2011 Prairie View A&M Spring Football Game Highlights

Highlights of the 2011 Prairie View A&M Spring Football Game and interview with head coach Heish Northern after the game. The Panthers wrapped up spring practice on Friday, April 15 with its annual Purple & Gold Game at Blackshear Field in Prairue View, Texas. Log on for more information at www.pvpanthers.com.



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PVAMU Northern gives team a 'B' for first Spring Camp

Prairie View A&M wrapped up its first spring football practice under new coach Heishma Northern with Friday's Purple and Gold game. Northern said the team managed to get out of camp relatively injury-free and achieve a lot of the goals he set at the start.

"I thought we got a lot of keys in and got the guys to understand the new philosophy and the new tempo," Northern said. "I would rate (the camp) as a 'B.' "

One of the biggest competitions in spring practice was the battle for the starting quarterback job. Northern said senior-to-be Jonathan Troast, who started two games last season, will enter fall as the No. 1 quarterback, but Andrew McGlory and Amir Smith aren't that far behind at No. 2.



PVPanthers.com sat down with wide receivers coach Harry Williams and talked about a variety of topics as the Birmingham, Ala. native begins his first year as the team's receivers coach.

A native of Birmingham, Ala. Williams spent the past two seasons as a student assistant with the Panthers while enrolled in the school's engineering program. Williams, who'll graduate in May, was a standout wide receiver at Tuskegee University and was drafted in the seventh round by the New York Jets in 2005. He has also spent time with the Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, Houston Texans and the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe.

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Prairie View A&M unveils new up-tempo spread offense

Prairie View A&M will feature a new look this season under first year head coach Heishma Northern and new offensive coordinator Mark Orlando, the Panthers will feature an up-tempo fast paced spread offense.

Orlando a Florida State graduate, has worked his way up the coaching ranks. Orlando started out in the high school ranks as he began his career coaching for Lincoln High School in Tallahassee, Florida.

He then coached at Florida A&M for six years helping the team to a Division 1-AA National Championship, Orlando was then offered a position at Tennessee State where coached for another six years including a year at offensive coordinator in his final season with the Tigers.\

Prairie View A&M Unveils 2011 Football Schedule

The Prairie View A&M University Department of Athletics announced its 2011 football schedule today which features a nationally televised opener one of the ESPN family of networks, four football classics in three different states and six games inside the state of Texas.

First-year head coach Heish Northern will make his head coaching debut live on national television (ESPN Family of Networks) as the Panthers open up the season on Sunday, Sept. 4 versus defending Co-MEAC Champion Bethune-Cookman in the seventh annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Orlando, Fla. at the Citrus Bowl.

In addition to Northern's debut, the contest promises to be an exciting one as new Prairie View A&M Offensive Coordinator Mark Orlando served in the same capacity on Bethune Cookman's staff in 2010.

To accommodate the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, the 27th edition of the State Farm Labor Day Classic versus SWAC rival Texas Southern will take place on Saturday, Sept. 10 in Houston. On Sept. 17, the Panthers will begin a string of consecutive home games at Blackshear Field as they take on Arkansas-Pine Bluff followed by Mississippi Valley State on Saturday, Sept. 24.



After a series of home games in September, the Panthers will live out of their suitcases in the month of October with four games on the road. The annual Southwest State Fair Classic will open the month as the Panthers will take on Grambling State at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas on Oct. 1. This year's classic should live up to the billing as Northern served as an assistant under new Grambling State head coach Doug Williams for a total of seven years, including six at Grambling State.

On Oct. 8, Northern once again walks onto familiar territory as the Panthers travel to his hometown of Baton Rouge, La. and alma mater for a huge matchup versus Southern University. While the matchup will be extra special for Northern, several of his staff members will be fired up for the contest as they also have ties to both Southern and the city of Baton Rouge.

Following the Southern contest, Prairie View A&M travels to Montgomery, Ala. to square off against Alabama State on Oct. 15 and will have its first open weekend on Oct. 22. The second annual Shreveport Classic will close out the month as the Panthers will meet Jackson State in this year's edition on Oct. 29 at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, La.

For the first time since 1976, Prairie View A&M will face off against Texas State at Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos, Texas on Nov. 5. The following weekend on Nov. 12, Prairie View A&M travels to Alcorn State, Miss. for a matchup at Alcorn State which recently hired Melvin Spears as its new coach. Northern and Spears both worked together at Grambling State from 1998 to 2004.

The 2011 regular season campaign concludes on Saturday, Nov. 19 as the university will hold its annual homecoming game versus Alabama A&M at Blackshear Field.



