Blount enjoying life at Delaware State

Dover, Delaware - Kermit Blount had no plans to give up on coaching. Relieved of his job in 2009 after a 1-10 finish in his 16th season at Winston-Salem State, Blount remained positive about his future.

He completed the obligations of his contract in 2010, spending the final year helping new athletics director Bill Hayes raise money, then landed the head-coaching job at Delaware State. His 2-4 Hornets will play Saturday at N.C. A&T.

"I'm doing what I love," Blount said recently. "You know my passion is coaching." Blount, WSSU's career leader in victories (91-87-3) and a 30-year veteran, said finding the right situation for him and his wife, Ava, was a key to his taking the job at Delaware State.

He has surrounded himself with assistants he can trust ...

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DSU ready to dream big against UD on Saturday

Dover, DE - Kermit Blount knows what it's like to have the proverbial rug pulled out from under him. The new coach at Delaware State University was the coach at Division II Winston-Salem State two years ago as the school was nearing the end of a five-year plan to make the transition from Division II to Division I-AA, or the Football Championship Subdivision.

Everything seemed in place, and the team was eagerly anticipating the move into the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. It already had increased the scholarships from 38 under Division II rules to 55. It was playing a full FCS schedule.

Then, just before that season started, the school called an audible and announced that it was going back to Division II. Blount and the players were devastated. The Rams went 1-10 that season, and Blount was asked to resign when it was over.

"It certainly hurt the players, and I found that I became more of a father figure than a coach because they relied on me to help guide them," Blount said.

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Elko blends in just fine with Delaware State Hornets' mission

QB Nick Elko
(Photo Courtesy: Mike Baker)

Nick Elko will be the starting quarterback for the Hornets in their season opener Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Virginia Military Institute

Dover, DE - Being a white quarterback in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, made up of historically black colleges, doesn't faze Nick Elko, who says he's just one small part of the team at Delaware State University.

Besides, he said, it's not like he's the first white player to ever put on the Hornets' uniform. "When I first came in to Delaware State I thought about it, but it is what it is," Elko said. "I mean, I like it, I feel accepted, and it's just normal for me. It's really no big deal."

That's the way preseason MEAC offensive player of the year Justin Wilson sees it. Elko and Wilson have been working together the past three seasons and have developed a close bond during that time.

"We've always had that chemistry since Day One," Wilson said. "We have different signals that we do [on the field] and all that so we're fine with it. Elko's a really good quarterback and he'll get to show it this season."

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Delaware State End Spring Camp with Alumni Stadium Scrimmage

Dover, Del. (Apr. 17, 2011) - The Delaware State University football team wrapped up its first spring camp under new head coach Kermit Blount with a full contact scrimmage at Alumni Stadium today. The offense vs. defense scrimmage featured nearly 70 plays.

The first string offense accounted for two touchdowns. Junior quarterback Nick Elko completed 13-of-18 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns. He was also intercepted once. Elko connected with Justin Brewton on a seven-yard touchdown pass and hooked up with Justin Wilson on a five-yard scoring pass.

Wilson, a 2010 All-MEAC First Team selection, had a team-high seven catches in the scrimmage. The Windsor, Conn., native led the MEAC in receptions (59), receiving yards (937) and touchdown catches (11) last season.

The Hornet defense scored two touchdowns during the scrimmage. Defensive end Carl Russell, a University of Maryland transfer participating in his first camp with the Hornets, returned a fumble 17 yards for a touchdown. Cornerback Josh Alexander, a former University of Connecticut signee, returned an interception of a pass by back quarterback Marlon Kelly 20 yards for a score.

The defense also recorded four sacks in the scrimmage.



"I was pleased with the intensity during the scrimmage, but our execution was lacking on too many plays," said Blount, who was introduced as head coach of the Hornets on Feb. 4. "Both sides made some good plays, but we still have a lot of work to do. Overall, I'm pleased with way the players have adjusted to the changes we have made."

The Hornets will begin their preseason summer camp in August.

The 2011 season begins on Sep. 3 at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va. The home opener is Sep. 10 against Shaw (6:00 p.m.). The Hornets will play the University of Delaware for the second time in a regular season game on Sep. 17 at Delaware Stadium in Newark. Morgan State will be this year's homecoming opponent on Oct. 29 (1:00 p.m.).

DSU 2011 Football Schedule

Courtesy: DSU Athletic Media Relations

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Delaware State Hornets football: There's a new boss in town at spring practice

DOVER, DE -- It has only taken a week and a half for new Delaware State University football coach  Kermit Blount to raise the energy level among the Hornets players with new assistant coaches, a revamped playbook and an optimistic eye on the future.

For Blount, this has been a spring football camp full of learning players' names, evaluating talent and bringing in fresh ideas. The Hornets' two-week camp will culminate with the annual Red/White scrimmage at Alumni Stadium on Saturday night at 6.

"I'll tell you what, I'm really, really pleased with how the kids are responding to what we're asking them to do on the field as well as off the field," said Blount, who coached at Winston-Salem State for 16 seasons before accepting the DSU post. The players are obviously responding to the new energy.

