FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8/29/12
http://twitter.com/NFL345
BILL WALSH NFL MINORITY COACHING FELLOWSHIP
ADVISORY COUNCIL ESTABLISHED
FELLOWSHIP ATTRACTS 91 TRAINING CAMP PARTICIPANTS,
INCLUDING 26 FORMER NFL PLAYERS
The NFL has established the BILL WALSH NFL MINORITY COACHING FELLOWSHIP ADVISORY COUNCIL to further enhance the idea conceived by the late Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Bill Walsh, NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL announced today. Walsh introduced the concept to expose talented minority college coaches to the NFL’s methods and philosophies when he invited a group of minority coaches to participate in San Francisco 49ers’ training camp.
Ninety-one minority coaches took part in this summer’s Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship. The program has mentored more than 1,500 minority coaches since it was established in 1987.
The 13-member council – comprised of club presidents, general managers, head coaches and assistant coaches – will focus on developing a pipeline of minority coaches, including former NFL players pursuing opportunities in the coaching profession.
“It is imperative we continue to create opportunities, not only in coaching but in every other aspect of the league,” said Kansas City Chiefs general manager and Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship Advisory Council member SCOTT PIOLI. “This fellowship program is important as long as we continue to teach and mentor individuals with one basic premise in mind – educate. I am a firm believer in the proverb of, ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’”
The council will meet annually to recommend league-wide best practices in selection criteria for fellowship candidates, standardization of program elements and tracking results for future improvements.
Members of the Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship Advisory Council:
|
NAME
|
TEAM
|
TITLE
|
NAME
|
TEAM
|
TITLE
|
|
Earnest Byner
|
Tampa Bay
|
Running Backs
|
Martin Mayhew
|
Detroit
|
General Manager
|
|
David Culley
|
Philadelphia
|
Wide Receivers
|
Scott Pioli
|
Kansas City
|
General Manager
|
|
Leslie Frazier
|
Minnesota
|
Head Coach
|
Andy Reid
|
Philadelphia
|
Head Coach
|
|
Rod Graves
|
Arizona
|
General Manager
|
Gene Smith
|
Jacksonville
|
General Manager
|
|
Russ Grimm
|
Arizona
|
Offensive Line
|
Rick Smith
|
Houston
|
General Manager
|
|
Mike Holmgren
|
Cleveland
|
President
|
Ken Whisenhunt
|
Arizona
|
Head Coach
|
|
Gary Kubiak
|
Houston
|
Head Coach
|
|
|
|
Cincinnati Bengals head coach MARVIN LEWIS, who earned NFL Coach of the Year honors from the Associated Press in 2009, interned with the San Francisco 49ers (1988) and Kansas City Chiefs (1991) and endorses the program.
“For a young coach, an opportunity through the fellowship is like a college student getting a great internship,” said Lewis. “Suddenly you’re exposed on a daily basis to some of the best people in your field, and you have a chance to show them first-hand what you can do.”
Lewis is one of four current NFL head coaches – LESLIE FRAZIER (Minnesota), LOVIE SMITH (Chicago) and MIKE TOMLIN (Pittsburgh) are the others – who are graduates of the program.
“This program has been extremely beneficial over the years, paving the way for many coaches who have gone on to successful NFL careers,” said Cleveland Browns president MIKE HOLMGREN, who serves on the Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship Advisory Council. “As a head coach with the Packers and Seahawks, I had many coaches work for us during camp who were able to get full-time positions because of that valuable experience. It was a tremendous learning environment for them and it continues to open doors for many young coaches.”
