MEAC and SWAC Great Success at 3X3U National Championship Tournament

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The SWAC and The MEAC

VIDEO: Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship

The tournament kicked off with the SWAC beating the Big 12. Though this might not seem like much, let’s be clear. Three of the four players averaged over 15 points per game, and the third played in the Elite Eight. So when the Big 12 sends a solid group of seniors, it should not lose to a conference where only one team had a record over .500. But that’s what happened and that was awesome. Same goes for the MEAC, whose dudes knocked off the uber-competitive ACC. Hats off to all the SWAC and MEAC’s representatives who finally get a chance to make a name for themselves on a national stage. 

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Southern returns to the football field for program's first spring practice since 2013

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- For four years Southern football’s offseason played out the same way.

From the moment the final whistle blew on the last game of the season, the Jaguars would not touch a football in an official capacity until the start of preseason camp in August.

The next few weeks would be a mad dash to piece together a starting-day roster, make adjustments to the schemes and break in new players, not to mention get players back into game shape after nearly nine months away from the field.

This year is different, though.

This year, Southern has time. This year, the Jaguars have options. The panicked fury of preseason camp won’t be necessary.

Spring football is back at the Bluffs.

“The biggest difference is being able to be on the field and coach them," said coach Dawson Odums. "Being able to work on special team fundamentals. Being able to work on offensive fundamentals. … When you go from November to August, it’s lot of time to not be in pads and working on the fundamentals.”

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New coach plans to keep N.C. A&T on track

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- Good cop, bad cop. Coach Sam Washington was willing to fill either role on Rod Broadway’s staff at North Carolina A&T.

There’s no doubt, though, which one Washington enjoyed the most.

“Bad cop, absolutely,” he says. “I love bad cop.”



“Sort of like Coach Broadway’s ‘hitman,’ if you will,” former N.C. A&T All-America offensive lineman Brandon Parker said. “He brought that ‘get after it’ attitude to the field every day, and there wasn’t a day that he doesn’t get competition going between any two players. He obviously may have not gotten the same credit because he wasn’t the chief in charge, but he definitely deserved just as much respect as Coach Broadway.”

Broadway, who had Washington on his staff at Grambling State before they moved on to A&T, occasionally flipped roles in recent years. Perhaps he foresaw his retirement after last season would lead to Washington being elevated from assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, so Washington got to be good cop a little more often.

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A&T's Brandon Parker focusing small to prepare for NFL Draft

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- There are a few lessons in life that a man must only learn one time, and unfortunately for Brandon Parker, he learned one of them before the biggest job interview of his life back in February at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Parker, N.C. A&T’s former All-American left tackle, decided to grab some fast food and wound up being forced to sit out the bench press.

“I had some Chipotle and it didn’t sit well,” Parker said, laughing.



His second run at impressing NFL scouts easily got off to a better start on Monday morning when he walked into A&T’s weight room sporting his familiar smile and managed 21 repetitions on the bench press, surpassing the 20-rep standard for linemen in combine-style testing.

“It feels good,” Parker said. “The Combine went pretty good – I’d like it to have gone a little better.”

Among the other Aggies participating in drills were Khris Gardin, Trey Scott, Jeremy Taylor and Marcus Albert -- the most athletic of the bunch -- but Parker was the main draw for representatives from 17 different NFL franchises, including Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie.

At 6-7, 300 pounds, Parker has the size to be a prototypical tackle at the next level, and his production at A&T matched up, with three straight first-team All-MEAC and offensive line selections in blazing a trail for one of the best rushing offenses in FCS.

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NFL Rumors: Patriots Meet With Two Small-School NFL Draft Prospects

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- The New England Patriots reportedly have their eye on two under-the-radar NFL draft prospects. As part of their pre-draft prep, the Patriots on Monday met with North Carolina A&T offensive tackle Brandon Parker, according to a report from Christian Shanafelt, and worked out Sam Houston State defensive lineman P.J. Hall, league sources told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. 

Parker, who reportedly met with legendary Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, is projected as a fifth- or sixth-round draft pick. He started every game at left tackle over the past three seasons and was a three-time Offensive Lineman of the Year in the MEAC. The Patriots, of course, have a glaring need at left tackle following Nate Solder’s decision to sign with the New York Giants in free agency.

 Hall played his college ball in the Football Championship Subdivision, starring for a Sam Houston squad that reached the national semifinals in three of his four seasons. Listed at 6-foot-1, 310 pounds, he played on the edge for much of his college career before moving inside as a senior and subsequently earning Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2017.

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Anthony Jones, ex-Redskin, tapped as new ECSU football coach

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina -- Elizabeth City State University has tapped a member of a Super Bowl-winning team to be the Vikings’ next head football coach.

Anthony Jones, a member of the 1987 championship Washington Redskins, will join the Viking football program this spring.

Jones replaces Earnest Wilson, who was fired about two weeks ago. Wilson posted a 9-11 overall record and a 6-8 mark in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association games over two seasons at ECSU.

In addition to his duties as ECSU’s new head football coach, Jones will also serve as an academic adviser within the Academic Affairs department.

ECSU officials did not immediately have terms of his contract, including his compensation, available Monday afternoon.

Jones has not coached since 2016. According to an ECSU spokesman, Jones has been enrolled in graduate school at the University of West Alabama, where he is expected to complete a master’s of education degree in student affairs this spring.

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GSU's Jackson named Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year

BOSTON, Massachusetts -- Grambling State University first-year head men's basketball coach Donte' Jackson was named the Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year by Collegeinsider.com on Monday afternoon.

