It was recently announced that University of Redlands Defensive Coordinator Joey Mariani will attend the NFL-NCAA Coaches Academy on February 17-19 in Charlotte, NC. 

Each year, the NCAA invites selected football coaches to take part in this prestigious coaching academy.  It provides an excellent opportunity for coaches to enhance their skills on the sidelines while also learning about leadership, management, and administrative skills from fellow football coaches at all levels.

"I am honored to be selected and proud to represent the University of Redlands, Bulldog Athletics, and Bulldog Football.  I'm very excited for the opportunity," Mariani remarked.

Since joining the Redlands football coaching staff in 2007, Mariani has helped to lead the Maroon and Gray to a 44-12 overall record, two NCAA playoff appearances, and one Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) championship.  In his time as the defensive coordinator, he has coached two SCIAC Defensive Players of the Year in Jordan Garcia andMike Nicolini.  Most recently, his schemes and guidance helped the squad to accumulate an impressive 21 interceptions during the 2012 campaign.

The NFL Player Engagement department developed the NFL-NCAA Coaches Academy to help NFL players make the transition into coaching while also helping current college coaches to become better at what they already do. 

Multiple sessions at the upcoming Coaches Academy include instruction from NFL and college coaches, business leaders, and athletic administrators. The topics range from building relationships in college to effective leadership skills.  In the past, keynote speakers have included NFL coaching legend, Dan Reeves, and former Notre Dame and Stanford head coach, Tyrone Willingham. 

For more information on the event, please visit http://www.nflplayerengagement.com/Footballacademy.aspx andhttp://footballscoop.com/news/7922-the-nfl-ncaa-coaches-academy.