HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. -- Hampden-Sydney College football head coach Vince Luvara has been selected to participate in the 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute during the upcoming American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Convention on January 12-14, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Leadership Institute is a one-day event designed to identify and train rising leaders in the game of football and the coaching professions. Coach Luvara is the only NCAA Division III football coach selected for the institute.

"I am very honored to be selected to this year's 35 under 35 class," said Luvara. "It is a great opportunity to learn and grow."

The AFCA 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute is a prestigious program aimed at identifying and developing premier, future leaders in the football coaching profession. Selected participants are invited to attend the one-day institute that features a curriculum of interactive lectures focused on topics specifically tailored to emphasize leadership in the coaching profession, ethics, influential responsibilities, career progression, and family balance. 

Members of the AFCA 2025 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute receive a stipend to assist with expenses incurred while attending the AFCA Convention. They will be published in the bi-monthly AFCA Magazine, AFCA Insider weekly email blast, and/or have their articles and videos added to the AFCA Educational Library. Additionally, participants will be placed on the AFCA Foundation Committee and become a part of a prestigious network of rising coaches in the profession along with many other great benefits. 

To be eligible, applicants had to be born on or after January 1, 1989, and must be currently serving as a high school head coach, two-year college full-time assistant or head coach, or NAIA/NCAA (all divisions) full-time assistant or head coach. Applicants were required to submit a resume, five references, and a 1,600-word article or ten-minute live instructional video on an offensive, defensive, special teams, or position-specific topic of the applicant's choosing back in the summer.

Coach Luvara recently completed his first season at the helm of the Tigers with a final record of 5-5 overall, including 3-4 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC). H-SC will open the 2025 campaign with a non-conference road game at Delaware Valley University on Saturday, September 6, 2025 at 1 p.m. in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.