The Florida A&M University Lady Rattlers winning streak came to an end on Sunday at the University of South Florida by a score of 78-59. The Lady Bulls ( 7-2) were able to pull away from the Rattlers in the final seven minutes of the game with the score at 55-52, as FAMU hit a cold shooting streak. The Lady Rattlers made only 2 of 15 three point shots and shot only 39 percent for the game. FAMU (7-1) is scheduled to face the Lady Eagles of North Carolina Central on Saturday.
Savannah State University is seeking its 9th head football coach in 13 years after firing an honorable, experienced coach in Theo Lemon on last Thursday. Coach Lemon was hired by the previous president Carlton Brown who is no longer with SSU and former athletic director Robert “Tony” O’Neal who stepped down a few months ago. Lemon was allowed only two football seasons to turn around the dismal Tigers program, with only 24 scholarships.
Savannah State University is classified as a NCAA Division I program and plays football as an Independent in the Football Championship Subdivision, which allows 63 scholarship players. The Tigers are on NCAA probations until May 18, 2009 for infractions by the football program.
(see: http://www2.ncaa.org/portal/media_and_events/press_room/2006/may/20060519_savannahst_infractions_rls.html).
Coach Lemon, age 50, and his staff were hired on April 10, 2006, after the NCAA punishment was issued by the NCAA Committee on Infractions for transgressions by the previous administrations. Lemon was paid a paltry $65,000 annually as the head coach. All of his assistant coaches were also fired after compling a 3-18 record in the latest shakeup by interim athletic director, Paula Jackson and vice president for administration, Claud Flythe, who oversees the athletics department for new president Earl Yarborough. The president will select the coach from a recommended list of three before December 31.
Photo: SSU interim athletic director, Paula JacksonSSU is claiming to have received over 40-50 applications for the job since Thursday. If you can believe that statement then you can believe Savannah State will go undefeated in football in 2008. No question, Savannah State is the poster child for how not to make a transition to NCAA Division I in almost every phase. The Tigers were not selected for membership in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2006.
If you are wondering who has not coached at SSU, here are the names of the last 8-9 head football coaches in decending order of firings: Theo Lemon, Joseph Crosby, Avery Wendell, Daryl McNeill, Steven Wilks, Bill Davis, Ken Pettiford, and Richard Basil. This is what $65,000 will buy you in NCAA Division I football.
Savannah State is now stating that the new coach will be paid more that the previous, but they have not indicated what that amount will be specifically and that the new coach will have more than 24 scholarships, but the number is unknown at this time.
Good luck Coach Lemon in your future endeavors!
Photo: Lane Coach head football coach Dearrion SneadA former Aggie of North Carolina A&T State University has been promoted to the head coaching position at Division II, Lane College. Dearrion Snead, 38 in his first season with the Dragons served as the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, under Johnnie Cole, who was hired last week as head football coach at Texas Southern University in Houston. This will be Snead's first head coaching opportunity as the has served as an assistant coach for 16 seasons.
A native of Richmond, Virginia, Snead played strong safety for the NCA&T Aggies and spent four years as a non-commissioned officer in the Marine Corps. He received the Kuwait Liberation Medal, the National Defense Medal and was named to the All-Marine football team.
