ASSISTANT Coach Brendon Bolton has been accepted into a new level four coaching program.

Bolton, who has been at the Hawks since 2009, is one of nine assistant coaches around the league to be accepted into the program, which aims to prepare coaches for a potential senior coaching role.

The program will focus on mentoring and development beyond the level three program that is already in place for coaches.

Currently the forwards coach at Hawthorn, Bolton has already had some senior coaching experience at AFL level, having stepped in to fill the role while Alastair Clarkson recovered from Guillain-Barre Syndrome last year.

Bolton coached the Hawks for five matches between rounds 11-15 and remarkably, ended his run with a winning record of 5 wins and 0 losses.

The Hawks assistant was accepted into the program following a rigorous selection process that included peer and senior coach reviews and interviews.

He will be joined by John Barker (Carlton), Blake Caracella (Geelong Cats), Stuart Dew (Sydney Swans), Simon Goodwin (Melbourne), Robert Harvey (Collingwood), Adam Kingsley (St Kilda), Simon Lloyd (Fremantle) and Matthew Nicks (Port Adelaide) as participants in the program.

Bolton will assume the senior coaching reins again in tonight's final NAB Challenge game against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium as part of Clarkson's pre-season coaching rotation.