Southern assistant coach Joshua Covington was selected to participate in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers .
The Jaguars鈥� running backs coach was one of 25 finalists picked from almost 1,000 applicants, according to a press release. The academy is from May 4-10.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers National Coaching Academy will allow its finalists to participate in the team鈥檚 2026 rookie minicamp, engaging in team meetings and on-field coaching sessions with Buccaneers rookies.
The weeklong academy at the Buccaneers training facility in Tampa, Florida, will have sessions centered on film review and breakdowns, media training, business insights and interactive networking opportunities.
Covington will also have an opportunity to learn from Super Bowl champion head coaches Bruce Arians and Tony Dungy, current Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht.
First-year Southern coach Marshall Faulk hired Covington after they both worked together at Colorado. While the Pro Football Hall of Fame player was the running backs coach under coach Deion Sanders, Covington was an offensive analyst and assistant running backs coach.
He also has prior experience coaching at the HBCU level. He was an offensive analyst for North Carolina Central during the 2024 season, working under coach Trei Oliver, a former Southern defensive coordinator from 2016-18.
The Buccaneers鈥� coaching academy was open to all applicants with three or more years of coaching or work experience in a football program at the high school, college or semi-professional league level.