Local high school and youth football coaches attended the fourth annual NFL/National Football Foundation (NFF) Coaching Academy, held at the Steelers practice facility at the UPMC Sports Performance Complex.

Over 300 coaches took part in classroom sessions in the morning featuring speakers Dan Rooney, head coach Bill Cowher, offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, conditioning coordinator Chet Fuhrman, defensive assistant Lou Spanos, quarterback Charlie Batch and more. 

In the afternoon, they headed into the indoor facility for some on-field coaching from some of the area's best high school coaches, including Steelers Coach of Year winner, South Park Head Coach Tom Loughran and two members of his staff, who won the PIAA Class AA State Championship this past season.   

The Coaching Academy is a one-day educational program designed to help high school and youth football coaches continue to develop their skills and improve the quality of coaching at those levels.

Curriculum focused on football skills, on-field strategy (offensive, defensive and special teams), strength and conditioning, coach-player communication, program and team management, life skills development, nutrition and player health and safety. The academy combined classroom sessions with on-field demonstrations of technique and practice components.

Attendees received a 500-page Coaching Playbook with program notes for post-clinic & self-study reference; a CD-ROM with moving depictions of different plays, illustrations of football skills, key teaching points and forms and checklists to improve team management; and an NFL/NFF Coaching Academy T-Shirt.