Updates

Sixty-four NFL assistant coaches and front office executives representing all 32 NFL teams will take part in the annual NFL Career Development Symposium March 22-24 in Orlando, Florida.

The three-day program will engage aspiring head coach, coordinator and general manager candidates through presentations, panel discussions, breakout sessions and networking opportunities with owners, club presidents, coaches, general managers and league executives.

Among the speakers and presenters are Arizona Cardinals President Michael Bidwill; Atlanta Falcons Chief Executive Officer and President Rich McKay; Baltimore Ravens Executive Vice President and General Manager Ozzie Newsome; Tennessee Titans General Manager Jon Robinson; Los Angeles Chargers General Manager Tom Telesco; Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Dirk Koetter; Los Angeles Chargers Head Coach Anthony Lynn; Buffalo Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott; Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach Doug Pederson; and former NFL General Managers Charley Casserly and Bill Polian.

Program sessions include: “Expectations of Ownership,” “Building a Championship Culture,” “Interview Techniques,” “The First 90 Days,” and three breakouts – one for aspiring head coaches, one for aspiring coordinators and one for aspiring general managers.

The program is directed by NFL Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Robert Gulliver and NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent.

Career Development Symposium participants are selected by the NFL office after NFL clubs submit nominations from their staffs.

The Career Development Symposium previously was held from 1998-2008 and returned in 2013. Last year’s event focused on engaging aspiring female executives.

Attendees of past symposiums include current head coaches Todd Bowles (New York Jets), Jay Gruden (Washington), John Harbaugh (Baltimore), Hue Jackson (Cleveland), Vance Joseph (Denver), McDermott (Buffalo), Pederson (Philadelphia), Ron Rivera (Carolina), Mike Zimmer (Minnesota) as well as general managers Chris Ballard (Indianapolis), John Dorsey (Cleveland), Jason Licht (Tampa Bay), Robinson (Tennessee) and John Schneider (Seattle). 

The NFL Career Development Symposium supplements other initiatives that include:

• Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship (April-June 2018; July-August 2018), which provides opportunities at all 32 NFL clubs for women and minority coaches to observe, participate and gain coaching experience.
• Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship (May-August 2018), which provides former players the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of scouting at the NFL level.
• NFL Careers in Football Forum (January and December 2018), which educates men and women about career opportunities available to them in all areas of football and allows the league to assist them in becoming strong candidates for open jobs.
• NFL-NCAA Coaches Academy (February 2018), which offers coaches/coaching prospects – including current and former NFL players – tools and networking opportunities for potential careers as football coaches.
• NFL-NCAA Champion Forum (June 2018), for those who have been identified as potential head coaches by college administrators, this program simulates the intercollegiate interview process from researching the position to their first staff meeting after becoming a head coach.