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Showing posts with label Coach Julius Dixon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Coach Julius Dixon. Show all posts
Julius Dixon and his assistant coaches have turned their attention to next football season, when Savannah State University will compete in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. But the interim head coach is limited by what he can tell recruits because his own future is uncertain.
Dixon has been the Tigers' interim head coach since Jan. 28, the day Robby Wells was forced to resign. Dixon inherited an 11-game schedule this season that included the first nine games on the road because of construction to T.A. Wright Stadium, and no games on campus. SSU's final two games were played at Memorial Stadium.
As Savannah State students stormed the field at Memorial Stadium to celebrate a 28-21 victory over North Carolina Central on Saturday, SSU interim head coach Julius Dixon found Tigers defensive back John Wilson amid the chaos. Dixon, a humble family man who is usually reserved, ran toward the freshman, tightly hugged him and whispered into his helmet.
"He said, 'Good game, son. Good game, son.' " said Wilson, who secured the victory by breaking up NCCU quarterback Michael Johnson's pass on fourth-and-3 from SSU's 24-yard line with 45 seconds to play.
SSU (1-9) snapped an 11-game losing streak dating to last season. It was the second-longest losing streak in the nation behind Valparaiso's 19 consecutive losses going into Saturday.
Savannah State University will ask the NCAA to grant running back Justin Babb a medical hardship, also called a medical redshirt, which would give the senior an extra year of athletic eligibility, interim head coach Julius Dixon said.
Babb, a team captain and the Tigers' leading rusher last season and in 2008, suffered a season-ending leg injury in the third game of the season Sept. 18 against Bethune-Cookman. A medical hardship may be obtained from the NCAA to replace a season lost to injury if an athlete plays in 30 percent or less of his or her team's games.
After playing nine games on the road, Savannah State University's football team will play at home today. Well, sort of. SSU (0-9) is not playing on campus this season because of construction to T.A. Wright, but interim head coach Julius Dixon said he is thrilled to have his team playing at Memorial Stadium, where the Tigers will face North Carolina Central (3-6) at 2 p.m.
"I'm extremely excited. So much so that it's actually caught me off guard," Dixon said of playing in Savannah. "I've been running around here the last few days fretting about our home plan. Because, for the last nine weeks, we've been dealing with...
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ATTENDANCE: 3518
Videographer: GCubeVision
The Savannah State University Campus Activities Board present: ACCESS HOLLYWOOD: SSU Edition (HOMECOMING 2K10). NOV. 14TH-22ND
This will definitely be a STAR STUDDED event with surprises appearances throughout the week!
HERE IS THE LAYOUT FOR THIS YEAR'S LIST OF ACTIVITIES:
Sunday November 14, 2010
"Premiere Party"
Homecoming Kick-Off Party
8:00 PM- 12:00 AM
Monday November 15, 2010
"Inside the Actors Studio"
Source Presents Stomp the Yard 2 (Q&A from Lamar Stewart)
8:00 PM Tiger Arena
Tuesday November 16, 2010
"Lights, Camera, Action"
Roar the Runway Fashion Show ft. Alexis Jordan
8:00 PM Tiger Arena
Wednesday November 17, 2010
"A Star Studded Night"
Comic View: SSU Special Edition
Guest: B Phlat, Sean Larkins, Double D, ft. LIL DUVAL
8:00 PM Tiger Arena
Thursday November 18, 2010
"A Star is Crowned/Born"
Coronation of Miss Savannah State University
6:00 PM Tiger Arena
Friday November 19, 2010
"World of Wonder"
Homecoming Carnival
12:00 PM- 4:00 PM Felix-Alexis Circle
Saturday November 20, 2010
"Clash of the Titans"
Greek Step Show: Host Steve Brown
8:00 PM Tiger Arena
Sunday November 21, 2010
"The Finale"
Gospel Concert: ft. Marcus D. Wiley, Earnest Pugh, & YOLANDA ADAMS
5:00 PM Tiger Arena
Monday November 22, 2010
SSU Founder's Day Walk and Assembly
6:00 PM Tiger Arena
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Eight games, all on the road. The Savannah State Tigers are just looking for a break. "We haven't won a game, so we've got it in our mind that we have to play as hard as we can to try and win a football game," said senior linebacker J. Vince Cochran, the team's leading tackler. "Just give more effort than we usually do to try and pull one out."
