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.\

PV's Wilson shines in own right

Coach Toyelle Wilson

Prairie View A&M’s Toyelle Wilson probably had the toughest act to follow of any first-year women’s basketball coach in the area at the beginning of the season.

Wilson took the reins in May after former coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke stepped down to take the top job at North Carolina-Wilmington. Cooper-Dyke, a Basketball Hall of Famer, went 86-72 in five seasons at Prairie View, leading the Panthers to four postseason appearances, including their first two NCAA Tournament appearances, and three Southwestern Athletic Conference regular-season titles.

Wilson, a former assistant under Cooper-Dyke, had a huge shadow cast over her first season as head coach once athletic director Fred Washington opted to promote her. Some doubted she would be able to duplicate her predecessor’s success.

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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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