Dana Ford Announced as TSU New Men's Basketball Coach

DANA FORD
HEAD MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH
TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
Photo Courtesy of TSU Athletics

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- Dana Ford was introduced as the next head coach of the Tennessee State men’s basketball team at a press conference on Monday.

“We are going to be in the hands of a rising star,” Athletics Director Teresa Phillips said. “Dana is a well-rounded man with wisdom that goes beyond his years. He is the right fit at the right time.”

 

Ford, 29, will take over a program that went 5-25 last season. However, he has shown that he can turn things around quickly, as TSU increased its win total to twenty games during his final year as an assistant (2010-11).

 

“My main goal is to build a program that the current students and the past alumni can be proud of,” Ford said. “

 

"The focus will be about the players; they will be responsible for the wins, while I will be held accountable for the losses.

 

“Recruiting is the life-line of the program and I have a pretty good track record as a recruiter, but any head coach is just as good as his staff. I look forward to bringing together the best personnel.”

 

Ford was also responsible for signing high-profile Tigers Robert Covington, Patrick Miller and Kellen Thornton among others.

 

“The only thing that I can promise is that we will play defense like our hair is on fire and rebound like mad men.”

 

 

 

What others are saying about Ford’s hiring:

 

“I am really excited for Dana and his family. Dana was very integral to our success while I was there in Nashville. TSU is getting a fine young coach who will do things the right way while also leading a disciplined program. I expect Dana to educate young men on and off the court as well as compete for championships in due time.” - John Cooper, Head Coach Miami (OH)

“Dana Ford is a rising star in our profession. I was fortunate to be able to work alongside Dana for the past two years and watch him grow.  His passion, energy, knowledge, intensity and ability to build relationships with people are going to allow Dana to be very successful as a head coach.  We will all miss Dana here at Illinois State, but I could not be happier for him and his family to get this great opportunity at Tennessee State.”  - Dan Muller, Head Coach Illinois State

 

"Dana Ford is a rising superstar in the college coaching ranks. He has paid his dues and prepared himself for this opportunity the right way. His résumé is topped off with an aggressive, charismatic style that is guarded with wonderful humility. The TSU fans can expect big things from this talented coach."  - Stan Jones, Associate Head Coach Florida State

“I have known Dana since he was in high school and I tried to recruit him to attend Indiana State.  The same qualities that he possessed back then to make him a successful basketball player are the exact same qualities that will make him a successful head coach. He is first and foremost a good person who cares about the welfare of others, with a relentless work ethic. He is extremely bright and relates well to all, regardless of demographics.”  - Rick Ray, Head Coach Mississippi State

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern University Banks agree in principle to new deal

ROMAN BANKS
Photo courtesy of SU Athletics

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Southern University and head men's basketball coach Roman Banks have reached an agreement in principle to a new deal ensuring the return of the two-time SWAC and Louisiana Sports Writers' Association's Coach of the Year, athletic department officials confirmed Monday.

"We're excited about the prospect of continuing our relationship with Coach Banks and I remain excited about his leadership of the men's basketball team at Southern U.," Athletics Director Dr. William Broussard said.

Approval for the new deal is pending and is not expected until the Southern University Board of Supervisors meet in May. Term of the contract were not disclosed at the present time.

"Today, Southern University has expressed its commitment to the future of the men's basketball program by investing in me to remain as head coach," Banks said. "With a new agreement in place, I am eager to move the men's basketball program forward while elevating the standard of excellence that we set as a coaching staff when I first arrived in 2011. But none of this would be possible without the relentless efforts of our university administration, athletics director, coaches and, most importantly, our student-athletes."

In three season as head coach, Banks has compiled a stellar 59-37 overall record, winning the SWAC tournament title in 2013 and the SWAC regular season crown in 2014. This past season, Banks guided Southern to a 19-13 record and the program's first regular season SWAC title since 2003.

Banks, a Shreveport native and former Northwestern State standout, is credited as the catalyst who helped restore the men's program to prominence after suffering through several losing seasons and NCAA imposed APR penalties.

SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

TSU Tigers Complete Day One of OVC Championships

Courtesy: Tennessee State Athletics

MUSCLE SHOALS, Alabama – The Tennessee State women’s golf team struggled to put all facets of the game together on day one of the 2014 Ohio Valley Conference golf championships. The 10-team field played the Par-72, 6,203 yard Fighting Joe course at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals under mostly sunny skies, with winds 7-9 mph and temperatures reaching 79 degrees.

