Former Virginia head coach, Maryland assistant Mike Locndon reportedly becoming head coach at Howard University

COACH MIKE LONDON
 2011 ACC COACH OF THE YEAR

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Associate head Maryland football coach Mike London is the top candidate for the head coaching job at Howard and could be announced as the Bison's new coach soon, sources confirmed to Inside Maryland Sports early Friday.

London, Maryland's defensive line coach, has spent just one season in College Park after joining first-year head coach DJ Durkin's staff in Dec. 2015 following five season as head coach at Virginia. It was expected the 56-year-old London would be in the market for a head coach job this offseason, but it seem surprising to see him move on to the downtrodden Football Championship Subdivision program in nearby Washington; Howard, a MEAC school that lost to Maryland by 39 points this past season, offers minimal exposure and has had one winning season in the past 10 years.

If London leaves, Durkin will be in the market for a new defensive line coach. The Terps ranked 10th in the Big Ten in rush defense and ninth in passing defense during his year as defensive line coach. They did rank third in the conference in sacks, though, despite the new staff inheriting limited talent on the defensive front. From a recruiting standpoint, London, renowned for his ability to draw talent to Virginia, is the primary recruiter for three three-star commitments in Maryland's 29-member 2017 class: Virginia athlete Dazz Newsome, Virginia lineman Tyran Hunt and Baltimore defensive lineman B'Ahmad Miller.

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Florida A&M "Will Play Football At Bragg Memorial" According To Athletic Director

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- After sitting out spring practice last year, the Florida A&M Rattlers will participate in spring football this spring thanks to a successful appeal of APR sanctions. The problem is, Bragg Stadium is in need of a face lift, and that face lift doesn't come cheap.

Last month, it was announced that Bragg Memorial Stadium, home of the Rattlers, needed around $600,000 worth of structural repairs and stair replacements, or else FAMU would have to find a new home turf.

On Wednesday, Athletic Director Milton Overton confirmed that FAMU will play football at Bragg Stadium through a statement issued to WTXL.

The statement reads as follows:

The Florida A&M University Rattlers will play football at Bragg Stadium. Although there are some areas of the stadium which require repairs, our plan is to play the spring game there as well as fall football. Engineers have provided a plan and timeline to complete the immediate repairs before the first home game in 2017.

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SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE: March to the Joyous, Raucous Beat of the Jackson State University Sonic Boom of the South

College football seasons come and go, but the joyous thunder of Jackson State's iconic marching band rolls on

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- It takes two charter planes to move the Sonic Boom of the South from its home in Jackson, Mississippi, to the first event of the season, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 230 musicians are traveling with four band directors, support and medical staff, a security detail, a social media and video unit, cheerleaders and a team of swivel-hipped female dancers called the Prancing J-Settes.

The Sonic Boom of the South is the marching band of Jackson State University, and a leading exponent of the high-stepping, high-energy, razzle-dazzle style that has developed in historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Deep South. Known as “show style,” it combines the military marching band tradition with funky syncopated rhythms and elements of jazz, R&B, pop and hip-hop. The bands play with tremendous power and incorporate tightly choreographed dance routines into elaborate field drills. This unique American art form has honed and perfected itself over many decades and is now breaking through into wider cultural prominence.

Michelle Obama, in her commencement speech at Jackson State in April 2016, declared the Sonic Boom of the South one of the best bands in the country, and told university officials how much she enjoyed watching the band’s performances on YouTube. The Boom, as it’s known for short, played at the 2016 inauguration of Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, and just headlined the annual Jackson Christmas Parade, a holiday tradition drawing thousands of spectators. “We don’t have the very best musicians, or the most precise drill formations,” says O’Neill Sanford, the director of bands at Jackson State. “But no one else can bring the same energy and showmanship, and electrify a crowd of 110,000 people like we can,” he says. “That’s what everyone wants to see.”



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Can Grambling football be even better in 2017?

GRAMBLING. Louisiana — Spend just a few minutes inside Grambling’s football offices next to Eddie Robinson Stadium, and it’s apparent the Tigers’ staff is eagerly awaiting the 2017 season.

The excitement is based off Grambling’s potential to be even more talented and more dynamic than the group that won 11 games, an HBCU national championship and a Southwestern Athletic Conference championship in 2016.

Of course, several things need to occur for a repeat in 2017, but the outlook sure is looking nice.

“I do believe we’ll have some things in place that can help us be a really good football team. What’s gong to be interesting is the personality and the character,” Grambling coach Broderick Fobbs told The News-Star after the 2016 season. “This team had a lot of character, great character. They had a lot of guys who wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

Grambling is losing a potential NFL ...

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The Legendary Florida A&M University Marching Band ...the History of "The Hundred" by author Curtis Inabinett, Jr.

