Program will be January 2-4, 2004, in Orlando, Florida, and will precede the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) convention. The NCAA will administer all programs within the NCAA Coaches Academy and will receive support from the AFCA and the Black Coaches Association (BCA).