INDIANAPOLIS---Two North Carolina Central University football coaches, assistant head coach Dwayne Foster and defensive coordinator #John Morgan, Jr.#, were among 19 coaches invited by the NCAA to its 2011 Expert Forum in an effort to address the critical shortage of ethnic minorities in head football coaching positions and help with career advancement, exposure and networking opportunities within the NCAA membership.

The Forum was held June 16-18 in Orlando, Fla., in conjunction with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) convention.

Though the NCAA does not have hiring authority over its member colleges and universities, the national office provides programming that helps prepare coaches for many of the issues they will experience at the head coaching level in the NCAA structure. There is no on-field coaching instruction that takes place at the Forum; rather, coaches focus on off-the-field topic matter that will assist them in handling management functions and NCAA issues as those areas relate to the head coach role.

The Expert Forum programming covers several areas that fall in line with head coaching duties:
• Communications - media, booster relations, interviewing skills
• Fiscal Responsibilities - fundraising, budgeting and development
• Building a Successful Program - managing coaching staffs, maintaining relationships with university/college presidents, athletic directors, alumni, student-athletes, faculty and members of the community
• 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

The number of ethnic minorities who attain head football coaching positions has improved. However, the overall numbers are still low. Currently, there are 18 ethnic minority coaches throughout the 120 Division I Football Bowl Subdivision schools; 10 ethnic minority coaches at the 101 Division I Football Championship Subdivision schools; four ethnic minority coaches at the 133 Division II schools and nine ethnic minority coaches at the 229 Division III schools. The figures do not include Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Coaches who participate in the Expert Forum have expressed an interest in being a head coach at an NCAA college or university within their current division or in another NCAA division.

In Their Own Words

Dwayne Foster, Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line Coach

What was the experience like for you?
DF: “The NCAA Coaches Forum was an outstanding opportunity. The information I received during the intense three days was priceless. Every aspect of the Coaches Forum was relative, informative and at times eye opening.”

Why was this beneficial?
DF: “The NCAA Coaches Forum was beneficial to me because it provided the opportunity to communicate and network with some of the best Athletics Directors and Head Football Coaches in the business. Not only was I able to increase my knowledge through the various sessions they put us through, but I was also able to get my questions answered directly from successful, experienced leaders in the coaching and athletic administration professions. I walked away from the NCAA Coaches Forum a better football coach and have an even greater understanding of what it takes to not only earn the opportunity to become a head football coach, but what it will take to be a successful one.”

What was the best part of the Forum?
DF: “Every aspect of the NCAA Coaches Forum was valuable. From learning how to handle the first 90 days on the job as a head football coach, to understanding the CEO role of a head football coach and even experiencing a mock interview; I was provided the opportunity to receive a ton of very helpful information. I especially enjoyed learning about the many different paths that various head coaches took to get their first head coaching jobs. In addition, I enjoyed the information provided by the athletic directors and search firms that laid out the various components in the hiring process. This information proves that there isn't one template to achieving the goal of becoming a head football coach at any level.”

John Morgan, Jr., Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach

What was the experience like for you?
JM: “The experience was wonderful for me. It opened my eyes to how the hiring process works and what I need to do to become a head coach again in the near future and be successful.”

Why was this beneficial?
JM: “The experience was beneficial because it allowed me to see I was on the right track with some of my ideas as a head coach and it also gave me new ideas on how to be a successful head coach in the future. It allowed me to meet other coaches who had the same goals as I do. It was also helpful because I was able to talk with Athletics Directors about the search process, the contract process and how ADs go about hiring the next head coach for their programs.”

What was the best part of the Forum?
JM: “There were several forums that were awesome, but the three forums that were most enlightening for me were:
A. The Media Training session
B. The First 90 days after being hired
C. Agents vs. Attorneys”

Any other comments about the experience?
JM: “For coaches aspiring to head coaches, the Expert Forum gives you a start that you would not normally have. It also gives you a much better chance of being a successful head coach because of the knowledge you obtain, and allows you to widen your coaching and AD network.”