From NFLMedia.com
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NFL-50 8/23/06
IN 25TH YEAR, NFL MINORITY COACHING FELLOWSHIP
ATTRACTS RECORD 86 PARTICIPANTS
-- CHIEFS’ HERMAN EDWARDS BECOMES FIRST COACH TO LEAD TEAM WHERE HE INTERNED --
A record 86 minorities took part in this summer’s NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship Program in the 25th year of the program’s existence, the NFL announced today.
Also this year, the Minority Coaching Program produced its first graduate to be named head coach of the team where he
interned.
The graduate is new Kansas City Chiefs head coach HERM EDWARDS, who interned with the team in 1989. In 2001, he
became the first graduate of the program to be named an NFL head coach when he was appointed by the New York Jets.
“I am a head coach in the NFL today because of the opportunity the Coaching Fellowship provided me,” says Edwards.
“The program is really the thing that jump-starts your career. It really worked perfectly for me. I was in the right place at
the right time.”
Two other NFL head coaches are graduates of the program – MARVIN LEWIS (pictured) of Cincinnati and LOVIE SMITH of
Chicago.
The fellowship, instituted by the NFL in 1981, provides training-camp coaching positions for minority coaches at NFL
clubs. More than 1,000 minority coaches have participated since the program’s inception.
The fellowship had additional head-coaching success this past offseason. Two of its graduates were appointed head
coaches in colleges and another received a lengthy contract extension.
RON PRINCE, who participated in the program for four years in the late ’90s, was appointed head coach of Kansas State
and believes the fellowship was of immeasurable help to him.
“The NFL Fellowship Program was invaluable for me,” says Prince, who appointed another fellowship grad, RAHEEM
MORRIS, as his defensive coordinator. “The program gave me a great understanding of how to put an organization
together. I was exposed to everything from the position coaches to the scouting departments to the general managers
and I studied every aspect of it. In the end, it gave me the opportunity to advance past where I might have been as a
coach at that particular point.”
Joining Prince as a fellowship grad in the college head-coaching ranks this year is NORRIES WILSON at Columbia
University, who was appointed last December. Wilson spent three summers with NFL clubs in the 1990s and, like Prince,
says the program was a big help to his career.
“All three of my internships were great experiences,” says Wilson. “They were at different points in my career. I learned a
lot about the game, particularly at the NFL level, and a lot about football administration. It was very valuable for me.”
Yet another fellowship graduate who is now a college head coach, KARL DORRELL of UCLA, recently received a
contract extension through the 2010 season. He took the Bruins to a 10-2 record last year.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach JON GRUDEN, who had three minority coaches in his camp this summer, believes
in the program’s efficacy.
“The coaches come in to learn and be a second sound for our players, whether that’s encouraging them or talking about
basic fundamentals or techniques that maybe they’ve used,” says Gruden. “They help with team enthusiasm and in a lot
of ways that might not be so glamorous. I really love the program.”
Following is a list of some NFL coaches who have participated in the NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship Program:
NFL GRADUATES OF NFL MINORITY COACHING FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
CLUB COACH POSITION
Atlanta - Ollie Wilson Running backs
Baltimore - Dennis Thurman Defensive backs
Buffalo - Eric Studesville Running backs
Tyke Tolbert Wide receivers
Chicago - Don Johnson Defensive line
Lovie Smith - Head coach
Cincinnati - Jay Hayes Defensive line
Ricky Hunley - Linebackers
Hue Jackson - Wide receivers
Marvin Lewis - Head coach
Denver Thomas McGaughey Ass’t. special teams
Green Bay Ty Knott Off. quality control
Houston Martin Bayless Ass’t. defensive backs
Indianapolis Gene Huey Running backs
Kansas City Herman Edwards Head coach