HORNETS ADJUST TO CHANGE THIS SPRING

Dover, Del. -- The Delaware State University football team has passed the halfway point of its first spring camp under new head coach Kermit Blount. The two-week camp has been highlighted by the installation of new offensive and defensive systems.

"I'm really pleased with how well the guys have adapted to the changes we've made," said Blount, who was introduced as head coach of the Hornets on Feb. 4. "We've given them a lot to digest in a short time, but the energy level has remained high throughout camp. There's still a lot of work to do, but the transition has been relatively smooth so far."

The Hornets expect to return more than 40 letter winners, including 15 starters from their 2010 team, which won two of the last three games to post a 3-8 overall record and 2-6 mark in the MEAC. There are about 75 players participating in spring camp, including up to 12 newcomers.

"We (the coaching staff) have conducted camp as if everyone is fighting for starting jobs," Blount said. "Of course, guys will step up throughout the spring, but everything will be up for grabs come summer camp. I've been particularly pleased with our athleticism, while our biggest concern is developing depth on both sides of the ball, especially along the lines."

Delaware State will wrap up spring drills with the annual Red/White scrimmage on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. at Alumni Stadium.

The Hornets will kick off the 2011 season at Virginia Military Institute (VMI) on Sep. 3. The home opener is Sep. 10 against Shaw University.

By DSU Athletic Media Relations

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DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY HORNET FAN FRENZY!

Former WSSU Rams great joins Delaware State

Tory Woodbury, a former Winston-Salem State quarterback and a native of Winston-Salem, has been hired as an assistant coach at Delaware State.

Woodbury, who played three years in the NFL, has been hired by Kermit Blount, a former coach of the Rams who coached Woodbury in the late 1990s.

"This is a great opportunity for me to get into college coaching, and I can't thank coach Blount enough for what he's done for me through the years," Woodbury said by telephone from Charlotte, where he has spent the past three years coaching at the high school level.

Woodbury, 32, helped WSSU to consecutive CIAA titles in 1999 and 2000, and then went on to play in the NFL with the Jets and the Bills. After his NFL career, he got into coaching at Carver and Atkins before moving to Charlotte, where he was the quarterbacks coach at Garinger.



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Blount's task: Repair DSU football program

DOVER, DE -- When Delaware State University athletics director Derek Carter introduced Kermit Blount as the Hornets' new head football coach on Friday morning, he referred to him as an "automotive repair wizard."

Blount will definitely have to rely on some of his tune-up skills if he wants to get Delaware State's sagging football program running smoothly again.

Just after his introduction as the Hornets' coach, Blount immediately faced a challenging question from the crowd gathered at Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center -- when is Delaware State going to be able to beat the University of Delaware?



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Delaware State Hornets name Blount football coach

Delaware State University today named Kermit Blount head football coach. Blount spent 17 seasons coaching Winston-Salem State before resigning in November 2009. Blount went 91-87-3 at the North Carolina university, from which he graduated in 1980.

The Virginia native won his 90th career game in 2008 when the Rams beat Delaware State 27-26.

Blount replaces Al Lavan, who after taking over in 2004 wound up as the third-winningest coach in Delaware State history with a record of 41-36 and guided the Hornets to the MEAC championship (10-2 overall, 8-0 MEAC) and its first appearance in the Division I-AA playoffs in 2007.



DSU names new football head coach

The Delaware State Hornets have a new football coach to lead them in the 2011 season. Kermit Blount replaces Al Lavan whose contract was not renewed after this past season.

Blount is a North Carolina native. He comes to the Dover campus after 16 years as the head football coach for Winston-Salem State University. His resume there includes two Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Championships and a total of three CIAA Championship game appearances. He's also had teams in the Pioneer Bowl on two occasions.

“Coach Blount has proven he knows how to guide student-athletes to championship-level seasons as well as accomplish high standards of academic success,” Dr. Harry Williams, DSU President said. “The Search Committee is to be commended for its diligence in reviewing the candidates, in engaging in earnest deliberations and arriving at its recommendation.”

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Gentlemen, you have to prioritize!!!

What I learned from Coach Kermit Blount

While playing football at Winston-Salem State University, I remember my head football coach Kermit Blount saying “Gentlemen, football is a metaphor for life. But this not pep rally, this is a pep reality." In those team meetings or so-called pep "realities", coach Blount would give us (players) a little dose of reality and a few lessons on life.

I can still hear him in his cool baritone voice like Billy Dee Williams in "Lady Sings the Blues" say: “Gentlemen, you are going to have to learn how to prioritize......and find out what's more important to you: school or girls, football or foolishness, coming to practice or playing video games." "But regardless of what you decide to do, you must prioritize...gentlemen."

Yeah, those team meetings or "pep realities" with coach Blount seemed more like church than a college football meeting. Because he rarely talked about the X's and O's, blocking schemes, or defensive assignments. He focused more on telling players to call their moms, staying out of trouble, and looking out for one another.