"This is a tremendous honor to be put in a category of great basketball coaches," Jackson, who became Grambling State's first-ever recipient of the award, said. "We had a good season, a record-setting season, and I give all credit to the assistant coaches and our players for all their hard work during the season. I am just blessed for the opportunity to win this award and blessed to be at Grambling State University.

Jackson, who has earned National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) NCAA Division I District 23 Coach of the Year and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Coach of the Year honors this season, guided the Tigers to one of the best seasons as an NCAA Division I program with a 17-14 overall record and an outright SWAC regular season championship. It was Grambling State's first Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) regular season title in 30 years (1988-89) and first winning season since the 2005-06 season.

Jackson, who was selected the SWAC Coach of the Year, guided the Tigers to a signature road victory on Dec. 1 with a 64-63 win over Georgia Tech, and brought attention to the Grambling State program with a school-record 11 game winning streak, which stretch from Jan. 8 to Feb. 17. During the streak, the Tigers swept Texas Southern, which last happened during the 2005-06 season.

"This is a huge honor for Coach Jackson as he is the best minority coach in the country," Grambling State Director of Athletics Paul A. Bryant said. "This is an outstanding honor for Coach Jackson and it shows the quality of coaching that we have here at Grambling State University."

The Ben Jobe Award is presented annually to the top minority coach in division I men's basketball. An icon in the history of basketball at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Jobe is best known as the head coach of the Southern University, a position he held for 12 seasons.

His record at Southern was 209-141 and included four NCAA Tournament appearances. He also coached the Jaguars to one NIT appearance, five SIAC championships, 11 SWAC titles and two NAIA Tournament Championships. Perhaps his most memorable moment as a coach was Southern's 93-78 win over Georgia Tech in the first round of the 1993 NCAA Tournament. It stands as one of the great upsets in the history of the event.

Every year since 2010, Colleginsider.com has awarded the Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year Award. Ed Colley, of Fairfield, was the inaugural recipient of the year. Cuonzo Martin (2011-Missouri State), Sean Woods (2012-Mississippi Valley State), Kevin Ollie (2013-UConn), Willis Wilson (2014-Texas A&M-CC), Bobby Collins (2015-Maryland Eastern Shore) and Dana Ford (2016-Tennessee State) have received the honors over the past eight years.

Jackson was named a finalist on Friday with other top coaches in NCAA Division I, including Tommy Amaker (Harvard), Mike Boynton (Oklahoma State), Earl Grant (Charleston), Ron Hunter (Georgia State), Mike Jones (Radford), LaVall Jordan (Butler), Edward Joyner (Hampton) and Kelvin Sampson (Houston).

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Before the Final Four, College Seniors Hooped for $100K

Catch the quarterfinals on Twitter Sunday from 2-3 p.m. EST:  SWAC vs. America East, SEC vs. Big Ten, MEAC vs. West Coast, Big West vs. Ivy. The semifinals, third-place game, and championship will air on ESPN2 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Sunday.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Moments after Jamal Aytes stepped to the line and calmly sank two free throws, leading his Big Sky team to a 21-20 win over the SWAC, a duffel bag of cash, thrust from the sidelines, landed on the court. He’s finally cashing out.

Take a $16 Uber ride from the Alamodome and you’ll find college basketball players from all over the country celebrating their own duffel-bag moments. Well, technically, the guys balling out in this 3-on-3 tournament aren’t college athletes anymore—they’re seniors whose NCAA eligibility expired after their last collegiate game.

Here at the first annual Dos Equis 3X3U (pronounced “three-on-three-you”) National Championship at St. Mary’s University, all 32 D-1 conferences have a team in attendance. With constant music—like “Why You Always Hatin?” and “Walk It Talk It”—pumping through the venue and the athletes genuinely playing hard, the environment is electric.

“The competition is high because everybody wants to win money,” says Ates, who averaged 12.7 PPG and 5.3 RPG this season for Southern Utah. “We’re all seniors who are about to go off into the world, so we all just want that cash. It’s great.”

In this setting, it doesn’t matter whether you’re from North Carolina or North Carolina A&T.  All that matters is whether you can get buckets.

In the first game of the tournament, the SWAC beat the Big 12. Later that day, the MEAC took down the ACC and Atlantic Sun conquered the Big East. This tournament presents an opportunity for smaller-conference players to show they can hang with the big dogs.

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Williams, Quincy qualify for nationals in women's 400

MOBILE, Alabama — Ariane Williams and Kayla Quincy qualified for nationals, and Xavier University of Louisiana won five events Friday at the University of Mobile Invitational track and field meet.

Williams (57.26 seconds) and Quincy (57.33) finished 1-2 in the women's 400-meter dash to meet the B-qualifying standard for the NAIA National Championships. Williams was All-America in this event a year ago after finishing seventh at nationals.

The other XULA victories were by the 3,200 relay team of Brianna Pace, Taylor Price, Maliya Vaughan and Clarke Allen (10:11.92), Tamia Scott in the women's javelin — a XULA PR of 34.81 meters/114 feet, 2 inches — Edward Angel in the men's high jump (2.03 meters/6 feet, 8 inches) and Brandon Matthews in the men's triple jump (14.04 meters/46 feet, three-quarters of an inch).

Alysia Terry posted a XULA PR of 11.59 meters/38 feet, one-quarter inch to improve her NAIA B-qualifying mark in the women's triple jump. XULA's other runner-up finishes were by Justyce Riggs in the women's 100 (12.49) and 200 (25.74), Raven Davis (1:07.52) in the 400 hurdles, Damoy Boyd (1:58.64) in the men's 800, Khalil Gallien (15.49) in the men's 110 hurdles and Evan Simmons (41.68 meters/136 feet, 9 inches) in the men's discus.

