East Stroudsburg South High School head football coach Matt Walters is getting the experience of a lifetime this week in Florida. Walters is one of eleven high school football coaches taking part in the second annual Tampa Bay Buccaneers National Coaching Academy.
The Academy was established to create new pathways for coaches seeking the opportunity to work in the National Football League.
Overall, 25 coaches from around the world are getting coached up in Tampa this week. Walters and the other 24 participants were selected from nearly 1,000 applicants from around the world. Aside from the United States, individuals currently working in Denmark, England, Germany and Japan applied. In addition to the 11 working at the high school level, eight occupy roles in the college ranks. Five hold coaching positions in professional leagues outside of the NFL, four of which are abroad. All participants were given scholarships to cover the costs of the Academy while in Tampa.
Here are the other 10 high school coaches in Tampa this week:
Chase Baker – NFL Academy (London, England), Defensive Line CoachHenry Banks II – Webster Groves (Missouri), Assistant CoachSalvador Delgado Medina – Valley Christian HS (San Jose, California), Wide Receivers CoachMichael Gerst – Fort Lee HS (New Jersey), Head CoachRaymond Holland – Lehman HS (Texas), Football AnalystKeanon Lowe – Mountainside HS (Oregon), Head CoachLuke Mueller – Bolingbrook HS (Illinois), Defensive CoordinatorSamantha Mullet – Bear Lake HS (Michigan), Head CoachJuan Thrasher – Flower Mound (Texas), Defensive Coordinator/Safeties CoachMatt Walters – East Stroudsburg South HS (Pennsylvania), Head Coach/Offensive CoordinatorAshleigh Wilkinson-McQuaid – Wheaton North HS (Illinois), Defensive Backs Coach
Below is every coach attending the Bucs’ National Coaching Academy.
In addition to taking part in team meetings and on-field coaching sessions with Buccaneers rookies, this year’s class will participate in masterclass sessions with Super Bowl Champion head coaches Jon Gruden, Bruce Arians and Tony Dungy, Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronde Barber, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht. Additional programming will include sessions focused on film review and breakdowns, media training, business insights and interactive networking opportunities.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers National Coaching Academy is open to those with three or more years of coaching or work experience in a football program at the high school, college or semi-professional league level. Applications were reviewed by Buccaneers coaches, scouting personnel, along with football operations and front office staff.
Upon completion of the team’s rookie minicamp, the coaching and front office staff will then select five top candidates to participate in the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship for training camp and preseason.