The Tigers put together an inspired defensive effort against Alabama State on Saturday, but the end result was the same. Savannah State wore down in the second half and allowed the Hornets to pull away for a 24-0 win in front of 5,237 fans at Cramton Bowl.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Devin Dominguez completed 18 of 27 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns as Alabama State beat Savannah State 24-0 on Saturday.
The Hornets (4-3) took a 7-0 lead in the second quarter after an 8-yard touchdown pass from Dominguez to Nick Andrews. Dominguez hooked up with Landon Jones on a 12-yard scoring pass in the third quarter as Alabama State entered the fourth with a 14-0 lead.
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Based on the talent that Savannah State has recruited in their first year in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for football, basketball, baseball and the band, the Tigers are going to become a competitive force in short order. I like the enthusiasm of the kids and how they are not letting this growth period negatively impact their long term goals toward creditability and high achievement in the conference.
Keep plugging away SSU as you continue laying the foundation for a solid Division I program. In a few years as you become competitive, Alabama State, Georgia State and Georgia Southern won't even take your athletic director's telephone calls to schedule a game with the Tigers.
Already, the Georgia State Band wants no parts of a 5th quarter in the Dome with the Tigers. Go SSU!
Coach Joe Taylor has been hinting for more than a week that he would put the rest of the season in the hands of his running backs. On Saturday, senior Philip Sylvester and LaVante Page proved that Taylor might be on to something as they led a ground attack that carried Florida A&M to a 31-0 victory over Savannah State.
The victory was a prelude to a five-game stretch that the Rattlers must win to keep a meaningful place in the conversation about playing in the postseason.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - For a time Saturday afternoon the Savannah State football team was living on the edge. The game against Florida A&M was in front of them if the Tigers could string together some first downs. But the Tigers (0-7) fell off the precipice following touchdowns on the Rattlers first two possessions of the third quarter. A manageable 10-point halftime deficit became insurmountable one as Savannah State fell 31-0.
Right beneath the press box, where there is usually a lot of ruckus, it was eerily quiet for the first quarter. The shakers were near silent. No whistles blew like they usually do. Folks were wondering about their Florida A&M football team as former West Gadsden star quarterback Antonio Bostick got a nifty drive going before the Savannah State Tigers had to punt.
"I will cheer for you; hold that line," a lonely voice bellowed from the crowd just below the press box. "Hold that line."
Two possessions were all it took to wipe away a dissatisfying first half. Despite dominating in every statistical category Florida A&M led Savannah State just 10-0 at the half due to eight penalties, clock management issues and offensive ineffectiveness on third down.
The miscues even permeated to the officiating as an inadvertent whistle from the officials prevented FAMU from scoring what would have been a 90-yard punt return by T.J. Lawrence with two minutes remaining in the first half.
As long as three months ago, coach Joe Taylor has been predicting that before the season is done, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference will turn out to be one of the most competitive among all Division I-AA.
Taylor was making his case again a few days before Saturday's matchup between Bethune-Cookman and South Carolina State. Both teams went into the game with unbeaten records, but it's the Wildcats' 4-0 record that seems to validate Taylor's argument.
Can Savannah State University's football team beat a lower-level opponent?
The Tigers, members of the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA), will get a second opportunity today when they play Albany State, an NCAA Division II member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Two weeks ago, Fort Valley State, also a member of the SIAC, scored 41 unanswered points en route to a 41-10 victory over SSU. SSU (0-3) will play Albany State (3-0) at 2 p.m. today at Memorial Stadium in Waycross in the "Rumble in the Swamp."
ALBANY, GA — One Tigers rivalry game down, one to go. After its 34-6 whipping of the Tuskegee Tigers last week, the Albany State football team heads out to Waycross today to take on the Savannah State Tigers — and renew a rivalry — in the inaugural “Rumble in the Swamp.” And while the two schools haven’t played each other since 2004, the history between them is deeper than the bogs of the Okefenokee.
“I’m excited about the game,” ASU head coach Mike White said this week. “They’re somebody we haven’t played in a while.” White was a star defensive lineman on the 1975-1978 Rams teams that beat Savannah State three out of the four times they played, but the tradition goes back further than that. Much, much further.
Skeptics are calling this a "lost season" for Savannah State University's football team. The Tigers will not play any games on campus. Of their 11 games, nine will be on the road because of construction to T.A. Wright Stadium. The two home games will be played at Memorial Stadium, school officials confirmed Tuesday. SSU will not play a full Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schedule until 2011.
But to the players and coaches who have devoted countless hours preparing for this game they love, there is nothing "lost" about this season.