The XULA women produced 12 top-3 finishes, and the men had six.
     

There was no team scoring. Also competing were Belhaven, Concordia (Ala.), Loyola (New Orleans), Mobile, South Alabama, Spring Hill and Webber International.
     

The meet was the fifth of the outdoor season for XULA, which will return to Mobile next Friday for the South Alabama Invitational, a two-day meet.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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North Carolina A&T Article Image Junior Rodney Rowe ran a personal-record 20.58 in the 200 meters at the 74th annual Pepsi Florida Relays hosted by the University of Florida. Photo by Kevin L. Dorsey Courtesy: NC A&T Sports Information Foursome Breaks School Record at Florida Relays

GAINESVILLE, Florida -- The North Carolina A&T men's and women's track and field teams traveled south for a holiday weekend and tallied a plethora of personal records at the prestigious 74th annual Pepsi Florida Relays hosted by the University of Florida at James G. Pressley Stadium.

The women posted 11 top-10 finishes, eight personal records, seven season-best marks and a new school record while the men had eight top-10 finishes, two personal records and two season-best marks.

The women’s 4x400 relay team of junior Tori Ray, sophomore Sun-Sara Williams, freshman Payton Russell and freshman Nia Lundy placed second and set a new school record in 3:36.91. The previous school record was set in 2009.

• Results (Delta Timing)
• Pepsi Florida Relays Central (for complete PDF and HTML results)

The Aggie 4x800 team of freshman Khadija Reid, sophomore G’Jasmyne Butler, senior Imani Coleman and sophomore Kristoni Barnes finished sixth at 8:59.80. The 4x100 team of Ray, senior India Brown, Jazdia Beasley and junior Kayla White ran a season-best 44.65 to place eighth.

Barnes (2:09.27) and Butler (2:09.47) ran personal-best times in the women’s 800 meters while Ray (53.98) and Williams (54.73) set personal records in the 400. On Thursday, Lundy (54.71) was 10th and Russell (55.65) was 12th competing in the open 400 as they ran their fastest times of the early outdoor season. In the 400-meter hurdles, junior Kennedy Thorne (1:01.52) was 10th and freshman TeJyrica Robinson (1:02.90) was 15th with new PR’s.

White (13.30) placed fourth in the women’s 100mh, sophomore Madeleine Akobundu (19-feet, 2 ¾ inches) was sixth in the long jump and Brown (23.50) was seventh in the 200.

In the jumps, a pair found their stride and notched new PR’s. Junior Anisa Toppin was sixth in the triple jump marking 42-feet, 1 ¼ inch and freshman Nazah Reddick placed 12th in the high jump at 5-feet, 7-inches. Toppin measured 18-feet, 10 inches in the women’s long jump also setting a new personal record.

The men were led by sophomore Jaylan Mitchell running a personal-record 10.35 in the 100. Junior Rodney Rowe (10.39) was fourth in the 100 but clocked 20.58 in the 200m to register a new personal record.

Redshirt senior Todd Townsend, sophmore Robert Miller, senior TeQuille Jackson and junior Michael
Dickson placed second in the men’s 4x110-meter shuttle hurdle relay at 57.47. The men’s 4x100 team of Mitchell, Thomas, Dickson and Rowe won the college section placing fourth with a time of 39.15. The top three teams were all Olympic Development teams and the Aggies edged host Florida who placed fifth.

Freshman Trevor Stewart (46.61) was seventh in the 400m with Dajuan Harding (47.93) following in 10th place. Freshman Chase Bonham (52.84) ran his fastest time of the season in the 400mh and Dickson (14.02) was ninth in the 110mh. Senior Nehemiah Lipford had a season-best high jump at 6-feet, 7-inches.

The Aggies are slated to compete at the High Point VertKlasse Meeting in High Point, N.C. for a two-day meet beginning on Friday, April 6.

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

JSU president says he is in charge of athletics department

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State president William Bynum said Thursday he plans to wait at least another two months before naming a replacement for former athletic director Wheeler Brown, but that even when he does, he still intends to be "hands on" with the program.

Bynum removed Brown from his post in December — a decision that was affirmed by the IHL board in February, but Brown has challenged his removal and is currently going through the school’s internal appeals process.

“Until all that is cleared … and people have made decisions relative to his contract, I’m not going to move,” Bynum said. “I’ll continue to be the acting AD along with my administrative team. My hands are tied until that process runs its course.”

Bynum, who sat down Thursday for an interview with the Clarion Ledger in his 10th month on the job, said he hopes the appeals process will allow him to have a new AD in place by June 1.


In the meantime, Bynum, his vice president and chief of staff Debra Mays-Jackson and special assistant to the president Thomas Hudson will continue to run the department, with associate athletic director Genese Lavalais serving as a liaison between the president and the coaches.

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TSU Football to Host Coaches Clinic

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State University football program will hold a coaches clinic on Friday, April 13 in the Floyd Payne Campus Center.

The clinic is for high school coaches and will feature speakers from TSU, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Middle Tennessee and NC State.

The event begins at 8:45 a.m. and is free to attend.

Coaches Clinic
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 8:45 a.m.
Registration - 8:00 a.m..
Location: Floyd Payne Campus Center (Student Center) - Forum
Participants: High School Coaches
Cost:  Free
Contact: Natasha Plant (nplant@tnstate.edu; (615) 963-7562

Three More Named To Hampton Pirates 2018 Football Coaching Staff

HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Hampton University head football coach Robert Prunty has announced the final three members of his coaching staff for the 2018 season. Ryan Anderson will coach safeties and serve as co-defensive coordinator, Julius McNair will be the running back coach, while Mike Buscemi will be the special teams coordinator.