PVAMU 2011 Football Schedule

DAY DATE OPPONENT LOCATION / STADIUM

Sun. 9/4/2011 Bethune-Cookman Orlando, Fla. - Citrus Bowl,   MEAC/SWAC Challenge
Sat. 9/10/2011 *Texas Southern Houston, Texas (Labor Day Classic)
Sat. 9/17/2011 *Arkansas-Pine Bluff Prairie View - Blackshear Field
Sat. 9/24/2011 *Mississippi Valley Prairie View - Blackshear Field
Sat. 10/1/2011 *Grambling State Dallas, Texas - Cotton Bowl 6:00 p.m. (State Fair Classic)
Sat. 10/8/2011 *Southern Baton Rouge, La.
Sat. 10/15/2011 *Alabama State Montgomery, Ala.
Sat. 10/29/2011 *Jackson State Shreveport, La. (Port City Classic)
Sat. 11/5/2011 Texas State San Marcos
Sat. 11/12/2011 *Alcorn State Alcorn State, Miss.
Sat. 11/19/2011 *Alabama A&M HOMECOMING Prairie View
Home Games are in bold

Neutral Site Games are in italics

* denotes a Southwestern Athletic Conference cont

By PV Sports Information
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PVAMU Panthers Sign 20 Student-Athletes To National Letters Of Intent

A total of 20 student-athletes have signed national letters of intent to play football for Prairie View A&M University on Wednesday.

“Recruiting has gone well as we’ve met our critical needs,” said first-year head coach Heishma Northern. “I’m happy with our assistant coaches for going out and doing their due diligence as they did a fine job of keeping our class intact after the coaching change.”

Northern also mentioned the difference in recruiting as a head coach for the first time compared to being a coordinator.

“One of the first things that stood out was that I had to make the sales pitch of what myself and the program is going to do for the kids,” he said. “As a coordinator, my biggest thing was bringing players to the table and letting Coach Frazier decide but now I had to make the ultimate decision on whether we’re going to offer a particular kid and decide if the scholarship was going to be a full, partial or walk-on opportunity. I had to make some tough decisions regarding that situation but that comes with the territory of being a head coach.”



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PVAMU Staff Expected to be Finalized on Wednesday

Staff decisions to be made

Prairie View football coach Heishma Northern said he expects to have his staff completed by the conclusion of the American Football Coaches Association Convention, which began Sunday and ends Wednesday in Dallas.

Northern, who is attending the convention, still has to find an offensive coordinator, running backs coach and defensive coordinator, the position he held for the last six seasons before replacing former coach Henry Frazier III on Dec. 13.

He said he'll likely end up promoting one of the current defensive assistants to coordinator while retaining the responsibility for calling the defensive plays.

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Turnaround trio leaves mark on PV

 Basketball Hall of Famer Cynthia Cooper-Dyke  

Like Robertson, Cooper-Dyke, Frazier departs after reviving dreadful program

Henry Frazier III’s decision to leave Prairie View A&M for North Carolina Central last week closed the book on one of the school’s most successful football coaches.

It also signaled the exit of the last remaining coach in Prairie View’s former “big three.” The three were Frazier, Cynthia Cooper-Dyke (women’s basketball) and Michael Robertson (baseball). They stood out as Prairie View’s most significant coaches in recent years because of their roles in turning around programs that were doormats before their arrival.

When Robertson began in 2003 after leaving Forest Brook High, the baseball team had won only 17 games in...

Northern ready for the next step at Prairie View

Heishma Northern was placed on the fast track to become a Division I head coach when Prairie View A&M named him coach-in-waiting Oct. 13.

It turned out to be much faster than the sixth-year defensive coordinator or most others envisioned. Northern was elevated to head coach Monday after Henry Frazier III stepped down to pursue coaching opportunities at programs in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. A person familiar with the situation said Frazier, who went 43-30 in seven seasons at Prairie View, will fill the coaching vacancy at North Carolina Central.

Meanwhile, Northern is left with the keys to a program that went 32-9 over the last seasons and won the Southwestern Athletic...

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Heishma Northern Named Prairie View A&M University Head Football Coach

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas - Prairie View A&M Director of Athletics Fred Washington announced that defensive coordinator Heishma Northern, who was named head coach in-waiting this past October, will become the 31st head coach in university history effective immediately. Northern will replace Henry Frazier III, who stepped down as head football coach this afternoon to pursue other opportunities.

“These are exciting times on the “Hill” and we were definitely not looking forward to separating from Coach Frazier,” said Washington. “He brought our football team to a point of stability on the field and in the classroom and you just can’t ask a coach for any more than that. He came to Prairie View and did what we asked him to do and we will always appreciate him. He is and will always be a Panther.”

Frazier leaves Prairie View as the second-most successful head coach in school history with a Prairie View A&M mark of 43-30 during his seven-year span. During his tenure, Frazier captured the school’s first Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship since 1964 in 2009 and has guided the Panthers to four consecutive winning seasons. Named the 2009 Eddie Robinson Award winner as the top coach on the Football Championship Subdivision level, Frazier leaves behind a program that has become a consistent contender in the SWAC and on the FCS ranks.

A 14-year veteran on the collegiate level, Northern has moved the Prairie View A&M defense to new heights during his six-year tenure as the team’s defensive coordinator. Under his watch, Prairie View’s defensive unit has produced several All-Americans in addition to ranking near the top of several statistical categories on the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). As a result of the unit’s success, Northern was named the 2008 Division I-AA Coordinator of the Year by FootballScoop.com and has participated in the NCAA Champions Forum and NCAA Expert Coaches Academy. He has also completed an NFL training camp internship with the Oakland Raiders.