2012 NFL COACHES WHO ARE GRADUATES OF THE
BILL WALSH NFL MINORITY COACHING FELLOWSHIP
|
CLUB
|
COACH
|
POSITION
|
|
Atlanta
|
Keith Armstrong
|
Special teams coordinator
|
|
Buffalo
|
Andrew Dees
|
Assistant offensive line
|
|
|
William Inge
|
Assistant defensive line
|
|
|
Curtis Modkins
|
Offensive coordinator/running backs
|
|
|
Adrian White
|
Defensive quality control
|
|
Chicago
|
Lovie Smith
|
Head coach
|
|
Cincinnati
|
Jay Hayes
|
Defensive line
|
|
|
Marvin Lewis
|
Head coach
|
|
Denver
|
Sam Garnes
|
Assistant secondary
|
|
|
Eric Studesville
|
Running backs
|
|
|
Tyke Tolbert
|
Wide receivers
|
|
Detroit
|
Shawn Jefferson
|
Wide receivers
|
|
Houston
|
Karl Dorrell
|
Quarterbacks
|
|
|
Perry Carter
|
Assistant defensive backs
|
|
|
Cedric Smith
|
Strength and Conditioning
|
|
Jacksonville
|
Marlon McCree
|
Assistant Secondary
|
| |
Tony Oden
|
Secondary
|
|
Kansas City
|
Otis Smith
|
Defensive quality control
|
| |
Steven Smith
|
Assistant offensive line coach
|
|
Minnesota
|
Leslie Frazier
|
Head Coach
|
|
|
Craig Johnson
|
Quarterbacks
|
|
|
Jimmie Johnson
|
Tight ends
|
|
|
James Saxon
|
Running backs
|
|
New England
|
Pepper Johnson
|
Defensive line
|
|
New York Giants
|
Lunda Wells
|
Offensive assistant
|
|
New York Jets
|
Dennis Thurman
|
Defensive backs
|
|
Oakland
|
Justin Griffith
|
Offensive quality control
|
|
|
Johnnie Lynn
|
Defensive backs
|
|
|
Kelly Skipper
|
Running backs
|
|
|
Terrell Williams
|
Defensive line
|
|
Philadelphia
|
Juan Castillo
|
Defensive coordinator
|
| |
Duce Staley
|
Special teams quality control
|
|
Pittsburgh
|
James Daniel
|
Tight ends
|
|
|
Mike Tomlin
|
Head coach
|
|
|
Kirby Wilson
|
Running backs
|
|
St. Louis
|
Joe Bowden
|
Assistant linebackers
|
| |
Clyde Simmons
|
Assistant defensive line
|
|
San Diego
|
Cris Dishman
|
Asst. secondary
|
|
|
Don Johnson
|
Defensive line
|
|
|
Ollie Wilson
|
Running backs
|
|
Tennessee
|
Tracy Rocker
|
Defensive line
|
|
Washington
|
Raheem Morris
|
Defensive backs
|
2012 BILL WALSH NFL MINORITY COACHING FELLOWSHIP PARTICIPANTS
|
CLUB
|
#
|
PARTICIPANTS (BACKGROUND & PRESENT AFFILIATION)
|
|
Arizona Cardinals
|
3
|
Matt Grayson (Robert Morris), Ed King (Glenwood H.S., Phoenix), Nikolas McKissic (Benedict)
|
|
Atlanta Falcons
|
2
|
Carey Bailey (Lamar), Ramon Flanigan (Mississippi Valley State)
|
|
Baltimore Ravens
|
1
|
James Rooths (Unaffiliated)
|
|
Buffalo Bills
|
4
|
Eugene David (Alcorn State), Keith Higdon (Tuskegee), Rashaan Jordan (The College at Brockport), Gabe Northern (Former Player, Prairie View A&M)
|
|
Carolina Panthers
|
3
|
Kenny Ray Augustus (Univ. of Indianapolis), James Salgado (Princeton), Cedric Williams (Newberry College)
|
|
Chicago Bears
|
2
|
DeMontie Cross (Kansas), Adrian Peterson (Former Player, Georgia Southern)
|
|
Cincinnati Bengals
|
3
|
Arnold Ale (Bishop Montgomery H.S.), Dwayne Foster (North Carolina Central), Glenn Holt (Former Player, Kentucky)
|
|
Cleveland Browns
|
3
|
Cheston Blackshear (New Mexico), Eddie Brown (Grand Valley State), Steven Roberson (Sacramento St.)