Ryan Anderson joins the Hampton University staff after serving two years as the inside linebackers coach at East Carolina. He will coach the safeties and serve as co-defensive coordinator with Hampton.

Anderson served with Hampton Head Coach Robert Prunty at East Carolina following a three-year stint as a defensive assistant at Southeastern Conference member Vanderbilt from 2013 to 2015. During his last two seasons in Nashville, Anderson helped build the Commodore linebackers into one of the SEC's stronger units.

NAME TITLE 
Robert Prunty Head Football Coach
Brian White Offensive Coordinator
Hank Hughes Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach
Ataveus Cash QB Coach/Passing Game Coordinator
Bobby Blizzard Wide Receivers Coach
Scott McConnell Tight Ends Coach
Ryan Anderson Safeties Coach/Co-Defensive Coordinator
Julius McNair Running Backs Coach
Mike Buscemi Special Teams Coordinator 
Hunter Williams Director of Football Operations

During his first campaign at East Carolina, Anderson's unit featured two of the team's top three tacklers in Jordan Williams (77) and Cam White (63).

Coaching primarily the Vandy inside linebackers and defensive ends in 2015, Anderson assisted a unit that statistically ranked among the NCAA's top 25 in fourth down defense (4th), first down defense (5th), redzone defense (6th), third down defense (7th), most fumbles recovered (20th) and scoring defense (23rd) by allowing only 21.0 points per game. One of his top players, Zach Cunningham, earned Associated Press First-Team All-SEC honors after ranking among league leaders in tackles for loss (16.5), solo tackles (69) and overall stops (103), forced fumbles (4) and recovered fumbles (3).

In 2014, Anderson played a key role developing inside linebacker Nigel Bowden into a Freshman All-Southeastern Conference performer. Bowden topped all SEC first-year players in total tackles (78) and became the first rookie to pace Vanderbilt in stops since 1998.

The Commodore defense stood among the nation's best in several categories during Anderson's first campaign in Nashville in 2013, including passes intercepted (13th), turnovers gained (13th), pass defense (23rd) and total defense (23rd).

"Ryan Anderson is one of the most intelligent young football coaches that I have been around," said Prunty. "He is very detailed oriented as a coach and stresses the fundamentals of the game. Ryan will be an asset to our staff on defense."

Julius McNair comes to Hampton University this year to coach the running backs after serving the last five years at the University of Tennessee-Martin. He was the running backs coach for two years and defensive backs coach along with recruiting coordinator for three years.

In 2017, he helped guide a rushing attack that averaged nearly 120 yards per game and produced the third leading rusher in the Ohio Valley Conference in Ladarius Galloway who averaged just under 80 yards per game.

McNair played in 43 games for UT Martin from 2009-12, earning a start in 13 games. The linebacker accounted for 140 tackles (76 solo), 10.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one interception, eight pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, three quarterback hurries and one blocked kick. He also added 88 yards rushing with a pair of touchdowns playing in a special quarterback package in 2010.

His best season came during his senior campaign, when he racked up 70 tackles and recorded his lone career interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery to go along with a career-best four pass breakups. As a junior, he started in eight games and recorded 53 tackles, including career highs of 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries and one blocked kick.

Before attending UT Martin, McNair was an all-state performer at Mount Olive High School. He threw for 2,253 yards and 24 touchdowns during his senior season, leading all of Class 1A in touchdown passes.

McNair graduated from UT Martin in 2013 with a degree in business. He is married to the former Jasmyne Reese.

"After interviewing several running back coaches, Julius McNair was clearly the best one I had met with," Prunty said. "He brings a lot of energy and teaches technique, fundamentals and we are very fortunate to have him on the staff."

Michael Buscemi comes to Hampton this year to serve as the special teams coach after being at Duke University for two seasons as the defensive quality control coach.

During his first year with at Duke, Buscemi worked with a defense that produced three All-ACC selections and a Freshman All-America honoree in linebacker Joe Giles-Harris. Duke's defense had three tabbed as ACC Players of the Week and redshirt senior defensive tackle A.J. Wolf repeated as a First Team CoSIDA Academic All-America honoree.

Buscemi came to Durham after spending three seasons as the special teams coach at UCF. In 2015, he added director of player personnel duties to his role with the Knights.

During the 2015 season, the Knights led the American Athletic Conference and ranked 10th nationally in net punting while ranking among the league's top five in both kickoff return average and kickoff return average defense. Also, kicker Matthew Wright converted 13-of-17 field goals.

En route to a 9-4 record, second straight AAC championship and berth in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl in 2014, UCF led the AAC and ranked third nationally in kickoff return average as Michael Easton recorded a 96-yard return for a touchdown against SMU and Rannell Hall averaged a team-best 27.5 yards per return. Additionally, kicker Shawn Moffitt ended his career as UCF's all-time scoring leader, amassing 314 points.

UCF's special teams units helped the Knights to a 12-1 record, a No. 10 final national ranking, a league title and a victory in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in 2013. Along the way, the Knights earned their first wins over top-10 teams (Baylor and Louisville) as well as their first triumphs against Big Ten Conference (Penn State) and Big 12 Conference (Baylor) programs.

Buscemi earned a degree in criminal justice from UCF in 2006 and later received a master's degree in sports and fitness in 2008. He is married to the former Meme Diaz and the couple has one son, James Michael.

"Mike is an outstanding special teams coach who came highly recommended from previous staffs," said Prunty. "He's a rising star in the coaching profession as a special teams coach."

For more information on Hampton University football, please contact the Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5757 or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

Texas Southern Football announces staff additions

HOUSTON, Texas -- Texas Southern Football head coach Micheal Haywood has announced the additions of Morris Watts and Michael Slater to the Tigers staff for the 2018 season.

