By Wali Pitt
The NFL Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship is designed to be a vocational tool to increase the number of full-time NFL minority coaches, and this year’s class already includes two of the top up-and-coming coaches in HBCU football.
Courtney Coard, the defensive coordinator for North Carolina Central, and Tory Woodbury, Tight Ends Coach & Special Teams Coordinator at Howard University have both announced their participation in the 2024 Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship cohort.
The NFL Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship has helped minority coaches gain exposure to NFL training camps and off-season workout programs for over 30 years. Giving talented coaches opportunities to observe, participate, gain experience, and ultimately gain a full-time NFL coaching position.
Applicants must be former NFL players or have coaching experience at the high school, college, and/or other football league levels (CFL, XFL, etc.) to be considered for the fellowship.
Courtney Coard was a defensive tackle at NCCU from 2004-07, and returned to his alma mater in 2022 after spending six seasons as co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach at North Carolina A&T State University, winning 4 Celebration Bowl championships during his tenure at both HBCUs. Coard will be doing his fellowship with the Houston Texans.
Tory Woodbury reached HBCU legend status as a quarterback at Winston-Salem State University. The Winston-Salem, NC native has one of the great stories in HBCU football. After walking on at WSSU, he led the program to back-to-back CIAA titles.
Woodbury was able to find a lane for himself in the NFL as a special teams ace. He signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2001, spending two seasons with the franchise before stints with the New Orleans Saints and Buffalo Bills, the Ottawa Renegades of the Canadian Football League. Woodbury also spent five years with the Los Angeles Rams organization as a scout and special teams assistant coach winning a Super Bowl ring with the Rams in 2022. He is doing his 2024 NFL Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Following his time with the Rams, Woodbury joined the Morgan State coaching staff in 2023 as the special teams coordinator and tight ends coach before taking the same role at Howard University for the 2024 season.
There is a potential for more HBCU coaches to join the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship this year as the application deadline is June 14, 2024. Keep an eye on HBCUGameday.com for updates as coaches announce their participation over the summer.