MINORITY COACHING FELLOWSHIP ATTRACTS RECORD 83 PARTICIPANTS; COORDINATORS LEWIS & LYNN GRADS OF PROGRAM

Eighty-three African-American coaches took part in this summer’s NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship Program, the most ever in the 15-year history of the program. 

 The group seeks to follow in the footsteps of new Washington Redskins assistant head coach-defensive coordinator MARVIN LEWIS and new New York Giants defensive coordinator JOHNNIE LYNN, both graduates of the program.     

 Approximately 800 coaches have worked in the training camps of NFL teams since the program began in 1987.  Former fellowship coaches on 2002 NFL staffs include RUBIN CARTER (NY Jets), JAMES DANIEL (Atlanta), ROBERT FORD (Miami), BISHOP HARRIS (NY Jets), JAMES SAXON (Kansas City), SHERMAN SMITH (Tennessee) and GEORGE WARHOP (Arizona).

 As part of training camp coaching staffs, the fellowship coaches perform duties that mirror those of
 full-time NFL assistant coaches.  They become working members of NFL staffs for the summer and
are responsible for specific assignments, including planning and directing workouts, formulating
 scrimmage and preseason-game strategies, breaking down videotape, and evaluating players.  

 “The program is really the thing that jump-starts your career,” says New York Jets head coach
HERMAN EDWARDS, the first graduate of the program (internship with Kansas City in 1989)
to become an NFL head coach (2001).  “It really worked perfectly for me.”

 As it has for fellowship graduates Lewis and Lynn.

Lewis – who did his internship with Kansas City when he was a linebackers coach at New Mexico
from 1987-89 -- was the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator from 1996-2001, helping them
to the Super Bowl XXXV title.  This year he became assistant head coach-defensive coordinator of the Redskins.

“He’s like a head coach,” says Redskins veteran cornerback DARRELL GREEN.  “He has that kind of leadership, more than any I’ve seen from a defensive coach.  You see that right off the bat.”  

 Lynn was an eight-year defensive back for the Jets from 1979-86, and did an internship with the club in 1992.  He was promoted to the Giants’ defensive coordinator position this year after JOHN FOX left the spot to become head coach of the Carolinas Panthers.  Lynn had been a secondary coach in the NFL for three teams (Tampa Bay, San Francisco and the Giants) from 1994-2001.

 He relishes the opportunity.  “It gives me the impetus to be successful, because you want more guys to get the chance,” he says.  “With the success of other African-American coaches, I have to follow that tradition and succeed.”

 Another internship coach following a tradition – quite a large one -- was VANTZ SINGLETARY of the Houston Texans, nephew of Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker MIKE SINGLETARY. 

 An assistant coach at the University of Hawaii, Singletary took his uncle’s advice.

 “My uncle told me that he thought I had a gift for working with young men,” says Singletary.  “One of
the things I’d like to eventually do is coach at the NFL level.  Having the opportunity with the Coaching Fellowship to come out and see it at the highest level is a great experience.”

 Participants in the 2002 program:

 2002 NFL MINORITY COACHING FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM