University of Mary Hardin-Baylor assistant football coach Luke Howard has been selected to participate in the 2017 American Football Coaches Association’s 30 under 30 Leadership Institute. Howard is the first UMHB assistant to participate in the program.
Howard just completed his second season as a full-time assistant with the Cru and coaches running backs for UMHB. He is a 2012 graduate of UMHB and earned his Master’s Degree in 2014. Howard spent five seasons as a student assistant and graduate assistant coach at UMHB before spending one year as an assistant football coach at Cuero High School. The Cru has gone 26-2 since Howard rejoined his alma mater as a full-time assistant and won the 2016 NCAA Division III National Championship.
Through this reputable program, the American Football Coaches Association® (AFCA®) aims to identify and train the next generation of leaders in the football coaching profession. The AFCA firmly believes that better educated coaches are better educated leaders and better educated leaders are the pillars of a successful American society. With that spirit in mind, the program is focused on training participants in areas the Association believes are the most prominent challenges coaches will face today and in the future.
This year’s leadership institute takes place during the 2017 AFCA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. The one-day event will consist of interactive lectures on topics including leadership, ethics, family balance, and personal and professional development.
To be eligible, applicants had to be active high school head coaches, or full-time assistants or head coaches from the college ranks. Applicants were required to submit a resume, personal statements responding to specific prompts, and a letter of recommendation from a head coach or athletic director.
This year’s class of participants includes seven (7) NCAA FBS coaches, six (6) NCAA FCS coaches, three (3) NCAA Division II coaches, six (6) NCAA Division III coaches, three (3) NAIA coaches, two (2) two-year college coaches and three (3) high school coaches.
“With this program, we’ve identified rising stars in our industry,” said AFCA Executive Director Todd Berry. “Our aim is to give them the tools necessary to become the future leaders of the football coaching profession.”