"There are a lot of folks that have low expectations of us," said Darren Hunter, a senior defensive back from New Orleans. "That's what they did with the Saints as well, and the Saints came out and proved them wrong. We at Savannah State University, we're going to come out there and do the same thing."
Savannah, GA - The Savannah State Tigers will rely on Senior Justin Babb to provide an offensive spark for the offense. Babb is back after leading the team in rushing a year ago. The Tigers open up the season September 4th at Georgia Southern.
A.J. DeFilippis, Savannah State's starting quarterback, threw two touchdown passes and ran for a touchdown to lead the Blue Team (offense) to a 34-0 victory over the Orange Team (defense) in the annual "Blue & Orange" fall scrimmage Saturday morning at SSU.
DeFilippis, a junior and Benedictine graduate, finished the one-hour, 25-minute controlled scrimmage 13-of-24 passing for 140 yards. He threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Brian Lackey and a 30-yard touchdown pass to senior running back Justin Babb. DeFilippis also ran for a 5-yard touchdown.
Antonio Bostick has secured Savannah State University's No. 2 quarterback job behind starter A.J. DeFilippis, interim head coach Julius Dixon said Wednesday after the Tigers' first practice in full pads. "Right now it's A.J. and then Antonio Bostick," said Dixon, who added that freshmen Anthony Prophet, Avery Cheeks and Jake Durham are competing for the third-string job.
DeFilippis, a 6-foot-3, 191-pound junior from Pooler, Georgia was the only quarterback academically eligible to participate in spring practices. Kurvin Curry, a sophomore who split time with DeFilippis last season, is academically ineligible this season.
Bostick, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound redshirt freshman from Greensboro, Fla., spent last season on the sideline signaling in plays to the quarterbacks. "Redshirting helped me a lot," Bostick said. "To see two experienced guys (DeFilippis and Curry) play the game of college football was a blessing for me. I didn't have a problem signaling plays in from the sideline. I feel very comfortable. Last year, it was a learning curve situation for me."
Savannah State University interim head football coach Julius Dixon has a past history of high achievements (see bio below).
Julius Dixon has been in charge of Savannah State University's football program since Jan. 28, 2010 the day Robby Wells was forced to resign and interim athletics director Marilynn Suggs appointed Dixon interim head coach. Dixon, SSU's defensive coordinator the past two seasons, began preseason training camp Saturday with the interim tag still in his title. He also is listed in the Tigers' 2010 media guide as interim.
It's an awkward position for Dixon, but the 43-year-old Toccoa native said he is confident he has the support of SSU's administration.
"In this transition phase into the (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference), there were several requirements placed, football-wise, that had to take place," Dixon said Sunday during SSU's annual Media Day at Tiger Arena. "It's really been a busy process for a lot of different people to make this transition work a little smoother.
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COACH JULIUS DIXON BIO
Julius Dixon, a native of Toccoa, Georgia, attended and graduated from Stephens County High School in 1985; earned his bachelor’s degree in political science in 1990 from Furman University.
As a star cornerback for Furman, Dixon was one of four freshmen to letter in his first year, and was a member of the 1985 NCAA I-AA runner-up team that finished with a 12-2 record and a Southern Conference championship. As a senior, he earned first team all-conference honors, and was the captain of the 1988 NCAA I-AA national championship team. That year, the Paladins compiled a 13-2 record, a conference championship, and earned the nation’s top scoring defense holding opponents to 9.5 point per game. During his four-year span, the Paladins recorded a 40-10-2 record.
Dixon entered his first year as the defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach for Savannah State University in 2009. He comes to SSU from Presbyterian College where, in 2007, he was the defensive coordinator and helped coached the team to a 6-5 record in their first year of Division I, FCS competition.
Prior to that, he spent 14 years as an assistant with Furman University; first as defensive line coach for three years, and then he served as the defensive backs coach for eleven years. During his tenure at Furman, Dixon coached three All-Americans and six All-Conference players. He also helped coach the Paladins to three conference championships (1999, 01, 03), and playoff appearances in 1999, 2001, 2004, and 2005. The 2001 team finished as the NCAA I-AA national runner-up.
Dixon got his start in coaching at Camden High School (S.C.). He served as an assistant coach for four years, from 1988-92. During his first year as an assistant, Camden went 15-0 and won the South Carolina AAA State Championship.
He is married to the former Tawanda Cooper of Kingstree, S.C. and they have two children; Jailyn (7) and Devin (2).
