BYU men’s basketball assistant coach Brandon Dunson attended the 2025 NCAA Champion Forum for Men’s Basketball in Indianapolis, Ind.

The Champion Forum is a professional development opportunity for select Division I men’s basketball assistant coaches and was held in May. Dunson along with Alabama’s Preston Murphy, Michigan State’s Saddi Washington, Boise State’s Roberto Bergerson and Purdue’s Brandon Brantley, were provided the essentials in their preparation to become a head collegiate basketball coach. The Champion Forum will provide aspiring head coaches with the changing skill sets to tackle the challenges in the ever-evolving intercollegiate athletics landscape.

According to NCAA.org, the Champion Forum provides current coaches with a unique and transformative professional development opportunity. Participants gain a realistic view of what it takes to become a head coach at the collegiate level. Throughout the academic year, leadership development executes three iterations of the program: Champion Forum for Football, Champion Forum for Men’s Basketball and Champion Forum for Women’s Basketball. High-performing, high-potential ethnic minority assistant coaches from these three sports who have been identified as rising stars in the industry will be selected to participate in this immersive educational experience. The Champion Forum will prepare tomorrow’s leaders in football and basketball, populating a talented pool of future head coaches primed to influence a vital shift in college athletics.

Eligibility and selection profile With a firm emphasis on the holistic development of student-athletes, participants in the Champion Forum will engage in thoughtful, open dialogue about the challenges of coaching at the highest level. The Champion Forum also provides an opportunity to practice personal messaging and connect with the most successful minds in the industry, who will serve as continued resources after the programming dates. At the core of the curriculum is the simulation of various components of the head coaching interview process, which features exposure to decision-makers (current and former head coaches, university presidents, conference executives, directors of athletics and search firms) to best understand how to “win” the interview.

Participants will be equipped with a toolkit that will facilitate their journey along the path to obtaining a head coaching position and prepare them to succeed as an impactful and influential leader of student-athletes in your sport. After engaging in the two-day program, they will walk away with renewed self-confidence, a thorough understanding of their competitive advantage and a strengthened ability to continue to transform the lives of the student-athletes they serve daily.

How are participants chosen? Participants are selected in collaboration with conference offices, industry experts and NCAA consultants who analyze participants using rigorous selection criteria. This ensures that those in attendance are fully invested in their self-improvement and have immense potential to achieve greatness on and off the court or field.

For selection purposes, below is the ideal candidate profile:

1. Is a Division I assistant or associate head coach.

2. Demonstrates ability to understand college athletics from a “30,000-foot view,” its role within higher education and the CEO duties of a head coach (leadership and presence).

3. Demonstrates ability to clearly communicate/articulate a personal coaching philosophy and a vision for a basketball or football program to key stakeholders (university administration, donors, media, student-athletes, etc.).

4. Has management experience or management potential.

5. Has called plays or is directly involved in game planning.

6. Is a highly effective recruiter.

7. Quickly climbed coaching ladder and appears primed to become a head coach (even if other criteria not met).

8. Shows dedication to self-improvement/professional development.