“Northern is just one of those guys who you would never really know is in the room but he knows the game of football and has been a big part of our success,” added Washington. “He’s our guy now and we are excited about opening up the 2011 season giving him this opportunity.”

A native of Baton Rouge, Northern is a 1996 graduate of Southern University with a degree in mathematics. He began his coaching career at Glen Oaks (La.) High School before moving on to the collegiate level at Morehouse College under former NFL standout Doug Williams. After a stint at Morehouse, Northern moved on to Grambling State with Williams and spent seven seasons there as the team’s defensive coordinator, defensive backs coach, running backs coach and special teams coordinator. Northern has collected a total of five SWAC Championships with one coming as a player in 1993 and four as a coach (2000-2003, 2009).

“I’m happy for the opportunity to become head coach at Prairie View A&M University,” said Northern. “Being a head coach on the collegiate level was one of the goals I’ve set since entering the coaching profession and I plan to go above and beyond while carrying out my goal. I also want to thank Coach Frazier for allowing me to work alongside him for six years as he was more than just a head coach. He was very good administrator who taught me more than Xs and Os as he believed in letting his coaches do the jobs they were assigned to do.”

Northern, who also holds a master’s in Sports Administration from Grambling State, is the oldest of three siblings and is married to the former Paula Duell of Baton Rouge, La. Together, they have one son, Adam (3).






Videographer: ProfessorSea

Press Release 12/14/2010
Ryan McGinty
Interim Sports Information Director
Prairie View A&M University
P.O. Box 519, Mail Stop 1500
Prairie View, Texas 77446
rjmcginty@pvamu.edu
http://sports.pvamu.edu
http://twitter.com/PVAthletics
www.facebook.com
(Search for Prairie View Panthers)

Prairie View coach Frazier steps down; defensive coach elevated

Coach Henry Frazier III is considering offers from Delaware State, North Carolina Central and Howard University in the MEAC. Sources from Washington D.C. have confirmed Frazier will accept the NCCU offer.

When Henry Frazier III arrived at Prairie View A&M in December 2003, he was tasked with turning around a program that lost an NCAA-record 80 games from 1989-98 and hadn’t had a winning season since 1976. Seven years, a conference championship and four consecutive winning seasons later, Frazier is ready for a new challenge and a chance to move closer to his hometown.

Frazier stepped down Monday after seven years at the Prairie View helm to pursue other coaching opportunities. Sixth-year defensive coordinator Heishma Northern, who was named the Panthers’ coach-in-waiting on Oct. 13, will succeed Frazier.

A person familiar with the situation said Frazier will accept the head coaching position at North Carolina Central...

Frazier Steps Down at Prairie View

HOUSTON, TX - Prairie View A&M athletics director Fred Washington told FOX 26 Sports Monday head football coach Henry Frazier has stepped down for personal reasons. Washington said Heishma Northern, the Panthers head coach-in-waiting, is Prairie View's new head football coach.

In 2009 Frazier led the Panthers to their first SWAC championship since 1964. Because of that success Frazier was named the SWAC Coach of the Year. Frazier also won national honors in 2009 when he was named the Eddie Robinson Award winner given to the coach-of-the-year in the Football Championship Subdivision.  Frazier was the first coach from the SWAC or a historically black college or university to win the Eddie Robinson Award which is given annually to the top coach in the FCS.

Frazier likely Eagles' next coach

DURHAM -- N.C. Central may have a new football coach.

The NCCU Board of Trustees will hold a specially called meeting by private teleconference on Thursday at 2 p.m. with one agenda item -- head football coach. NCCU athletic director Ingrid Wicker-McCree is listed by the agenda item and will make a presentation to the board.

The Houston Chronicle reported Tuesday morning that Prairie View A&M coach Henry Fraizer III resigned on Monday, and he likely would accept the head coaching position at NCCU. Frazier had three years remaining on his contract at Prairie View.

Wicker-McCree did not return a call for comment Tuesday.

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Northern's return good for Prairie View A&M Panthers

Prairie View A&M University coach Henry Frazier III said he wanted to see his defensive coordinator, Heishma Northern, have a shot to become the Southern University head coach after the school fired Pete Richardson in December.

Northern, a Baton Rouge native and former SU safety, indeed had a chance — he interviewed for the job and was one of the three lead candidates identified by athletic director Greg LaFleur — but SU settled on Stump Mitchell instead. Which, Frazier said, was good for him.

“I would like to go on record and publicly thank Southern University for not hiring him. It was good news for us,” Frazier said with a laugh Tuesday in Birmingham, Ala., site of the Southwestern Athletic Conference media day. “Really, he wanted to be there, and I want the best for coach. But he’s definitely a very good football coach. Extremely smart, intelligent and well-prepared.” Frazier said he believes Northern, now in his sixth year at PV, is prepared to take over his own program.



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