Hofstra University Defensive Backs Coach Jim Salgado has been selected to participate in the 2004 NCAA Football Coaches Academy in January. The NCAA Coaches Academy is administered by the NCAA with support from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), the Black Coaches Association (BCA) and the National Football League (NFL).

The Academy is designed to address the lack of minorities in the football coaching ranks. The program includes three components. The first is the "Advanced Coaching Program," which is a three-day workshop conducted at the front end of the AFCA convention. The sessions focus on communications (public speaking, booster/alumni relations, interviewing skills, relationships with players and parents); fiscal responsibilities (fund-raising, budgeting); building a successful program (managing staff, relationships with presidents, administrators and community); moral and ethical considerations (sports wagering, agents, NCAA rules compliance); and academic issues (academic support, eligibility standards). Current minority coaches with at least four years of coaching experience may apply for this segment of the program.

2004 Participants

The second component is an "Expert Coaching Program" aimed at coaches with at least six years of experience. This session will be conducted in conjunction with the Black Coaches Association convention beginning in June 2004. The program is designed to develop innovative coaching approaches, strengthen relationships with players, introduce new game strategies, provide game-day coaching skills and address off-field concerns.

Finally, an "Executive Coaching Program" will be conducted for a 12-month period beginning January 1, 2004 for selected coaches with at least eight years of coaching experience. This component is the mentoring part of the academy, where participants will travel to meet with assigned "executive coaches" twice during the year. The program provides veteran high-profile head coaches and athletics administrators (directors of athletics or conference commissioners) with selected participants to assist with career development, networking and exposure opportunities.

Salgado completed his 10th year of college coaching and his second as Defensive Backs Coach at Hofstra University in 2003. He is one of three Hofstra graduates on the football staff, having played for the Pride from 1989 through 1992.

The New Hyde Park Memorial High School graduate returned to Hofstra in 2002 after two seasons as defensive backs coach at Northeastern University. Prior to Northeastern, Salgado served as defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator at Millersville (PA) University from 1997 through the 1999 season. He also coached the linebackers at Boston University in 1996 and linebackers and special teams at Western Connecticut State University during the 1994 and 1995 seasons.

Salgado, who recorded 104 total tackles and nine interceptions during his four seasons as a player at Hofstra, began his coaching career in 1993 as quarterbacks coach and defensive backs coach at Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, NY. In January 1994 he started an eight-month football graduate-assistantship with the Hofstra Football staff before moving on to Western Connecticut State for the 1994 season.

Salgado, who has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Hofstra, is a member of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and the Black Coaches Association (BCA). Jim and his wife Carolyn are the proud parents of a son Jalen, who was born in November 2002. The Salgado family resides in Franklin Square, New York.

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