The Atlanta Falcons will host Lamar University Defensive Line coach, Carey Bailey, and Mississippi Valley State University Offensive Coordinator/Quarterback coach, Ramon Flanigan, as part of the NFL's Minority Coaching Fellowship Program during Russell Athletic Atlanta Falcons Training Camp.
"As a coach, you want to give back to that fraternity in any way possible, so we are excited to have these two fine coaches joining us for training camp as part of the Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship," said Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith. "This is a great opportunity for these coaches to be exposed to new ideas, not only in terms of X's and O's, but also philosophically."
Bailey, a former University of Tennessee standout, begins his first season as the defensive line coach at Lamar University after serving as the head coach at Howard University from 2007-10. Prior to taking the helm at Howard, Bailey spent two seasons as the defensive line coach at the University of Minnesota. He also served as the defensive line coach at Oklahoma State in 2004 and Middle Tennessee State in 2003. Bailey spent five seasons at Louisiana-Lafayette (1998-2002) coaching the defensive line, special teams and linebackers. His first coaching position came at Virginia Military Institute where he was defensive line coach from 1995-98.
Flanigan is entering his second season at Mississippi Valley State as the team's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Prior to arriving at MVSU, Flanigan spent the 2008 season as the wide receivers coach at Prestonwood Christian Academy and was the quarterbacks coach at Galveston Ball High School in 2009. He spent eight seasons as an assistant coach at the University of North Texas, inclduing five as the program's offensive coordinator. Flanigan played collegiately at Southern Methodist University.
The Minority Coaching Fellowship Program, which was named after the man who conceived the idea – late Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Bill Walsh – exposes talented minority college coaches to the methods and philosophies of summer NFL training camps. Walsh introduced the concept in 1987 when he brought a group of minority coaches into his San Francisco 49ers' training camp. The program has mentored more than 1,500 minority coaches through the years, including Falcons Special Teams Coordinator Keith Armstrong.