Savannah State University quarterback Kurvin Curry was not among the 79 football players who reported to preseason training camp Thursday. Curry, a 6-foot-1, 216-pound sophomore last season, was academically ineligible to participate in spring practices this year and last year. The Hart County High School graduate returned to his home in Hartwell after the spring semester.
"We're looking to move forward with A.J. (DeFilippis) as our quarterback," SSU interim head coach Julius Dixon said Thursday night. "I haven't spoken with Kurvin. I know that I would like for him to come back to school and finish what he started." Last Friday, Dixon said he believed Curry would be academically ineligible to play this season. SSU players were instructed to report from 1-5 p.m. Thursday. Dixon said a couple of players with transportation issues called him and were granted permission to arrive today. The Tigers' first practice is Saturday at 8:45 a.m.
Savannah State University football interim head coach Julius Dixon has hired three assistant coaches: Carl Funderburk (offensive line), Corey McCloud (defensive line) and Dwayne Curry (linebackers). They will join SSU assistant coaches Alan Hall, Eddie Johnson, Hans Batichon and Barry Casterlin.
John Montgomery (offensive line) resigned earlier this year.
Coach Funderburk is a 1989 graduate of Elon University and coached the offensive line at Winston-Salem State University in 2009. Prior to WSSU, he served seven years at Methodist University (Fayetteville, N.C.), where he was the offensive line coach and travel coordinator.
It's time for Savannah State University to remove the interim label from interim football head coach Julius Dixon's title. Dixon has been serving in that capacity since Jan. 28, when he was named interim head coach by interim athletic director Marilynn Suggs to replace Robby Wells. Dixon is a good man. He has the character, integrity, experience and leadership skills SSU needs. He also has the respect of SSU's players and administration. He reminds me of former SSU head coach Theo Lemon. I have tremendous respect for both men.
College football, at least at this level, is not exclusively about winning games. It's about helping young men mature and maximize their potential en route to earning bachelor's degrees via the opportunity that fooball provides. Dixon truly cares about his players. He is a hard-working, humble family man. He is honest. Dixon, who was SSU's defensive coordinator the past two seasons, and his assistants (Eddie Johnson, Alan Hall, Barry Casterlin and Hans Batichon) are a close-knit staff. They work well together. Their focus is on the team, not on themselves. And they're hungry to win while doing things the right way.
Babb runs for two touchdowns; Hunter returns an INT for score
Neither the offense nor the defense dominated during the Savannah State football team's first scrimmage of spring practice Saturday morning at T.A. Wright Stadium. "It's a great sign," SSU interim head coach Julius Dixon said after the Tigers' 75-minute scrimmage in cold and windy conditions. "And the reason being, we're trying to emphasize competition." Defenses typically develop faster than offenses during spring drills and fall camp, so Dixon was excited to see offensive coordinator Alan Hall's spread offense produce three touchdowns.
Dixon, who also serves as defensive coordinator, was equally pleased to see his defensive unit intercept quarterback A.J. DeFilippis three times, including for a touchdown. SSU did not keep score or statistics. SSU struggled with fumbles, bad snaps, offsides penalties, dropped balls and receivers running incorrect routes. "We had too many mental errors out here today," Dixon said. "We want to try to stomp those out as soon as possible."
Savannah State University Tigers athletics department has announced its tentative 2010 football schedule. Major renovations to Theodore A. Wright Stadium have forced SSU to schedule less home games. In 2010, the Tigers will play nine road games and two home contests with teams from six conferences--Southern, Southern Intercollegiate, Mid-Eastern, Big South, Colonial and Southwestern.
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference announced on March 10, 2010, that Savannah State University has been extended provisional membership to the MEAC beginning July 1, 2010.
“Scheduling was a difficult task for us this season,” said interim athletics director Marilynn Suggs. “We wanted to play our usual complement of home games, but with the stadium renovations we will not be able to do so.” “We have scheduled six games in the state of Georgia in order to give our students, alumni, boosters, fans and supporters the best opportunity to see us play. We are extremely excited about the renovations to the stadium and look forward to playing on our campus in 2011,” added Suggs.
When completed in the summer of 2011, the new Theodore A. Wright Stadium will accommodate 8,000 patrons – 4,500 on the home side and 3,500 on the visitor side – in a combination of bleachers and seats. The existing concrete bleachers will be ground up and used during construction.
Nearly all stadium structures will be demolished as part of the upgrade, but the skybox, built in 2008, and track and field will remain intact. An elevator and restrooms will be added to the skybox and team locker rooms, concession areas and restrooms for the home and visitor sides of the stadium will be constructed. A 500-seat student section will be located below the President’s Club section, and the SSU Student Government Association will have its own skybox for use during football games.
