The NFL’s Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship keeps opening doors for coaches to get a glimpse – and perhaps get noticed for a future job – in pro football.
The Chicago Bears are adding a pair of high-profile names – one a former NFL All-Pro running back and the other a former Power-5 college football head coach.
Eddie George, who starred at Ohio State and then for the Tennessee Titans, transitioned into college coaching a few years ago atop the Tennessee State University program in Nashville, where George resides. He’ll be a guest member of the Bears’ staff throughout their Organized Team Activities (OTAs).
Entering his third year atop the TSU Tigers program, an Historically Black College and University institution which has competed in the Ohio Valley Conference, George has his team involved in one of college football’s more compelling storylines this fall: George’s Tigers will travel to Notre Dame to face-off against the Fighting Irish, who are led by fellow Ohio State alum Marcus Freeman. It’s also the first time Notre Dame will have hosted an HBCU program in football.
Randy Shannon is the former University of Miami head coach who also served as interim head coach of the Florida Gators for the final four games of the 2017 season. A coaching veteran with more than 30 years’ experience and now the defensive coordinator at Florida State, Shannon led the Miami Hurricanes to 28 wins in his four seasons at the helm.
He’s also coordinated defenses at UCF, Florida and Miami, among his myriad stops, and he also spent a season as an NFL assistant coach for the Miami Dolphins.
The Bill Walsh Fellowship has been an NFL staple for more than 30 years, with the league saying the program is: “Designed as a vocational tool to increase the number of full-time NFL minority coaches, all 32 NFL clubs participate each year. Specific aspects of the program — including hiring, compensation and coaching duties — are administered on a club-by-club basis.”
Two big names named to the Bears OTA staff as part of the league's Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship: Eddie George and Randy Shannon.
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) May 15, 2023