Nuggets slip to 13th, but many opportunities remain

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana dropped from 10th to 13th Tuesday in the NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll.

The rankings are the first since the preseason poll Jan. 23. The Gold Nuggets dropped their first five dual matches since then, four against NCAA Division I teams.

The rankings do not reflect XULA's 6-3 victory Monday at LSU-Alexandria, which remained ninth. The Gold Nuggets will play three top 20 teams before the next rankings Feb. 27. The first of those ranked opponents will be No. 1 and two-time defending national champion Georgia Gwinnett at 10:30 a.m. EST Friday in the Grizzly Invitational at Lawrenceville, Ga.

XULA will visit No. 20 Brenau Saturday and No. 12 Mobile Feb. 23. In March the Gold Nuggets will play five times against top-25 teams.

XULA is in the top 25 for the 50th consecutive time — the third-longest active streak in NAIA women's tennis. The streak began May 1, 2012. Dating to Feb. 25, 2004, the Gold Nuggets appeared in 95 of the last 105 polls. (The 2005-06 season, when XULA did not compete intercollegiately, is not included.)

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Feb. 11)
RANK PREVIOUS SCHOOL RECORD POINTS
1 1 Georgia Gwinnett [14] 1-0 374
2 2 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 0-1 358
3 3 Keiser (Fla.) 5-1 353
4 4 William Woods (Mo.) 0-0 336
5 5 SCAD Savannah (Ga.) 3-0 328
6 6 William Carey (Miss.) 0-0 308
7 7 Indiana Wesleyan 14-0 301
8 8 San Diego Christian (Calif.) 2-1 296
9 9 LSU-Alexandria (La.) 0-0 271
10 11 Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) 1-0 261
11 12 Northwestern Ohio 0-1 244
12 13 Mobile (Ala.) 1-0 236
13 10 Xavier (La.) 0-5 232
14 14 Cumberlands (Ky.) 0-2 217
15 15 Arizona Christian 2-0 212
16 16 SCAD Atlanta (Ga.) 0-0 199
17 17 Middle Georgia State 0-0 178
18 18 Campbellsville (Ky.) 1-0 164
19 19 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 0-0 139
20 21 Brenau (Ga.) 0-2 137
21 20 Georgetown (Ky.) 0-1 136
22 25 St. Thomas (Fla.) 1-3 130
23 22 Coastal Georgia 1-1 102
24 23 Southwestern (Kan.) 0-0 88
25 24 Tennessee Wesleyan 0-0 79
Other receiving votes: Westmont (Calif.) 74, Cumberland (Tenn.) 56, Loyola (La.) 56, Huntington (Ind.) 27, Reinhardt (Ga.) 24, Missouri Valley 22, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 16, Union (Ky.) 6, Asbury (Ky.) 5, Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 3, Hastings (Neb.) 3

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Twice as nice for Alabama State, both teams claim championships

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  -- For the second consecutive year, Alabama State won the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) indoor track and field championships at the Birmingham Crossplex, winning both Saturday evening.
 
The Lady Hornets ran away with their unprecedented 10th team title, racking up 166.5 points and winning by 48 points over runner-up Prairie View A&M. Meanwhile, on the men's side, the Hornets won with 148 total points and finished ahead 24.5 points ahead of runner-up Prairie View A&M. With the two victories, Alabama State head coach Ritchie Beene was named SWAC Coach of the Year for both, the men and women.
 
Charminique Hackney earned the distinction of the SWAC's fastest woman, taking home gold in the 60-meter dash (7.42) and nabbing another gold while setting a new SWAC Indoor Championships record in the 200-meter dash with a 23.61-second result. Hackney beat out Alcorn State's Euricka Hardy (7.49) and Texas Southern's Alexis Gray (7.50) in the 60-meter event, and bested Gray (23.66) and Alabama A&M's Joi Ballard (24.28) in the 200 meter dash.
 