Watts will take over as TSU's offensive coordinator while Slater will lead the Tigers defensive line unit.

One of the legendary names in college football coaching, Watts, arrives to TSU from Arkansas. He has also previously coached at Central Michigan, serving as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.



Watts' coaching career spans more than five decades and encompasses three high schools, nine universities and two professional teams.

Watts began his career at Seneca (Mo.) High School in 1961 before moving on to Joplin (Mo.) High School. He moved on to college coaching in 1965 at Drake University, beginning a journey that would take him to Louisville, Indiana, Kansas, LSU (twice), Michigan State (three times), Mississippi State, Miami (Ohio) and, finally, in 2011, Central Michigan.

Watts also mixed in two pro stops, the first with the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL, the second with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL.

Throughout his career, Watts has worked directly with several quarterbacks who have played professionally, including Indiana's Tim Clifford; Michigan State's Jim Miller, Tony Banks and Jeff Smoker; Cliff Stoudt of the USFL's Birmingham Stallions; and Vinny Testeverde of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.



Prior to joining TSU, Slater served as defensive line coach at Arizona State University.

Slater arrived at ASU from Kansas where he served as defensive line coach in 2016. Under Slater's tutelage, the Jayhawk defensive line helped Kansas' defense top the Big 12 Conference in pass defense (219.8 yards per game) and lowest opponent third-down conversion percentage (35.6). Slater coached defensive end Dorance Armstrong Jr., who, as a sophomore, became the first unanimous all-Big-12 Conference selection in KU Football history.

Slater joined the KU program after four-year stint as defensive line coach at Rice. In his time with the Owls, Slater saw his defensive front become a disruptive force that was instrumental in the Owls newfound success.

In April 2015, Slater saw Christian Covington selected by the Houston Texans, becoming the third Owls defensive line product to be drafted in his combined tenure on the Owls' staff. As a graduate assistant at Rice from 2008-10, Slater mentored future pros Cheta Ozougwu and Scott Solomon. In addition, 2014 Rice senior Zach Patt earned an invitation to the Arizona Cardinals rookie camp.

In 2014 Rice set a school record with 39 sacks, and Patt set a single-game mark with five vs. FIU. In his four seasons at the helm of the Rice defensive front, Slater's group combined for 84 of the Owls 103 sacks, forced 28 fumbles and recovered 18.

In his first stint with the Owls, Slater earned a Master's of Liberal Studies degree during his three-year tenure while working with the defensive line. After his graduation in the spring of 2011, Slater spent one season as the defensive line coach at Angelo State before returning to Rice.

Slater coached at the high school level in the Houston area for 12 years, first at Alief Hastings for five seasons, before moving on to Alief Taylor for seven years. He coached the defensive line and also coordinated special teams. As the defensive line coach at Taylor, he coached future Rice player and Chicago Bear Cheta Ozougwu.

Slater began his coaching career while attending Southwest Texas State (now Texas State), where he served as a student assistant coach in 1993 before graduating with a degree in agriculture/animal science.

TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Simmons Adjusting Personnel to Bolster Rattlers Offense

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The Florida A&M Rattlers are beginning week two of spring drills and head coach Willie Simmons is not wasting any time making adjustments. In his wide open spread offense, it requires receivers that can operate in space. To bolster FAMU’s attack, Simmons has moved former running backs Azende Rey and Kevin Newman into position to utilize their skills in the offense. It also is aimed at getting more playmakers on the field.

Rey will now line up at wide receiver and slot receiver, while Newman will lineup as tight end. Newman’s move will help fill the void left by three-year starting tight end Desmond Noird.

“Kevin Newman is a versatile guy. A guy that can catch the ball and also block. For our offense to be successful we need that tight end/H-back-type position and he’s playing that for us and he’s doing a really good job of adjusting to his new role and taking on a new challenge. With his versatility it allows us to lineup in multiple formations to create some mismatches for the defense,” Simmons said.



Newman is a 5’11”, 220 pound redshirt sophomore from Tampa, where he attended Jesuit High School. In two years, he has been used primarily as a blocking fullback. He has caught nine passes over his two years and scored one touchdown.

Newman looks forward to helping his team. “It’s just a transition you’ve gotta make for the team. He preaches to us about being unselfish, so I think it’s just an unselfish move. It starts in him believing in me that I can do it. Their belief in me pushes me to understand that I’ve got to work hard and believe in myself as well,” Newman said.

“Azende is a guy that also brings a lot of versatility. He played running back for us last year, but catches the ball extremely well. He has a good understanding of running routes and attacking leverage. We made the decision to switch him to receiver as we are pretty deep in the backfield. With Ricky Henrilus, Devin Bowers and Bishop Bonnett returning, we wanted to get even more athletes on the field. With Azende switching to receiver, we get more athletic players on the field together. We want to get him the ball in space in his hands so he can make some plays for us,” Simmons said.

Rey is a 5’11”, 195 pound record-setting and highly-touted running back out of Defuniak Springs. In 2017, he garnered 32 carries for 206 yards. He also caught three passes for 16 yards.

“I believe that it’s what is best for my team. I’m trying to benefit myself and coach. I am glad the coaches feel that I am versatile,” Rey said.

“I like the offense. I think this is an explosive offense. It’s well orchestrated by the coach. It’s new, so we’re still learning and adjusting to it and more stuff is going in,” Newman said. Rey echoed “I get the chance to be faster, more swift and fluid in my cuts. The thing is catching the ball and scoring,” Rey concluded.

