Bucs kickoff coaching academy to find the best future NFL coaches

TAMPA - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are opening the door to help get coaches their foot in the door for NFL jobs. It's an initiative that the Bucs owners came up with, named the Buccaneer Coaching Academy. It's a program headed up by Darcie Glazer-Kassewitz.

Out of 1,500 applicants, 25 were selected to spend a week to shadow and learn what it takes to coach in the National Football League. -

"We learned overtime that there are so many talented coaches out there and there are so few opportunities for people to get their foot in the door in the NFL, Glazer Kassewitz said. "So my family wanted to create new pathways and open doors."

The Bucs are the first and only team to offer this program, but they invited league officials to observe in hopes that this will spread to other teams. The 25 coaches selected come from diverse backgrounds and from all over the world.

"This has been an amazing journey," Earl Chambers, Kentucky State University Defensive Coordinator, said. "This is my 24th year coaching and I've not had an experience like this in all my life. Being able to get basically the keys to the front door from ownership all the way down to the cafeteria staff."

The week was all about making connections and being seen as a viable candidate for future job openings.

READ: Bucs open Rookie Mini Camp for prospects

"They expected you to get out there and be part of it," said Candice Davis-Price, Belleville High Performance Coach. "They didn't want any on the sidelines. The coach was like' you came here to coach. Get out there and coach.' They all echoed 'You don't become a good coach until you fail.' So there's been a lot of space for opportunity for growth. Obviously, we are on pins and needles because it's our rookie experience as well."

Among the 25 rookie coaches in this class, five will be selected to be coaching fellows, joining the Bucs staff for training camp and throughout preseason.

"I tried to look online to see how I could become an NFL coach and you see the Bill Walsh Fellowship program that was on there, but you had to know somebody or be maybe a former player and I was neither of those," Nathan Griffin, Vandegrift High Defensive Coordinator, said.

Todd Bowles got his opportunity because he was a former player, but he's aware that not everyone has the same chances for NFL careers.

"I think it's critical," Bowles said. "It's something that's never been done before. It's something that we embrace as an organization that we try to do, but it's a great opportunity for them to coach ball. To see players first hand. For us to get a look at possibly future NFL coaches."

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