SSU students voted last year to begin paying in the fall an extra $150 semester fee to help fund both the stadium renovations and student center construction, expected to cost a combined $17 million. The expected cost for stadium renovations are $4.5 million. Students were involved in the design process for both projects and will be able to use the stadium for other events at no additional cost.
The stadium renovations – and construction of a new student complex, also slated to begin in July – will be financed by the Georgia Higher Education Facilities Authority (GHEFA), which enables pooled financing of multiple projects under a single bond issue to help fund capital projects for the University System of Georgia and Department of Technical and Adult Education.
The Tigers will kick off the season on the road against local rival Georgia Southern in Statesboro on September 4. Savannah State will end the year with back-to-back home games on Nov. 13 and Nov. 20. North Carolina Central will come to Savannah on Nov. 13 and Norfolk State will be SSU’s Homecoming opponent on Nov. 20. SSU will announce the site of its home games at a later date.
DATE OPPONENT EVENT LOCATION TIME
9/4/2010 Georgia Southern University Statesboro, Ga. - Paulson Stadium 9/10/2010 Fort Valley State University TBA 9/18/2010 Bethune Cookman University Daytona Beach, Fla. - Municipal Stadium 9/25/2010 Albany State University TBA 10/2/2010 Liberty University Lynchburg, Va. - Williams Stadium TBA 10/9/2010 Georgia State University Atlanta, Ga. - Georgia Dome TBA 10/16/2010 Florida A&M University Tallahassee, Fla. - Bragg Stadium TBA 10/23/2010 Alabama State University Montgomery, Ala. - Cramton Bowl 1:00 p.m. 10/30/2010 OPEN 11/6/2010 Old Dominion University Norfolk, Va. - Foreman Field 2:00 p.m. 11/13/2010 North Carolina Central University Savannah, Ga. H TBA 11/20/2010 Norfolk State University "Homecoming" Savannah, GA H TBA
WELCOME TO THE MEAC SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF, ALUMNI AND BOOSTERS.
SAVANNAH, Ga. – Robby Wells announced that he is resigning from his position as head football coach at Savannah State University for personal reasons. Wells’ resignation will be effective immediately. “I have decided to resign as head football coach at Savannah State University for personal reasons,” Wells said. “At this point I have to think about my family and my health before I can think about anything else. I wish the players well as they pursue their dreams on and off the field. My thoughts and prayers will be with them as they continue to progress in their collegiate career.”
Marilynn Suggs, interim athletics director, has appointed Julius Dixon to serve as interim head football coach. Dixon served as the Tigers defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach for the past two seasons. He was recently moved to defensive line coach. “SSU’s athletics department has accepted Coach Wells’ resignation and wish him well in his future endeavors,” Suggs said. “We are confident that Coach Dixon will do a great job in the interim as we begin our search for a head football coach. Coach Dixon will have the full support of the athletics administration as we move forward into signing day and spring practice.”
Wells became SSU’s 21st head football and compiled a 7-15 record over the span of two seasons. The Tigers finished with a 5-7 record in 2008 and a 2-8 record in 2009. Wells came to SSU after serving as defensive coordinator and football marketing director for one season at Benedict College in Columbia, S.C. Prior, Wells served as the General Manager for the Augusta Spartans Arena Football Team in 2006. Wells got his first coaching job at an HBCU in 2002, serving as the defensive coordinator at South Carolina State University from 2002-2005. SSU will begin a nationwide search to find a replacement immediately.
"The Ayatollah" -- SSU Vice President for Administration, Dr. Claud Flythe
I think Savannah State University Vice President for Administration Claud Flythe made a good decision. I don't know the specific reason behind Robby Wells' resignation as SSU's football head coach Thursday after two seasons at the helm. Wells is saying it's for personal reasons, and that he's going to focus on his health.But read between the lines. Flythe is supporting Wells' explanation. But I believe with all of my heart that Wells was given a choice to either resign or be fired. Theo Lemon was given the same choice. He told SSU to fire him.
I believe Wells sealed his fate when it was revealed publicly last Friday night that 28 players will not participate in spring practice (15 players quit the team, 13 players are ineligible). Once Flythe (whose nickname is "The Ayatollah") learned about this, I believe he offered Wells the choice of either resigning or being fired.
Julius Dixon and his assistant coaches have turned their attention to next football season, when Savannah State University will compete in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. But the interim head coach is limited by what he can tell recruits because his own future is uncertain.