|
|
Dallas Cowboys
|
3
|
David Bowen (Former Player), Kelly Goodman (Arlington, TX H.S.), Dewayne Stukes (Former NFL Coach)
|
|
Denver Broncos
|
3
|
Martin Bayless (Sacramento Mountain Lions), Cedric Jones (Southern Nazarene), Amish Patel (Kentucky State)
|
|
Detroit Lions
|
4
|
Charles Burks (West Texas A&M), Delbert Cowsette (Former Player, Hampton), Willie Green (Former Player, Ouachita Baptist), Kade Rannings (Colgate)
|
|
Green Bay Packers
|
3
|
Abe Elimimian (Washington State), Levon Kirkland (Former Player), Chris Naeole (Former Player)
|
|
Houston Texans
|
4
|
Tim Cross (Texas), Mickey Joseph (Langston), Darrell Patterson (Rice), Troy Walters (Former Player)
|
|
Indianapolis Colts
|
4
|
Antonio Carter (Unaffiliated), Autry Denson (Former Player, Bethune-Cookman), Samari Rolle (Former Player), Leroy Thompson (Philadelphia Soul)
|
|
Jacksonville Jaguars
|
4
|
Chenniss Berry Jr. (Howard), Will Martin (New Mexico State), Cory Moore (Lakewood H.S.), Tory Woodbury (Delaware State)
|
|
Kansas City Chiefs
|
2
|
Vyron Brown (Grambling), Derrick Gardner (California)
|
|
Miami Dolphins
|
2
|
Al Harris (Former Player), Cesar Rivas (Fort Lewis College)
|
|
Minnesota Vikings
|
6
|
Junior Adams (Eastern Washington), Granville Eastman (Austin Peay), Darrell Fullington (St. Thomas Aquinas), Alex Jackson (Mississippi Valley State), Prince Pearson (Prairie View A&M), Ted White (Howard)
|
|
New England Patriots
|
2
|
David Patten (Former Player), Billy Yates (Former Player)
|
|
New Orleans Saints
|
1
|
Joel Thomas (Washington)
|
|
New York Giants
|
2
|
David R. Hanna (Cornell), David B. Kenney (Butler)
|
|
New York Jets
|
2
|
Corey Ivy (Former Player), Anthony Weaver (Former Player)
|
|
Oakland Raiders
|
1
|
Osita Alaribe (Tennessee State)
|
|
Philadelphia Eagles
|
6
|
Correll Buckhalter (Former Player), William Fuller (Former Player), Don Holmes (Former Player), Greg Lewis (Former Player), Cory Peoples (Clark Atlanta), Montae Reagor (Former Player)
|
|
Pittsburgh Steelers
|
4
|
Satyen Bhakta (Colorado School of Mines), Oliver Gibson (Former Player), Devan Hill (Hampton), Ben Wilkerson (Louisiana State)
|
|
St. Louis Rams
|
1
|
Charles Jackson (Unaffiliated)
|
|
San Diego Chargers
|
2
|
Alfonso Boone (Former Player), Todd Lyght (Former Player)
|
|
San Francisco 49ers
|
1
|
Tavita Pritchard (Stanford)
|
|
Seattle Seahawks
|
4
|
Shalon Baker (Montana), Brad Davis (Portland State), Sammy Knight (Former Player), Donte Williams (Washington)
|
|
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
|
2
|
Tony Coaxum (Army), Alonzo Escalante (McDaniel College)
|
|
Tennessee Titans
|
2
|
Bubba McDowell (Former Player, Prairie View A&M), Terry Obee (Western Kentucky)
|
|
Washington Redskins
|
5
|
Harry Alderson (Stanford), Curome Cox (Maryland), Odell James (Baylor), Paul Macklin II (Norfolk State), Tyrone Pettaway (Former Player)
|
# # #