The Rattlers had practice today at 6:00 AM on their alternating schedule. The morning practice was a brisk one at about 50 degrees inside of Bragg Memorial Stadium.

“The guys are doing a really good job with their position changes and being unselfish. To be a good football team that’s what it’s going to take. It’s going to take a lot of guys being unselfish and maybe do some things they’ve done for the first time or haven’t ever thought about doing before,” said Simmons.

The Rattlers have two more weeks of staggered practice in preparation for the Apr. 21 Orange & Green Game at 12 noon at Bragg Stadium.

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FAMU: World Long Drive: Maurice Allen - Top 5 Moments

Watch World Long Drive competitor Maurice Allen's (Florida A&M University) top 5 moments. Volvik World Long Drive Championship 2017

FAMU's Terry Jefferson - The Ultimate Student Athlete

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The NCAA makes stringent rules and monitors the progress of student athletes towardTerry Jefferson graduation. In 2003, the NCAA implemented a standard called Academic Progress Rate(APR), which was a protocol to make sure that athletes not only played their sport, but were on a track to graduate. APR has given some programs and coaches headaches. It’s a constant process to monitor and resources have to be dedicated to making sure that student athletes remain on schedule.

And then there’s Terry Jefferson. The redshirt sophomore is a two-year starter at safety and he’s blown the NCAA academic standards out of the water. Possibly more importantly though, he will graduate in May in just three years and has made MEAC All-Academic team. It is common to have exceptional student athletes graduate while having one year of eligibility remaining, but for Jefferson to have two is nothing short of amazing.

Jefferson came to FAMU from Miami’s Booker T. Washington High School, where he was a standout defensive back and academically sound student. Even as a freshman, his maturity was evident. It’s also something that the new FAMU football coaching staff has come to recognize

Head coach Willie Simmons immediately recognized Jefferson’s intangibles upon taking the job. “The first thing about being a leader is someone the guys can look up to. When we talk about going to class and being a good football player and doing all the little things, you ask yourself if the guy is doing all those things right. Terry is a guy that does everything the coaches ask him to do. He’s great in the classroom and he’s a very good football player. He was awarded the Jake Gaither Leadership Award at the Tallahassee Quarterback Club this year. That was actually the first chance for me to meet him. When you talk to him, you realize that he is a well-rounded individual with a bright future in football and outside of football,” Simmons said.



Jefferson has been a solid run and pass defender. For the last two seasons, he has been the team’s third leading tackler. He has accumulated 98 total tackles of which 56 were solo and 42 were assisted. He has grabbed seven interceptions and eight and a half tackles-for-loss.

Jefferson sees himself fitting into the Rattler scheme. “We’re just out here trying to execute what the coaches are asking us to do. We’re trying to work on doing things at full speed…doing things coaches won’t be able to coach us on, like effort. It’s all about alignment, assignment and finishing and being able to attack the day as hard as we can to continue the progress.”

Coach Brandon Sharp, who oversees the defensive backs, is eager to work with such a talented individual in installing the defensive scheme. “Coming in as a new coach on a new staff, it’s everything you dream about. Having a guy that you can coach and he can also coach the other guys. It’s like having a second coach out there. He does everything right and you only have to tell him once and he does it, all while correcting his other teammates,” Sharp said.

The secret to Jefferson’s success is a stellar academic background. He was always known as a hard worker and diligent in using the resources available to him. “I took advantage of a lot of opportunities in high school. I took a lot of dual enrollment classes. Being that I came here and redshirted my first year really helped me out a lot as well. I’m graduating in a three-year span, leaving me with two years of eligibility. I plan to attend grad school here,” Jefferson said.

International golfing sensation Maurice Allen was the guest speaker at the conclusion of practice this morning. The former FAMU track star was in between competitions and stopped in to encourage the team. “Do you guys have any idea who has been in this stadium. Bob Hayes ran on a dirt track that used to circle this field. Greatness has been on this field before you. You must work to be champions because that is the legacy of this school,” Allen said.

Allen’s chord hit home with the players and coaches. “I don’t look for anything less than the standard that this school presents. I expect greatness out of this season and from this point forward,” Jefferson.

PVAMU Panthers Hold First Spring Scrimmage

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- The Prairie View A&M football team held its first scrimmage of the spring Thursday morning at Panther Stadium.

"I was really pleased with it," said first-year PVAMU head football coach Eric Dooley of the approximately 60-play scrimmage. "The defense flew around, made some plays, and were stingy. That's what I was looking for. As the scrimmage got going and we got into the green zone as I like to call it, the offense made some plays, but still looking for them to be more explosive. Overall, I was really pleased with the processes on both sides of the ball. Special teams-wise, they did what they need as well, but we need to improve in the effort of blocking kicks. They have to understand there is no play off. I don't want them to think they can take that play off, as it can be a big play in the game."

Dooley likes what he has seen during the first two weeks of spring practice but is looking for continued improvement with two weeks to go before the Purple and Gold Spring Game on April 14 at 3 p.m. at Panther Stadium.

"Right now, the guys still have to continue to push through and not feel sorry for themselves in certain situations and understand what I'm looking for," said Dooley. "Overall, as always, I'm pleased but not satisfied and we have to keep working."

PVAMU football returns to practice Tuesday at 5:01 a.m.

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Nationally-Ranked SAU Travels To Florida Relays Track and Field Meet This Weekend

RALEIGH, North Carolina --The Saint Augustine’s University track and field team will head to Gainesville, Fla., for the Florida Relays this weekend. The starting times at Percy Beard Track are 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 29, 9:30 a.m. on Friday, March 30, and 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 31. 

Click HERE for live results of the meet. Live results are also on floridagators.com and saintaugfalcons.com, the University’s official athletic website. 