 

Eastern Kentucky leads after the first 18-holes, while TSU is 10th with a 359.Sarah Needleman tied a career best with an 83, as she shot the team low. Needleman carded eight pars and two birdies during the first round. The sophomore hit 10-of-14 fairways, found nine greens in regulation and averaged under a putt per hole.

 

On the par-5, 7th, Needleman sank a 20 foot putt for birdie after she knocked her third shot on the green with a 7-wood from 171 yards out. On the par-4, 16th, the Fishers, Ind. native used a 6-iron from 142 yards to eight feet of the pin to set up her second bird of the day.

 

Laura Bremer (98) was one of only two Tigers to record two birdies on the day. Bremer dropped a pair of seven foot putts, No. 7 and the par-4, 15th. The sophomore-transfer hit six fairways and five greens, while using 36 putts.

 

TSU received scoring rounds from Amelia Dap (90), Kelly Merkel (91) and Natalie Spicer (95).

 

On the par-3, 5th, Dap hit a 7-iron into the wind and onto the green to set up a two putt for par.

 

Merkel notched seven pars on the day and hit eight fairways and eight greens, while Natalie Spicer made five pars as she hit 13-of-14 fairways and seven greens. Both golfers needed 36 putts on the day.

 

The second round will begin at 8:00am on Tuesday morning with Bremer in the first group. Spicer will tee-off at 8:10am, followed by Merkel at 8:20am, Dap at 8:30am and Needleman at 8:40am. Hole-by-hole live results from each day of the championships can be accessed through links at OVCSports.com.

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

5 from Xavier are chosen Arthur Ashe Sports Scholars

Jodi Chatters

Alexandria Rencher

Javon Mead

Briana Simms

Devinn Rolland

NEW ORLEANS — Five student-athletes from Xavier University of Louisiana — two more than a year ago — have been selected Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars for the 2013-14 academic year.
     
Repeat selections from Xavier are Javon Mead (men's cross country/track and field) and Devinn Rolland (women's track and field). Mead is a three-time selection, and Rolland has been honored twice. Also chosen were women's volleyball players Jodi Chatters and Alexandria Rencher and women's cross country/track athlete Briana Simms.
      
 Diverse Issues in Higher Education, a magazine based in Fairfax, Va., has sponsored the awards since the mid-1990s. Criteria for the awards include being a person of color with a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 through the fall 2012 semester. Honorees must have completed one full academic year at the nominating institution and have a demonstrated record of service to the campus or community.
     
For the second consecutive year, Xavier is the only Louisiana university with an Ashe scholar. XU has five of the six Ashe scholars from NAIA members this year.
      
Mead, a senior from Baton Rouge, La., and a graduate of Baton Rouge Magnet High School, is an accounting major with a 3.67 GPA. He is a three-time All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference cross country runner and has helped the Gold Rush win four GCAC team titles.
      
Mead is the fifth from Xavier to earn the Ashe honor three times. Alexandra Broussard (women's tennis), Jamaan Kenner (men's basketball), Kelechi Okoroha (men's basketball} and Terry Richardson (men's tennis) were the others.
     
Rolland, a junior from Harvey, La., and a graduate of Cabrini High School in New Orleans, is a pharmacy major with a 3.99 GPA. She is a three-time GCAC outdoor champion in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and the long jump. This season she ranks third in the NAIA in the 100 and long jump and is tied for 10th in the 200.
      
 Chatters, a sophomore from Lake Charles, La., and a graduate of St. Louis Catholic High School, is a biology/pre-medical major with a 3.50 GPA. A libero/defensive specialist in volleyball, Chatters recorded 348 digs and 16 aces this past season for Xavier's 26-8 team which won GCAC regular-season and tournament titles and qualified for the NAIA National Championship.
     
Rencher, a junior from Mobile, Ala., and a graduate of Davidson High School, is a computer science major with a 3.37 GPA. She was second on the Gold Nuggets this past season with 361 assists and served a career-best six aces in a home victory against city rival Loyola. Like Chatters, Rencher was part of an XU team which set a school record of 20 consecutive victories in 2013.
     
