DETROIT – The Detroit Lions today announced the club will be continuing the Strength in Numbers: Detroit Lions Analytics Mentorship Program after its inaugural launch during the 2022 Detroit Lions season.
The 2023 Strength In Numbers: Detroit Lions Analytics Mentorship Program will last the duration of the collegiate fall semester and is open to students at Wayne State University, University of Michigan – Dearborn, University of Detroit Mercy and North Carolina A & T. Interested candidates can apply at www.detroitlions.com/careers. The application will be open through the month of September.
"As an organization we are constantly looking to prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, and analytics is an area in our industry that needs a lot of focus. Seeing the incredible work Strength in Numbers was doing to close the representation gap made them a great partner to create a mentorship program at the Detroit Lions," said Detroit Lions Chief Operating Officer Mike Disner. "It's important for us to reach the communities we have strong ties to. Year one was a success and we are excited to grow the program in year two."
Final candidates for the program will receive a stipend, exposure to sports analytics and mentorship. Students will be working on small-scale or prototype versions of analytics projects for either football or business operations with the intention of demonstrating how an analyst could leverage data to help an organization make better informed decisions. The students will meet regularly with members of the Lions football information and strategy & analytics teams as they work through their projects as well as meet weekly with a teaching assistant associated with Strength in Numbers.
The Lions were the first, and continue to be the only, team in the NFL to create an analytics mentorship program in partnership with Strength in Numbers, an organization aimed at highlighting and eliminating the underrepresentation of minorities and women in the sports analytics industry. Their mission is to teach sports analytics to underrepresented students by broadening the appeal of STEM and providing the proper resources to grow successful future careers. Strength in Numbers was founded in 2020 by John Tobias, an ESPN Statistician & professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
"The sports analytics industry is a booming industry, but less than 10% of the industry consists of minorities and women. The key is access because access creates opportunity," said Strength in Numbers Founder John Tobias. "With the Lions organization giving these college students real world experience to showcase their talents, it is a tremendous way to help create a pipeline of quality diverse candidates."
Information about the Strength in Numbers: Detroit Lions Analytics Mentorship Program and other career opportunities at the Detroit Lions can be found at www.detroitlions.com/careers.