Saint Augustine’s University enters the meet ranked fourth in the nation among the men and sixth in the country among the women. The men’s team is the five-time NCAA Division II national outdoor champion, and the program has won 39 NCAA Division II indoor and outdoor titles combined under legendary Head Coach George Williams, who has won the most NCAA track and field championships of any coach, regardless of division. 

The Falcons’ men are led by Shaquille Dill (Jr./Pembroke, Bermuda), who is a national champion and All-American in the 800-meter run. He runs on the 4x400-meter relay squad, which is ranked second in the nation (3:11.32). The squad includes Robert Walker (So./Newburgh, NY), Adrian Kimmons (Sr./Cold Water, MS) and Brandon Valentine-Parris. 

Najair Jackson (Fr./Roanoke, VA) ranks third in the javelin throw (229-9) and Dakarai Hightower (Sr./Washington) ranks fourth in the high jump (6-10¾). Justin Williams (Jr./Long Island, NY) ranks ninth in the triple jump (48-9½). 

Shannon Kalawan (So./Westmoreland, Jamaica) is one of several talented performers for the Lady Falcons. The 2018 indoor 400-meter national champion, Kalawan has the fastest Division II time in the 400-meter hurdles (59.84) and is part of the fastest 4x400-meter relay team (3:41.96) in Division II. The foursome includes Amanda Crawford (So./Brooklyn, NY), Ade Hunter (Sr./Philadelphia, PA) and Leah Barker (Sr./St. Michaels, Barbados). 

Crawford ranks third in the 400-meter dash (55.56) and Barker ranks seventh in the 200-meter dash (24.61). The team of Shakera Hall (Sr./Bridgetown, Barbados), Barker, Crawford and Kalawan ranks fifth in the 4x100-meter relay (47.06). 

Click HERE for ticket information and the entry list.

SHC Badgers Hand Sims Win No. 900 in 13-0 Verdict Over Lane

MOBILE, Alabama -- The Spring Hill College (SHC) baseball team handed head coach Frank Sims the 900th victory of his 34-year career with a 13-0 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) win over the Lane College (LC) Dragons on Friday night at historic Stan Galle Field.

Austin Barrios (3-3) went the distance for his first shutout of the season, holding the Dragons (1-24, 0-7 SIAC West) to five hits with no walks and seven strikeouts.

Centerfielder Justin Collier mashed two home runs including a 6th inning Grand Slam while catcher Brennan Fontenot got the Badger train rolling in the 1st inning with a two-run line drive rocket over the wall in right field. Left fielder Luke Wall added three hits with a double and an RBI.

Malcolm Davis fell to 0-4 on the season for the Dragons, allowing six hits with eight walks and a strikeout in five innings.

Sims, the winningest coach in SHC history, began his career on The Hill with just 10 games remaining in the 1985 season and has since built a 864-856-3 record with the Badgers and a 900-866-3 mark overall.

The Badgers (13-13, 6-0 SIAC West) will host the Dragons again in a noon SIAC doubleheader on Saturday at historic Stan Galle Field.

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Morgan State University’s Marvin Webster Named to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Morgan State University athletic legend Marvin Webster will be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, the organization announced Wednesday. Webster is one of six former players in the Hall of Fame’s 2018 class. The 2018 National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Celebration, presented by Nike, will take place on Sunday, Nov. 18 in Kansas City, Mo.

Dubbed “The Human Eraser,” the late Marvin Webster was one of the most dominant big men in college basketball history. From 1971–75, Webster tallied an NCAA record 2,267 rebounds, and his 740 boards in 1974 and 650 in 1973 are the two highest single-season totals in Division II history. Webster was a three-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Player of the Year, and he holds Bears program records in rebounding, blocks, field goals made and free throws made. He averaged 21 points, 22.4 rebounds and eight blocked shots in 1973–74, leading Morgan to the Division II national title.



Webster was drafted in the first round by both the NBA and ABA in 1975 and played 10 professional seasons. He played for the Denver Nuggets in the ABA and for the Seattle Supersonics and the New York Knicks in the NBA.

Webster will be the first Morgan alumnus inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

Webster, Houston’s Otis Birdsong, Arizona’s Sean Elliott, Arkansas’ Sidney Moncrief, North Carolina’s Sam Perkins and USC’s Paul Westphal will join former Charleston coach John Kresse and former Oregon Tech coach Danny Miles to make up the Class of 2018.

Webster is one of 11 players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to be selected to enter the Hall of Fame, joining: Willis Reed Jr. (Grambling State); Vernon “The Pearl” Monroe (Winston-Salem State); Earl “Big Cat” Lloyd (West Virginia State); Samuel Jones (North Carolina Central); Marques Haynes (Langston); Dick Barnett (Tennessee State); Travis “The Machine” Grant (Kentucky State); Bob Hopkins (Grambling State); Zelmo Beaty (Prairie View A&M) and Cleo Hill (Winston-Salem State).

The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame is located inside of the College Basketball Experience (CBE), an experiential entertainment facility adjacent to Kansas City’s Sprint Center. The Hall of Fame’s 13th induction celebration will precede the 2018 Hall of Fame Classic, which will showcase Nebraska, Texas Tech, USC and Missouri State competing on Nov. 19–20 at Sprint Center.

About Morgan
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 100 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.