James Saxon Running backs
Miami Keith Armstrong Special teams
Bo Davis Ass’t. strength & conditioning
New England Pepper Johnson Defensive line
New Orleans Tony Oden Def. ass’t./secondary
NY Giants Andre Curtis Def. quality control
Oakland Robert Ford Off. quality control
Darryl Sims Ass’t. defensive line
Philadelphia Mike Reed Def. ass’t. quality control
Pittsburgh James Daniel Tight ends
San Diego Wayne Nunnely Defensive line
Brian Stewart Secondary
San Francisco Gary Emanuel Defensive line
Johnnie Lynn Defensive backs
Tampa Bay Jethro Franklin Defensive line
Ron Middleton Tight ends
Art Valero Ass’t. head coach
Tennessee Sherman Smith Ass’t. head coach/running backs
2006 NFL MINORITY COACHING FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
CLUB COACH (BACKGROUND & PRESENT AFFILIATION)
Arizona James Harris (Former NFL player), George Hawthorne (Former NFL player), Chris Walsh
(Former NFL player)
Atlanta Ashley Ambrose (Former NFL player), Rodney Bivens (UAB), Natrone Means (Former NFL
player), Tom Williams (San Jose State)
Baltimore Bernardo Harris (Former NFL player), Chris Hewitt (Rutgers)
Buffalo Steve Little (Trinity International), Adrian White (NFLEL, Former NFL player)
Carolina Lonnie Galloway (Appalachian State), Charles Jones (NFLEL), Richard Shelton (Florida
A&M, Former NFL player)
Chicago Robbie Long (DePauw), Chris Wilson (Oklahoma)
Cincinnati Stan Davis (Grand Rapids Rampage-AFL)
Cleveland John Allen (NFLEL), Jimmy Lindsey (Gardner-Webb)
Dallas Larry Brinson (Former NFL player), Steve Smith (Unaffiliated)
Detroit Malik Hall (Fordham), EJ Jones (Aurora, Former NFL player), Marcel Yates (Boise State)
Green Bay Gary Brown (Susquehanna, Former NFL player), Chris Simpson (Wisconsin-White Water)
Houston Perry Carter (NFLEL, Former NFL player), Henry Frazier (Prairie View A&M), Manny
Martinez (Texas Southern), Michael Sinclair (West Texas A&M, Former NFL player)
Indianapolis Eugene Rafael Robinson (Former NFL player), Detron Smith (Former NFL player), David
Kelly (Duke)
Jacksonville William Bell (Edward Waters College, Former NFL player), Cheston Blackshear (Columbia),
Rick Comegy (Jackson State)
Kansas City Kimble Ambers (Avila College, Former NFL player), William Jones (Pearl River CC), Wandja
Muller (NFLEL coach, NFLEL inern)
Miami Cornell Brown (NFLEL, Former NFL player), Cris Dishman (Former NFL player), Eric Green
(Former NFL player)
Minnesota Henry Lusk (Weber State, Former NFL player), Kanavis McGhee (NFLEL, Former NFL
player), Corey Raymond (LSU, Former NFL player)
New England Fred Baxter (Former NFL player), Otis Smith (Former NFL player),
New Orleans Andrew Dees (Temple, Former NFL player), Tim Watson (Former NFL player)
New York Giants Fred Armstrong (Unaffiliated)
New York Jets George McDonald (Western Michigan), Sean Spencer (Hofstra)
Oakland Radames Carrillo (International - Mexico), David Duggan (NFLEL), Patrick Esume (NFLEL),
Derek Mason (Ohio University), Cedric Pearl (Alabama A&M), Tang Hai-Yan (International -
China)
Philadelphia Eugene Chung (Former NFL player), Frank Gonzalez (Monterey Tech), Alonzo M. Hampton
(Arkansas-Pine Bluff), Willie Taggart (Western Kentucky), Chris Vaughn (Arkansas)
Pittsburgh Kedrick "Ricky" Brumfield (Fairmont State), James Martin, Jr. (Alabama A&M), Curtis
Modkins (Georgia Tech)
St. Louis Thomas Balkcom (Central Florida), Ron Cox (Lake Forest College), James Lott
(Independence College),
San Diego Marvin Marshall (Former NFL player), Wilfred Martin (College of the Desert), Thurmond
Moore (Unaffiliated), Larry Porter (LSU)
San Francisco Eugene Lockhart (Former NFL player), Broderick Thomas (Former NFL player)
Seattle Shelton Gandy (Louisiana Tech), O'Neill Gilbert (Unaffiliated)
Tampa Bay Shawn Gregory (Samford), Tracy Rocker (Arkansas, Former NFL player), Tyrone Wheatley
(Former NFL player)
Tennessee Granville Eastman (Austin Peay State), Lemanski Hall (Christ Presbyterian Academy, Former
NFL player)
Washington Michael Bryant (Prairie View A&M), Corey Chamblin (NFLEL, Tennessee Tech), Eddie
Robinson, Jr. (Former NFL player), Erik Ware (College of DuPage)
NFLEL = NFL Europe League
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