Curtis Inabinett, Jr. is a well-known musician as well as a Ravenel town council member. Now he is the author of the book "The Legendary Florida A&M University Marching Band: The History of “The Hundred.” In this special edition of 'Quintin's Close-Ups', I speak exclusively with him, one-on-one.

RAVENEL, South Carolina -- Author Curtis Inabinett, Jr., dedicated himself for a seven-year period and delivers the undeniable story of the Legendary Florida A & M University Marching Band. Inabinett’s extraordinary biographical display of words, vividly paints an illustrative mind’s eye view of the famous band from 1946 to 2015, leaving no stones unturned in his quest to deliver the truth.

Released on November 10, 2016, this 296-page 8 by 10 full color book is filled with facts that will instill in readers why ‘The Hundred’ has survived as one of the top marching bands in America. Inabinett tells the story of Dr. William P. Foster, the band’s creator, and how he overcame racism while an undergraduate music major student at the University of Kansas in the early 1940’s. This heartfelt message reveals the power of god and perseverance, and is a must read for all lovers of marching bands, but not only that, Inabinett explores the down side of hazing in marching bands, and how ‘The Hundred’ came back to prominence after a self-imposed suspension in 2012 for a hazing death within its famed band.



Inabinett, who has never formally studied journalism, was awarded the first annual ‘2015 – 2016 Alyce Hunley Whayne Award’ for his book manuscript of ‘The Hundred,’ and spent one week in December of 2015 at the University of Kansas’ Kenneth Spencer Research Library completing research for this book.

The book can be ‘order purchased’ at all Barns & Noble, and Books A Million retail stores. On-line purchases can be made at Page Publishing. You can also purchase eBooks through Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, ITunes, and Amazon.

Media interviews for Curtis Inabinett, Jr., can be secured by contacting Page Publishing at media@pagepublishing.com or by calling 866-315-2708.

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Gold Nuggets roll past DCC for 5th win in last 6 games

DALLAS, Texas — Xavier University of Louisiana outscored Dallas Christian in every quarter and rolled to a 78-42 women's basketball victory Saturday.

Freshman guard Jalyn Hodge, who lives in the Dallas suburb of Plano, Texas, led the Gold Nuggets (8-6) with 11 points. She reached double figures for the first time since XULA's opener.

XULA has won five of its last six games.

Angelle Simon scored a career-high-tying nine points for XULA. Mikayla Bates, Bianca Brown, Kelsee Singleton and Maya Trench scored eight points apiece.

Breana Stoner scored 10 points for the Lady Crusaders (4-9).

XULA produced its largest winning margin on an opponent's floor since an 84-34 victory at Barber-Scotia on Nov. 29, 2002. XULA outscored DCC 39-21 in both halves and produced its largest-ever third-quarter scoring margin, 19-6.

"We had been off 15 days, and I thought we played pretty well at times," XULA coach Bo Browder said. "We're still a work in progress. I was pleased with our post play, and we'll be looking for that same kind of production in the second half of the season."

The Gold Nuggets will stay in Dallas and visit Paul Quinn at 2 p.m. Monday. The Nuggets' next home game will start at 3 p.m. Saturday against Tougaloo in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opener at the Convocation Center.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Rush defeated by NCAA Division II's 10th-ranked team

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. — Xavier University of Louisiana, in its sixth game of the men's basketball season against a ranked opponent, lost 96-68 Saturday to Barry.

Leland Alexander scored 11 points, Donovan Armstrong 10 and Seth Jackson nine for the Gold Rush (3-9). Alexander was 5-of-6 from the floor, 4-of-4 in the second half, reached double-figure points for the fifth time this season and had a career-high three steals. Armstrong did not commit a turnover

Continuing his perfect shooting was XULA's Elex Carter, who was 2-of-2 from the floor and is 7-of-7 in the last three games. At 1:42 of the first half, he made the first 3-point attempt of his collegiate career.

The Buccaneers (10-1), No. 10 in the NCAA Division II media rankings and No. 12 in the coaches poll, had five double-figure scorers. Adrian Gonzalez had 17 points, Elvar Fridriksson 14, Arie Williams and Sawyer Glick 12 apiece and Evan Walshe 11. Fridriksson had 10 of Barry's 25 assists.

XULA had runs to start both periods, outscoring Barry 7-2 in the first 3 1/2 minutes and 5-0 to open the second half.

Barry outshot XULA 65.4 to 47.4 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Gold Rush 32-20. XULA had 12 steals, one fewer than its season best, and Carter had three steals to equal his career high.

XULA will stay in Florida to play Concordia (Canada) Monday and Keiser Tuesday in Keiser's Chuck Daly Classic at West Palm Beach. Starting time both days will be 7 p.m. EST. The next Gold Rush home game will start at 5 p.m. Saturday against Tougaloo in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opener at the Convocation Center.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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