About the Hall of Fame
The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame was founded by the National Association of Basketball Coaches Foundation, Inc., to honor and celebrate those who have made extraordinary contributions to the game of men’s college basketball. Located at the College Basketball Experience in Kansas City, Mo., the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inducted its first class in November 2006, with a Founding Class consisting of Dr. James Naismith, who invented the game; former University of North Carolina head coach Dean Smith; Oscar Robertson, considered by many to be the most outstanding all-around player in the history of college basketball while playing at Cincinnati; Bill Russell, who led the University of San Francisco to two NCAA championships and is one of the game’s greatest defensive players; and John Wooden, an All-America player at Purdue and longtime coach at UCLA, where he led the Bruins to 10 NCAA titles, including seven in a row.

Darrell Walker Named Head Men's Basketball Coach at Arkansas Little Rock

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas -- The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has announced the hiring of Darrell Walker as the program's 23rd head men's basketball coach. An official news conference will be held at 9 a.m. Friday, March 30, on the UA Little Rock campus in the Legends Room of the Jack Stephens Center.

Walker brings with him extensive basketball experience at both the collegiate and professional level. His playing experience includes three years at the University of Arkansas and 10 seasons in the National Basketball Association, followed by a 20-year professional coaching career, including serving as head coach for two different NBA franchises.

Most recently, Walker spent two seasons as the head coach at Clark Atlanta University, compiling an overall record of 45-18 and leading the Panthers to back-to-back NCAA Division II tournament appearances.

This past season, Walker guided the Panthers to a 25-6 mark, including a 16-3 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) record, finishing second in the SIAC East division. Clark Atlanta advanced to the SIAC tournament title game, falling to Claflin.

In his first season in Atlanta, Walker's Panthers went 21-12 and 12-5 in SIAC play, tying for first in the SIAC East. Clark Atlanta captured the 2017 SIAC tournament title, downing Fort Valley State 64-62 in the championship game.

His time in Atlanta marked Walker's first collegiate coaching experience following 20 years of coaching professionally. Walker served as the head coach of the Toronto Raptors from 1996-98 and the Washington Wizards in 2000, tallying 56 career victories at the NBA level.

Walker also spent time as the head coach of the Rockford Lightning of the Continental Basketball Association and the Washington Mystics of the WNBA. He served as an assistant coach in the NBA for the Toronto Raptors (1995-96), New Orleans Hornets (2004-08), Detroit Pistons (2008-11) and New York Knicks (2012-14).

A native of Chicago, Walker played one season at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith before spending three seasons at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Under head coach Eddie Sutton, Walker amassed 1,325 points, ranking 18th all-time on the Razorback scoring list, while ranking fourth in program steals (230) and sixth in free throws made (524).

He was named a second team All-American and a first team NABC All-District selection in 1983, helping Arkansas reach the Sweet 16 in both 1981 and 1983. Walker was the two-time Southwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year, being named to the 1983 NABC All-Star game.

Walker was the 12th overall pick by the New York Knicks in the 1983 NBA Draft, beginning a 10-year NBA career in which he suited up for five different teams. Walker averaged 8.9 points, 4.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game during his professional career, playing for NBA Hall of Fame coaches Hubie Brown, Wes Unseld, Chuck Daly and Phil Jackson.

He was named to the 1984 NBA All-Rookie Team and nearly averaged a triple-double in 1989-90 in Washington, averaging 9.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game. He closed out his playing career as a member of the NBA champion Chicago Bulls in 1993.

Walker earned his degree in human resources from the University of Arkansas. He was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 and was enshrined into the University of Arkansas Hall of Honor in 2008.

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Clark Atlanta University Begins National Search to Replace Men’s Basketball Coach Darrell Walker

ATLANTA, Georgia -- Clark Atlanta University is conducting a national search for a new head basketball coach as Darrell Walker has resigned to take the same position at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock.

Walker, who led the Panthers to two NCAA Division II Basketball Tournament appearances and the 2017 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament title, went 45-18 in two seasons as CAU's head coach. This past season, the Panthers were nationally-ranked much of the year, winning 15 games in a row at one point.

"Two years ago, we hired Coach Darrell Walker with the expectation that he would build a championship program worth of regional and national recognition, serve as a life coach to student-athletes beyond graduation, and create an excitement within the Atlanta community, as well as attracting national business networks. He exceeded all expectations and became a true partner within the campus community," said CAU Athletic Director J Lin Dawson.

"The bar has been raised for the next head coach to win championships, graduate student-athletes and to develop leaders," he said.



Clark Atlanta University President Dr. Ronald A. Johnson said CAU was fortunate to have Walker leading the program.

"His commitment on the basketball court carried over into the classroom, where he was known to drop in on his student-athletes' classes to ensure they were making satisfactory academic progress," Johnson said.

"Additionally, the Darrell Walker Art and Basketball fundraiser was created and launched at Clark Atlanta to ensure that the men's basketball team had the funds needed to attend summer school, thus enabling on-time graduation," Johnson said. "His fundraisers and personal relationships garnered nearly $250,000 and other special gifts for Clark Atlanta University Athletics. His leadership on and off the court will be truly missed."

Walker is a former NBA player, assistant coach, and head coach who brought those experiences – along with many of his NBA colleagues – to the CAU campus to speak and teach to his student-athletes.

"My time here at Clark Atlanta University was a very special, warm and friendly time in my life and my career," Walker said. "It just has been a place where I needed it and it needed me, so it worked out perfectly. It was tough talking to my players yesterday about leaving, what we had built here, the relationships, how much I was proud of them and what we'd accomplished over the last two years, the notoriety we brought to the school, uplifted the school. It was tough. I broke down in front of my guys because they mean a lot to me. And this school, Clark Atlanta University, is going to mean a lot to me."

Dawson said CAU looks to have a new men's basketball coach soon.

"Given the important recruitment period that we are in, we have started a national search and look to have the next Clark Atlanta University Panthers men's basketball coach in place within the next two weeks," he said.

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