UMES passes the hat to Allen

Veteran coach with MEAC experience takes over men's basketball program

PRINCESS ANNE -- Standing under banners that boast of the past success of the men's basketball program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Thursday afternoon, director of athletics Keith Davidson introduced Frankie Allen as the 10th head coach of the program in its 27-year span as a Division I program. The new coach donned a UMES hat when introduced and received a standing ovation.

"Let me just say this, it fits," Allen said after putting on the cap. "Not only does it fit, it feels good." The hiring makes a nice birthday present for Allen, who just turned 59 on Monday and received a call from UMES president Thelma B. Thompson sending her good wishes. Allen will make $110,000 per year during his four-year contract, looking for the program's second Division I winning season and the first since the 1993-94 campaign.

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The Hawks have had one winning season in 27 years of Division I basketball, five coaches in seven years, and 14 consecutive losing seasons. Best decision Thelma Thompson, President, could ever make--hiring a coach with a winning history of making losers competitive. Frankie Allen is the right man for the job, but I'm not so sure about his No.1 assistant coach, Jamal Brown.

Photo: UMES plans to sign Jamal Brown on April 21 as No.1 assistant coach to Coach Frankie Allen.

Brown's career at South Carolina State ended badly (fired) after one season as the head coach due to allegations of an "unprofessional relationship with a female trainer." Brown is married; he did have a star playing career at S.C. State and led the Bulldogs to the 1996 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament.

The new Bulldogs Coach Tim Carter nearly cleaned house of Brown's recruits and the leftovers managed a 13-20 and 7-9 MEAC record for 8th place. We believe in second chances, but one does have to question the wisdom of Frankie Allen's decision to hire an unproven coach with no Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, D.C., or New Jersey connections for recruiting. If UMES is going to improve, they must get inner city players to come to the Shore, and we are not speaking of Ocean City.

With Fang Mitchell at Coppin State, Todd Bozeman at Morgan State, Towson State, UMBC and Mount St. Mary's just completing an NCAA run, UMES will have an uphill battle to get 12-15 talented players. Princes Anne is not Nashville, Washington, D.C. or Baltimore County, and Allen will have difficulty in procuring quality players from the available lower 2nd and 3rd tier.

Let's move along; nothing much happening here with the Hawks program.

-beepbeep