MEAC expresses academic concerns

Photo: Florida A&M University director of athletics, William "Bill" Hayes

NORFOLK, Va. — There's no middle ground when it comes to meeting the NCAA-mandated Academic Progress Report standards. That was the message FAMU athletic director Bill Hayes and other MEAC officials heard for more than 90 minutes Thursday.

Hayes came away from the all-day meeting, promising to make FAMU a flagship school for graduating student-athletes. FAMU will use money from a grant it recently received to hire a full-time monitor to gauge athletes' classroom performance, Hayes said.

"We're going to put more teeth into it," he said. "We've got to have better supervision. It can't be lax. It's got to be matter-of-fact. Once we do that you will see an improvement." FAMU's APR rating wasn't immediately available, but in a recent report it hovered close to 50 percent.

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New Alcorn AD Hamilton set to lead Braves' transition

Fundraising, hiring of men's basketball coach high on list of priorities

A billboard reading "In Transition" would be appropriate on the stretch of Highway 61heading into Lorman. In the last five months Alcorn State has welcomed a new president (George Ross), a new football coach (Ernest Jones) and a new athletic director (Darren Hamilton).

Samuel West was fired the day before Hamilton started last week, so a new basketball coach is on the way. "I'm sure it's a transitional phase," Hamilton, 44, said. "It's a very vibrant time on campus. "I think everybody is really, really hungry and ready to bring it back to the level of excellence and envy that was there in the past."

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