Simms, a sophomore from Hendersonville, Tenn., and a graduate of Station Camp High School, is a chemistry major with a 3.23 GPA. Simms is a two-time All-GCAC cross country runner, and she was All-GCAC in the 3,000 steeplechase (second place) and 1,500 (third place) at the GCAC track championships earlier this month
.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/xulagold    

XU's Flowers, Soifer voted GCAC Players of the Week

Brion Flowers

Nikita Soifer

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana tennis standouts Brion Flowers (women) and Nikita Soifer (men) have been selected Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Players of the Week for April 14-20.

Both players were chosen for the awards for the second time this season and the third time in their careers.
    
Flowers, a sophomore from Lafayette, La., and a graduate of St. Thomas More High School, won in doubles and singles in the Gold Nuggets' 6-3 home victory against Southern University. She teamed with Kourtney Howell for an 8-3 victory against Laura Syori and Kendall Bunch at the top doubles flight, and she won 6-1, 6-3 against Bunch at No. 3 singles. Flowers helped Xavier defeat Southern for the first time since 2009.
    
Soifer, a junior from Beer Sheva, Israel, and a graduate ofHof Hasharon school, won in doubles and singles in the Gold Rush's 5-4 home victory against the University of New Orleans. He teamed with Kyle Montrel for an 8-5 No. 1 doubles victory against Timo Kranz and Rui Silva, and he clinched the dual at No. 2 singles with a 6-2, 6-4 victory against Gonzalo Garcia.
    
Xavier's men, ranked 10th in the NAIA, will conclude its regular season with a 2 p.m. Thursday home dual against Alcorn State. Both XU teams will compete Friday in the NAIA Unaffiliated Group 2 Tournament in New Orleans. The Gold Nuggets are ranked second nationally.


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Report: Florida A&M Targets Missouri assistant basketball coach Tim Fuller

COLUMBIA, Missouri  --  Missouri assistant basketball coach Tim Fuller will consider the head-coaching job at Florida A&M if he’s released from his Mizzou contract, a source close to the situation told the Post-Dispatch. FAMU, located in Tallahassee and a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, has targeted Fuller for the position, as first reported by CBSSports.com.

Fuller’s Missouri contract expires June 30. He makes $270,000 at MU. According to his contract, Fuller must obtain prior written permission from athletics director Mike Alden and the head coach or MU chancellor R. Bowen Loftin before he can terminate his contract.

Fuller has been serving as MU’s interim coach since Frank Haith accepted the head coaching job at Tulsa last Friday. Fuller, 36, is the only full-time assistant who has been with Haith all three seasons at Mizzou. Promoted to associate head coach in 2012, Fuller was acting coach during Haith’s five-game NCAA suspension to begin the 2013-14 season. He coached the Tigers to five wins over Southeastern Louisiana, Southern Illinois, Hawaii, Gardner-Webb and IUPUI.

Hired away from Rick Pitino’s Louisville staff, Fuller has been Haith’s top recruiter since ...

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Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2014/04/18/4967745/mus-alden-will-speak-at-11-tulsa.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2014/04/21/4973151/mu-interim-coach-tim-fuller-reportedly.html#storylink=cpy

Chowan Hawks Win the 2014 CIAA Women’s Championship with 5-0 Win Over Virginia State

ETTRICK, Virginia -- The Chowan Hawks claimed their first Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Women's Tennis Championship in school history with they took a dominating 5-0 win over the host Virginia State Lady Trojans at the VSU Tennis Complex on the campus of Virginia State University.

"It was a fantastic effort by the entire team, today," Chowan head coach Chris Stambaugh said. "We've really improved throughout this season and over the past few years."



The Chowan University women's tennis team won the 2014 CIAA Championship
on Saturday.
Photo courtesy of TheCIAA.COM

The Hawks wasted little time in taking control of the match when they took all three doubles wins. Natalya Kamenshchikova and Holly Stambaugh kicked things off with an impressive 8-2 win at #1 doubles, followed by an 8-4 win by Jessica De Backre and Jennifer Humphrey at #3 doubles. The duo of Natalia Andrade and Breanne Johnson took an 8-6 win.

In singles play, Johnson scored the fourth point for the Hawks when she won #2 singles with a 6-0 win and a win by retirement. It was Straffai Cleveland who closed out the win and the championship when she took a 6-0, 6-0 win at #6 singles.

The win brought the first women's tennis championship in school history for the Hawks. However, Stambaugh sees the win being the start of larger goals for the program. "We opened the door, today and we're here," Stambaugh added. "We've laid the groundwork for a successful future here today."

With the win, the Hawks will represent the CIAA in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Tournament.

Box Score

COURTESY THECIAA.COM