Veterans’ Coaching Program
Mission Statement
Our mission is to facilitate, guide, and collaborate with active duty service members and veterans who have already transitioned or are in the process of transitioning from the Armed Forces into career fields related to coaching, teaching, and athletic leadership.
What is the Veterans’ Coaching Program (VCP)?
The Veteran to Coaching Program (VCP) is offered through the Thornton-McFerrin Coaching Academy. It is a one-of-a-kind program, found only at Texas A&M University, independent of any specific degree plan. The VCP fellowship and coaching certification program is offered to veterans who are enrolled at Texas A&M. Veterans and active duty service members who strive to be coaches and/or teachers after their military career are always being sought. We can help with the full transition process by mentoring each and every veteran. We help with job placement and can save years of a veteran’s life by providing a large support system and gateway into the Aggie Network.
Program Coordinator
Work with experienced professional coaches who have successfully transitioned from the military into coaching & teaching careers.
After serving over 20 years as a US Army Special Forces Soldier (Green Beret), Robert “Nate” Young began pursuing a career as a strength & conditioning coach. He is now attending Texas A&M University for a Master’s in Kinesiology, with an emphasis in Sports Physiology and is spearheading the Veterans Coaching Program at the Texas A&M Coaching Academy.
Reach out to Nate directly to learn more: robert.n.young@tamu.edu
Helping Veteran Coaches
We encourage and support military personnel into becoming foster coaches who can train athletes in the fundamentals of their sport while teaching interpersonal skills to create trust amongst their team, emotional skills to develop positive behavior promote mental health, and core values that develop leaders of character. Veterans who are potentially pursuing a career in coaching at Texas A&M are offered a variety of undergrad, grad, and PhD programs of the veteran’s choice regardless of their degree path.
Transition Assistance
As a retired US Army Special Forces Green Beret and the current program coordinator, Nate Young, is extremely knowledgeable of the ins and outs of the VA system. He will be your personal transition mentor to assist through the transition process into Texas A&M University.
Assistance includes:
- •Guidance through VA education and disability benefits
- •Navigating the undergraduate, graduate, and PhD admissions process
- •Opportunities to participate in Department of Defense (DoD) internships and fellowships
- •Scholarships through Texas A&M’s Veterans Resource & Support Center (VRSC)
Prepare, Support, & Promote
In the VCP, Veterans will experience the following:
- •Being supported in the admissions process
- •Implementing learning avenues – on campus or remotely
- •Earning their Undergraduate, Graduate, or PhD degree
- •Being assigned to an experienced coaching mentor during their tenure to aid with advising and counseling (E.g., our own veteran-in-residence and Program Coordinator, Nate Young, is mentored by Monty Gibson – Aggie graduate and Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach for the NFL Cleveland Browns)
- •Participating in coaching modules, seminars, internships, and fellowships
- •Being provided with monthly teacher-coach related programming
- •Being introduced to multiple options for securing teaching and coaching certificates
- •Assistance with job placement
- •Access to the Aggie Network, which includes the Texas High School Coaches Association
