Aaron James Named Grambling State's Interim Athletic Director

GRAMBLING, LA— Following the resignation of J. Lin Dawson, Grambling State University President Frank G. Pogue has asked Aaron James Assistant Professor of Kinesiology, Sport and Leisure Studies, to serve as Interim Athletic Director, effective immediately.

James, a 1974 graduate of Grambling and first round draft pick up of the Utah Jazz, has also served Grambling as assistant Women's Basketball Coach, Head Men's Basketball Coach, Assistant Director of Athletics and Athletic Liaison for the Office of Development.

“I would like to thank Dr. Pogue for his confidence in me and I feel that as a Gramblinite and a former athlete it's a great opportunity to head the department,” said James.

Dr. Pogue announced that a search committee will be named very soon to conduct a national search, assisted by an executive search firm for Dawson's replacement. This search committee will be chaired by Dr. Steve Favors, Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Promotions, Marketing and Advancement.

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Dawson resigns from GSU
Dawson resigns as athletic director at GSU

Former UMES Hawk Shines in Pro Bowling Debut

 Kristina Frahm
Professional Bowler
UMES Class 2011

EULESS, Texas - In the largest field ever to bowl the United States Women's Open, former University of Maryland Eastern Shore standout Kristina Frahm (Oswego, Ill.) kept pace, finishing 37th overall in the 286 woman field, collecting her first professional payout of just over $1,000.

"It is a different experience than NCAA's, that's for sure," said Frahm. "You're on your
own now, making moves by yourself, there is no team support or team to help you. It
was exciting."

All bowlers bowled 24 games, three each, Saturday through this past Monday. The top 32 bowlers advanced to a semi-final round Tuesday of eight qualifying games to determine the top 16 for round robin play. The final five bowlers will bowl in Cowboys Stadium Thursday night. First place pays out $50,000 dollars but if a perfect 300 game is thrown in the finals the event pays out one million dollars. There have been several 300 games to date among the field, but none by the three former or one current Lady Hawks in the field.

Missing the cut by just five bowlers, Frahm was disappointed but humbled by her showing.

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South Carolina State's Pough finds success recruiting area stars

Augusta, GA - It makes sense for Oliver "Buddy" Pough to keep coming back to Augusta.

The South Carolina State football coach continues to see the benefits of trips to the area, and Thursday night was a chance for Augusta-area students and families to see what the Bulldogs have to offer. About 150 people interacted with South Carolina State alumni, representatives and officials as the Greater Augusta Alumni Chapter of South Carolina State University held its 15th annual Bulldogs Nite Out in the CSRA at Julian Smith Casino.

"We've got some good players from here. Any time you seem to have success somewhere, you tend to come back, so here we are," Pough said. "It's almost like an in-state area for us. These guys are only about 90 minutes away so there's a good recognition of South Carolina State here. We got a lot of alumni in the area. It's just a great place to come."



Local students -- most coming from Aiken, Columbia and Richmond counties -- had the chance to meet members of the South Carolina State family, even getting time to walk around to different tables in a 30-minute information sessions period.

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Spotted: Bulldogs Nite Out in the CSRA

Improvements planned as JSU takes over Miss. Veterans Stadium

Jackson, MS - Gone will be that ancient video board towering over the field and that puny broken one atop the opposite end zone. Upgrades are coming to those rickety elevators and that paint-chipped press box, too.

Jackson State fans will see a few noticeable differences at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium this fall, the first year the university is in control of the 60-year-old venue. Today, JSU takes ownership of the stadium from the Department of Finance and Administration for at least three years, according to a legislative bill passed in March. University officials said earlier this year they will pour $1.5 million to $3 million into the structure - most, if not all of those funds, coming from a legislative bond bill.



The worn press box will get a new paint job and the elevator to the press box and club levels will be renovated. But more importantly, JSU fans will see two new scoreboards when they enter the 60,000-seat stadium on Sept. 3 for the team's opener against Concordia College.

The stadium's outdated jumbotron is to be replaced with a massive virtual scoreboard that will more than double the size of the current video screen.



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WVSU to open season versus Bowie State, Virginia State

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia State will open its 2011-12 men's basketball schedule against a pair of CIAA programs in a West Virginia Conference arena.

The Yellow Jackets, facing a rebuilding year after losing five starters from a second-place WVC club (20-10), will play Bowie State then Virginia State in the Clarion Hotel Classic at Shepherd to open Coach Bryan Poore's 13th season at the Institute school.

Those Nov. 11-12 are two of the four non-conference games for State. WVSU also has a home-and-home deal with Johnson C. Smith of the CIAA. The Jackets' schedule is completed by the league-mandated 22 WVC games.

"Our non-conference schedule is complete with (Atlantic) regional games against quality CIAA teams that should help us in the regional rankings," Poore said. "We also are fortunate to only have one of those actually on the road, with the two neutral site games in the Shepherd classic.

"The Conference portion of the schedule is a flip-flop of last years in the two-year cycle adopted by the WVC. We have an early home stretch and a late road stretch, so I guess it balances out."

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NCCU's New Football Coach Has Made a Career of Turning Losers into Winners

Durham, N.C. - Henry Frazier III knew he was taking on a pretty tough challenge when he left his head coaching job at Prairie View A&M to become NCCU’s new football coach.

But Frazier has spent most of his life overcoming obstacles. As an African American youngster raised in a single-parent household with two older sisters, he not only graduated from high school but became the first man in his family to finish college and even has a master’s degree.

He became quarterback at Bowie State and took the longtime CIAA doormat Bulldogs to a conference championship in 1989.



He took over a long-losing high school program at Central High in Capitol Heights, Md., and made it respectable before returning to Bowie as head coach and turning the program in the right direction again.

And in he went for the 2004 season as head coach at Prairie View A&M - which had just a few years earlier suffered through a record 80-game losing streak - and by 2009 had long-suffering fans crying tears of joy after a SWAC championship.

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One story earns Xavier's Cassiere three awards

Ed Cassiere, SID
Xavier University of Louisiana

Read the feature

NEW ORLEANS — One feature story has produced three awards for Ed Cassiere, Xavier University of Louisiana's sports information director.

Cassiere's story — "McDaniel, Douglas Made July Memorable for XU Athletics" — received first place for features in the NAIA's Dr. W. Jack Bell Writing Contest. It also received first place in District 6 — which comprises Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas — in the College Sports Information Directors of America's coach/administrator profile/historical feature division. In the Louisiana Sports Writers Association's sports information contest, the story placed third among best releases.

The feature described the accomplishments of XU standouts Jimmie McDaniel (men's tennis) and Herb Douglas (men's track and field). McDaniel in 1940 played Grand Slam winner Don Budge in what has been called the first important interracial tennis match, and Douglas in 1948 long-jumped 24 feet, 9 inches in London to win bronze and become Xavier's only Olympic medalist.

It's the second time in three years that Cassiere received a best-in-the-NAIA award. He's earned nine awards the past three years in NAIA contests. Cassiere was the only Louisiana entrant to place first in CoSIDA District 6 this year.

Cassiere has won more than 60 awards in a sportswriting career which he started as a 10th-grader in 1974. The 2011-12 academic year will be Cassiere's sixth as Xavier's SID.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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