June 4, 2009

NORMAN, Okla. - Oklahoma's Joe Castiglione is among a group of current athletics directors and 11 football coaches from past NCAA Expert Coaches Academies invited to a new program called the NCAA Champions Forum. The group is being formed to bring minority football coaches closer to the mindset of athletics directors who ultimately hire head football coaches.

The NCAA Champions Forum will take place June 18-19 in Orlando in conjunction with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Convention (NACDA).

During the Forum, the football coaches and the athletics directors will have time to develop professional relationships in a one-on-one environment. There will be mock interview sessions, keynote speakers, and opportunities for both the coaches and athletics directors to discuss key aspects of becoming a head football coach in a more informal, private setting.

Through the NCAA Champions Forum, the football coaches will have an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the mindset of an athletics director and the intricacies of hiring football coaches for intercollegiate programs.

In turn, the athletics directors will have opportunities to meet, interact and become better acquainted with the football coaches; become "champions" by assisting with the coaches' continued career growth; and broaden their outlook as athletics directors on potential minority head coaching prospects in the NCAA.