Jun 7, 2010 11:18:39 AM

The NCAA has invited 20 coaches to its 2010 Expert Coaches Football Academy, in an effort to assist the coaches with career advancement, networking and exposure opportunities at NCAA colleges and universities.

The Academy is June 22-24 in Anaheim, California, in conjunction with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics convention.

The coaches invited to the 2010 Expert Academy program are:

• Joel Beard, interim head football coach, Minnesota State University Moorhead
• Willie Bennett, co-defensive coordinator, Saint Augustine's College
• Michael Bryant II, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, Prairie View A&M University
• Luther Carr III, recruiting coordinator/wide receivers coach, University of Idaho
• Nathan Cochran, head football coach, Lincoln University (Missouri)
• Wayne Dickens, head football coach, Kentucky State University
• Carlton Hall, assistant football coach, Harvard University
• Matt Jeter, special teams coordinator/secondary, University of Central Missouri
• Eddie Johnson, associate head football coach, Savannah State University
• Roy Jones, assistant football coach, Prairie View A&M University
• Willie Jones, defensive coordinator/associate head coach, Stillman College
• Richard Mercado, special teams coordinator, State University of New York Maritime College
• Ronald Middleton, associate head coach, Duke University
• Matthew Montgomery, offensive coordinator, Saint Augustine's College
• Kevin Moore, assistant football coach, Catholic University
• Alvin Parker, offensive coordinator, Elizabeth City State University
• Everette Sands, assistant football coach, The Citadel
• Scott Van Zile, offensive coordinator, Monmouth University
• Kijuan Ware, assistant football coach, Miami University (Ohio)
• Damon Wilson, head football coach, Bowie State University

The Expert Coaches Academy addresses the critical shortage of ethnic minorities in head coaching positions in college football, primarily at the Division I level.

The NCAA hosts this year's program on the heels of a rise in the number of minority head football coaches after the 2009 season.  

Last season, there were nine ethnic-minority head coaches among the 119 Division I Football Bowl Subdivision schools. However, a total of 15 minority head football coaches were hired in 2009-10. 

Of the coaches who have been invited to the NCAA Coaching Academy programs over time, 18 have secured head coaching positions in college football. However, of the 582 football programs in Divisions I, II and III (excluding historically black colleges and universities), only 5.7 percent are coaches of color.  

Though the NCAA does not have hiring authority over its member colleges and universities, the national office provides programming that better prepares coaches for many of the issues they will experience at the head coaching level.  

The coaches who participate in the Expert Coaching Academy have expressed an interest in being a head coach at an NCAA college or university within their current division or in another NCAA division. Program sessions provide networking opportunities with current head coaches and athletics administrators who have hiring responsibilities or influence.   The focus of the program centers on ethnic minority football coaches; however, football coaches of other ethnicities have also been invited to participate.

The Expert Academy covers the following  areas:

• Communications (media, booster relations, interviewing skills and building a portfolio)
• Fiscal Responsibilities (fundraising, budgeting and development)
• Building a Successful Program (managing coaching staffs; building game strategy; maintaining relationships with university/college presidents, athletics directors, alumni, student-athletes, faculty and community members) 
• Compliance Considerations (gambling issues, NCAA rules and regulations/infractions, agents, choices/consequences and integrity)
• Academic Issues (academic support, academic fraud, retention, NCAA rules and regulations, academic success)

In addition to the Expert Coaches Academy, the NCAA also directs the Future Coaches Academy for student-athletes who want to learn more about the coaching field. In addition, the Football Coaches Academy is offered for those with less than eight years of experience. The recently added Champions Forum links participants from past Expert Coaches Academies with NCAA athletics directors who have hiring power and key networks in athletics.  

The NCAA created its Coaching Academies in 2004.