In continuation of the NFL's commitment to promoting greater diversity across the NFL, the League announced plans today to host a Coach Accelerator on May 21-23 at the Spring League Meeting in Minneapolis. The Spring Accelerator follows the inaugural Coach and Front Office Accelerator and the Front Office Accelerator hosted at previous League meetings in 2022.
The Detroit Lions will be represented by Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs Scottie Montgomery at the Coach Accelerator.
The Coach Accelerator aims to increase exposure between owners, executives, and diverse coaching talent, providing ample opportunity to develop and build upon their relationships. In a change to the nomination process this year, clubs were able to nominate those from outside of their organization, which promotes recognition and growth beyond one's current club.
The 40 participants this year are attending based on their high potential to be considered for a Head Coach position in the future. Sixteen of the participants will be returning from the May 2022 Accelerator cohort.
Montgomery joined the Lions in the 2023 offseason, bringing over 17 years of coaching experience throughout the NFL and collegiate ranks. Most recently, Montgomery spent two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts as running backs coach. His first NFL coaching role was with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he oversaw the wide receivers from 2010-12.
He spent 12 seasons coaching throughout the NCAA with Maryland, Duke and East Carolina, including three seasons as head coach for the Pirates. He was a standout wide receiver for the Blue Devils from 1996-99, where he led the team in receiving for three-straight seasons. Montgomery went on to play for the Denver Broncos from 2000-02 and the Oakland Raiders in 2003.
In addition to networking, further development of the participants is a critical component of the accelerator, with curated content sessions scheduled that will further engage each participant on the advancement of their executive leadership skills and Business of Football acumen.
"In the year since its inception, we've been encouraged by the positive response to the Accelerator from both club owners and participants," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. "We look forward to continuing to build on an incredible program that supports diverse talent."
