Sept. 18, 2003
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame running backs and special teams coach Buzz Preston is one of 20 ethnic minority football coaches who were selected Thursday to participate in the first NCAA Advanced Coaching Program in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 2-4, 2004. The program was developed through the recently-created NCAA Coaches Academy, which is one of the NCAA’s initiatives to attempt to address the critical shortage of ethnic minorities in head coaching positions in the sport of football. The Academy’s mission is to assist ethnic minority coaches in excelling in head coaching positions, enhance and strengthen the skills many ethnic minority coaches currently possess and provide exposure and networking opportunities for these coaches.
The 20 coaches selected for the program will take part in an intensive three-day training session focusing on areas such as communication, fiscal responsibilities, building a successful program, moral/ethical considerations and academic issues. The Advanced Coaching Program is being held just prior to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Convention and receives support from both the AFCA and the Black Coaches Association (BCA).
“I want to thank the NCAA, AFCA and BCA for developing this groundbreaking program and providing me the chance to participate,” Preston said.
“This is a exciting opportunity for me to become a better assistant coach here at Notre Dame and gain a deeper insight into the coaching profession as a whole. I’m looking forward to learning from some truly quality people who have a tremendous amount of knowledge to share.”
– ND –