Beyah Rasool’s route to this week’s Vikings Diversity Coaching Summit began in 2008, when he was a coach at Rincon High School in Tucson, Arizona.
The same year…
Jordan Todman was a freshman running back at UConn who went on to play seven seasons in the NFL, including time on the Vikings practice squad in 2012, before transitioning to coaching.
And …
Mike Pettine, the Vikings’ assistant head coach, spent his fourth and final season as the Baltimore Ravens’ outside linebackers coach before becoming the New York Jets’ defensive coordinator.
The three gathered in Minnesota this week for Pettine’s third annual Diversity Coaching Summit.
The initiative was started upon Pettine’s arrival in 2022 as a way to improve coaches’ career opportunities through tutelage while also providing Vikings coaches with better familiarity with individuals who may be considered for future opportunities.
It allowed the coaches to learn new things while also validating their approach.
“It has been remarkable. It’s been eye-opening and validating. “You feel like you’ve been able to learn from some great coaches along the way,” Rasool added. “So, when you’re in this building and you hear some of the same things you’ve learned over the years, it gives you a great sense of security, confidence, and motivation to go back to your position and do things better. You leave with a lot of knowledge, but also with the feeling that, ‘Hey, maybe I’m on the right track.’ ”
Rasool spent four seasons coaching high schools before moving on to Pima Community College (2012) and Eastern Arizona College (2014-16). He served as a defensive graduate assistant at Missouri from 2019 to 20 before moving on to Arizona (2021-22) and Bowling Green, where he helped the Falcons record 16 interceptions.
Rasool’s mother teaches dance, and his father is an assistant principle at an Arizona high school, thus coaching appealed to him because it was similar to teaching.
When asked what he enjoys most about coaching, he smiles broadly.
“The camaraderie, the brotherhood, the relationships,” added Rasool. “It’s a people business that focuses on assisting others. It has always been about helping others find their own path in life. So, football is simply the best way to accomplish it.”
Pettine, the son of a longtime successful coach in Pennsylvania, stated that he wants to be in “pay-it-forward mode” to express his gratitude for the way coaches invested in him during his transition from high school to the NFL in 2002.
The curriculum stresses assessments and the use of technology. The participants also give presentations to the Vikings coaches.
“I worked in quality control for several years. “I always have a soft spot for guys like that,” Pettine admitted. “And I’ve always felt like those guys down the road make the best coaches because they’ve been exposed to everything, had to break down all the film, understand all the positions to break it down.”
Working with the ten participants brought Pettine back to receiving instruction from mentors such as Brian Billick, Rex Ryan, and Mike Nolan.
“I was quite lucky in my early career with the Ravens. Coach Billick told me, ‘We don’t need much help on offence, but our defensive line coach Rex Ryan doesn’t have anyone working with him.’ “So I just got thrown in that room with him,” Pettine explained. “And we hit it off, and we’ve been dating for several years. … You wish to expand the game. You want to teach guys how to do it right. And, you know, I get a bit wacky with my OCD when I’m trying to convince them that their sense of what’s good enough must match mine. So, if you’re going to do anything, do it correctly. That’s what we’re trying to instill in these individuals.”
Todman, who currently attends Limestone College in South Carolina, smiled before expressing what he enjoys about teaching.
“It fills my cup, honestly; it’s sort of my calling. “I feel like I was born to do this,” Todman added. “When you’re seven years old, you have a dream of going to the NFL, which is a difficult thing to achieve. Seven years later, you’re almost ready to dream again, right?
“You may retire at the age of 28 or 30. OK, you have your entire life ahead of you. I was fortunate to discover out early; don’t chase the money,” Todman continued. “I wanted to do what I enjoyed doing. So it’s rewarding to coach, mentor, be a servant leader, and watch other people pursue the same aspirations and goals as me in order to help them learn from my or other people’s failures. I get shivers thinking about it, yet it fills my cup. And it’s almost as if I’m here for that. Like, God, you know, I feel like [He] put me on this earth to perform those kinds of things.”
He described Pettine as “like a G.O.A.T.” for leading the summit.
“He’s ahead of his game, in my opinion,” Todman added. “We’ve all heard the phrase that if done correctly, you can accomplish a lot in three days.
“It didn’t feel pressured to push, but like the interactions, friendships, and the opportunity to conduct mock interviews, you get a chance to have a voice and have your personality heard, as well as a chance to demonstrate your ability. “Mike did it the right way,” Todman said. “The structure is perfect.” We also have a group of candidates. Great coaches, great individuals, and it was very beneficial. I don’t think my opinion matters, but I would want to see every NFL club do something like this.
Pettine hopes that last thing comes true. Matt Daniels, the Vikings’ Special Teams Coordinator, also worked with Todman during the summit.
“It’s great to see that [the summit] is receiving the prominence and notoriety it deserves. “And not just from inside the building, but also from outside,” Daniels stated. “I’m getting text messages from various coaches across the league about how they want to implement something like that and how they believe we’re doing it correctly and are kind of pioneers in it.
“Coach Mike Pett is doing a fantastic job, and he is bringing in some really, very good young talent. “That excites me,” Daniels continued. “And obviously, when you’re talking about the coaching realm, it’s important to know who you’re hiring, and you never truly want to hire a person you don’t know.”
As the summit came to a close, the participants packed their travel bags with purple Vikings coaching apparel and valuable skills and experiences to use on their future trips.
“Be yourself. I feel this structure has demonstrated to me that who you are and what you believe in is sufficient. When questioned about his main takeaway, Rasool replied, “It will work well for you.” “Everyone else is already taken, so you may as well be yourself.
“I suppose I’ll accept just continuing to be humble in everything you do. And we operate in a really valuable business. He went on to say that one day could be very different from the next in terms of where you work and who you work with. “I believe this facility, specifically the Vikings, has taught me the value of connections and the significance of doing things well. The Vikings taught me the value of service to others, which will never leave me.”
2024 Vikings Diversity Coaching Summit Attendees
Kyle Washington, Southern Arkansas’ Offensive Coordinator
Summit position: Quarterbacks
Robbie Rouse, South Dakota State, running backs
Running backs occupy the summit position.
Jordan Todman, Limestone, and Running Backs
Summit Position: Special Teams
Donovan Varner, Miami, analyst (wide receivers)
Summit position: Wide receivers
Whitney Jacobs, Alabama A&M Strength and Conditioning Assistant.
Summit position: Strength and Conditioning.
Xavier Garcia, Georgia Tech, analyst (defensive line)
Summit Position: Defensive Line
Demeitré Brim, Lehigh, Defensive Line
Summit position: Outside linebackers.
Brandon Williams, Austin Peay, linebackers
Summit position: Inside linebackers.
Shevin Smith, Jr., Nebraska, graduate assistant (defensive backs)
Summit Position: Defensive Backs
Beyah Rasool, Bowling Green, cornerbacks
Summit Position: Defensive Backs
Leave a Reply