Second-year Kansas University assistant football coach Earnest Collins participated in the NCAA’s second-annual Advanced Coaching Program on Jan. 7-9 in Louisville, Ky.

The Advanced Coaching Program is phase one of the NCAA’s Coaches Academy, which began in January 2004 and is one of the NCAA’s initiatives to address the critical shortage of ethnic minorities in head-coaching positions in college football.

“We are very proud of Earnest and his contributions to our program,” KU head coach Mark Mangino said. “He is definitely a rising star in the coaching profession. His selection to be a part of the A.C.P. is a reflection of his talent and hard work.”

Collins, who coaches the Jayhawk cornerbacks, joined the Kansas staff in 2003. Last season, Collins directed the efforts of sophomore cornerback Charles Gordon, who led the nation with seven interceptions and was named third-team All-America by the Associated Press — KU’s first All-America selection since 1995.