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WSSU gives Blount extension through 2015

Blount will get a raise of about $20,000 a year; A&T had talked to him about vacancy

Football coach Kermit Blount and Winston-Salem State have reached an agreement on a contract extension. The deal was completed shortly after the season ended Nov. 22 but still needs the approval of the school's board of trustees, which is expected soon. "I'm happy that this is taken care of because it means a lot to me to have that security," Blount said. "But at the same time, I've learned you just have to do your job, and things will take care of themselves, so this wasn't something that was keeping me awake at night."

Blount has a 90-77-3 record in 16 seasons at WSSU, his alma mater, and holds the school record for career victories. The Rams, however, had their worst season under Blount this year, finishing 3-8 despite road wins over Hampton and Florida A&M, future Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opponents. The extension comes at a time when Winston-Salem State's fiercest rival, N.C. A&T, is seeking a head coach. Athletics Director Chico Caldwell of WSSU and Blount both said that A&T expressed interest in Blount.

"I did talk to them, but they weren't any kind of serious talks," said Blount, pointing out that he did not have a formal interview.

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Correction: This writer did little research for this article...Winston Salem's three victories were again Howard, Hampton and Delaware State. FAMU embarrassed WSSU on a ESPNU nationally televised Thursday night game, 23-0 in Tallahassee, Florida on October 9, 2008. The Rams road wins were at DSU (27-26) and Hampton (35-30).

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Late score lifts WSSU by Delaware State 27-26

Coach Kermit Blount breaks Willam "Bill" Hayes career record for wins at WSSU with his 90th career victory in defeat of the DSU Hornets.

DOVER, DE - Winston-Salem State rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Delaware State, the defending MEAC champion, 27-26 yesterday at Alumni Stadium. The Rams were down 26-21 with 10:12 to go, but put together a 13-play drive that covered 66 yards. Quarterback Jarrett Dunston scored on a 1-yard run on fourth and goal with 4:19 to play. Dunston's touchdown gave the Rams a 27-26 lead after the two-point conversion attempt failed.

The Hornets (3-6) got the ball back and drove to the Rams' 20, but on fourth and 1, instead of trying a 37-yard field-goal attempt, tried to go for it and were stopped short as the Rams took over with 38 seconds left. Coach Kermit Blount of the Rams won his 90th career game to become the all-time wins leader in school history. Blount, in his 16th season, passed Bill Hayes (currently Florida A&M's Athletic Director). Blount is 90-75-3 as the coach of his alma mater.

"This is very emotional for me; I didn't think I'd be this emotional, but my players really showed they loved me in this game," Blount said. "They really stuck to it in the second half, never let up, and we came away with the win."

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Attendance: 891 (13%) at Alumni Stadium, Dover, DE (Capacity: 6828).

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"Meet The WSSU Rams" draws record crowd

Coach Kermit Blount and the Winston-Salem State University Rams football team were home in the friendly confines of Bowman Gray Stadium on Sunday afternoon as they participated in their annual “Meet the Rams” Fan Fest and Media Day in front of a record crowd that took advantage of their first chance to see the 2008 WSSU football team.

The Rams, entering into their third year of a transition to NCAA Division I status following 61 years of membership at the NCAA Division II level, head into the 2008 season on the heels of a 2007 season which saw WSSU surprise college football pundits by posting a 6-5 record overall.

16th-year head coach Kermit Blount, a man that needs only three more wins to overtake Bill Hayes (current A.D. at Florida A&M University) as the winningest coach in WSSU history, fielded questions from both media members and loyal Ram fans at the annual fan fest and media day.

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Blount pleased with Winston-Salem Rams' first practice

Rams head football coach Kermit Blount has to replace star quarterback Monte Purvis, who has graduated (photo by Mark's Digital Photography).

Coach Kermit Blount saw the whole spectrum at Winston-Salem State's first football practice yesterday. There was good and bad, but through it all, Blount was happy to get an initial look at his team. Eighty-seven players reported to the first practice, including 17 freshmen, and with all those young players, there was plenty of teaching.

"The one thing that we looked for was to see who was in pretty good shape and how far we have to go with that," Blount said. "For the most part, it was pretty good, but the young guys did make some mistakes. But that's why we practice, to fix those mistakes before our first game."

The question that will hover over preseason camp, possibly until the season opener Sept. 6 against N.C. A&T, is who will be the quarterback?

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WSSU Rams seeking a new quarterback

WSSU Rams head coach Kermit Blount (Mark's Digital Photography).

Coach Kermit Blount of Winston-Salem State spent most of the summer building a large deck at his home in Clemmons. With a young team, he'll also be in a building mode this football season, especially in the early days. Blount is expecting 90 players to report Wednesday for the start of camp, and the first practice is scheduled at 3 p.m. Friday.

"A major concern that I have is the quarterback position, because we have to solidify a guy there," Blount said. "And we think we have enough talent to solidify that spot. We don't have a Monte Purvis right now, but we have the talent to make it work." Blount is also concerned with replacing seven starters on defense, including four of the top five tacklers from last season's 6-5 team.

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