The Lady Hornets continued their winning ways in the 60-meter hurdles as Shamira Lovett (8.59) raced to the gold medal. Texas Southern's Zaidra James (8.66) and Lady Hornet Ariayanna Val (8.70) won silver and bronze, respectively. Kemei dominated distance events, winning the women's mile run (5:14.46) and the 5,000-meter run (18:36.67). Alabama State's Sade Lavallias (5:18.87) and Janice Lane (5:19.25) also medaled in the mile run.

Alabama State's Arion Span finished second in the 5,000-meter run (19:04.29) and Mississippi Valley's Alice Kimutai posted a time of 19:23.26 to take the bronze.

Earlier in the day, Span nabbed a gold in the 800-meter run (2:13.37), with Prairie View A&M's Husiniyyah Rogers (2:18.39) earning silver and Southern's Raelynn Price (2:19.3) third. Prairie View A&M swept the women's triple jump, with Kaizha Roberts (11.94m; 39-02.25 feet) earning the top finish. In second was Devynn King (11.72m; 38-05.5 ft) and coming in third was Toronica Duncan (11.59m; 38-00.25 ft).
 
The women had several top five finishes on the day including China Reed (fifth in the triple jump), Lakeyah Blackmon (fifth in the pole vault), Roderica White (fifth in high jump), Desiree Horn (fifth in the 60-meters) and Kyana Evans (second in 400-meters).
 
Meanwhile, on the men's side, Alabama State's Joshua Coffelt (4:22.85) earned the gold in the men's mile run, with Arkansas-Pine Bluff's Laural Heath (4:23.16) taking second and Jackson State's Raheem Skinner (4:24.2) in third.  Joshua Hilliard of Jackson State clocked an 8.08-second mark in the 60-meter hurdles, good for first place. Terrance Adams of Alabama State (8.11) edged Prairie View A&M's Logan Williams (8.15) to earn silver.
 
Josh Davis won gold in the 200-meter dash for the Hornets, finishing with a time of 20.94 seconds, while teammate David East came in fifth with a time of 21.54.
 
The men also had several student-athletes finish in the top five in Friday events including Marquis Nelson (second in the weight throw), Caesar Kemp (fifth in weight throw), Jamie Brown (fifth in triple jump), Davis (second in the 60-meter dash), Norris Spike (third in the 60-meter dash), Lezoghia Member-Meneh (third in the 400-meters) and Andrew Jackson(second in the 800 meters).

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The Comeback: Former BSU quarterback trades helmet for a headset

BOWIE, Maryland -- Regarded as one of the best players in the area, senior quarterback Nyema Washington finished out his high school career at Suitland in 2012 with dreams of continued success collegiately at Bowie State University. Yet, things didn’t go as planned for the former Prince George’s County Player of the Year. A granuloma, a noncancerous inflammation in tissue, on the side of his brain, delayed the Capital Heights native’s first freshman game for the Bulldogs for three years.

Nevertheless, Washington persevered by recovering and trained relentlessly to get back into the starting lineup in 2015. The former two-time All-State standout at the time was converted into a wide receiver and didn’t get his chance to play until Nov. 17, 2015, against Virginia State University. Washington checked into the game and led an eight play, 48-yard drive, completing all his throws and a touchdown throw to seal the game with a 22-19 comeback victory.

The rest is history. Washington started every game at his true position and led the Bulldogs to their first Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Championship game appearance since 1989. Though his team fell to Winston-Salem State CUniversity 17-14, Washington won MVP honors, and it seemed that the best was yet to come from the gunslinger.

However, with triumph came tragedy. Coming into the following season, Washington was slated to be the day one starter until he suffered a severe knee injury during training camp shortly before the beginning of the 2016-2017 football campaign.

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Morgan State Added to Akron 2018 Football Schedule

AKRON, Ohio -- The Akron Zips have added the Morgan State Bears to their 2018 football schedule, FBSchedules.com has learned.

A copy of the game contract was obtained from the University of Akron by FBSchedules.com via a state open records request.

Akron will host Morgan State at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field on Sept. 8, 2018. The Zips will pay the Bears a $300,000 guarantee for the game, according to a copy of the contract.

Akron and Morgan State, a member of the MEAC in the FCS, have met twice on gridiron. The Zips defeated the Bears 41-0 in 2009 and 66-6 in 2012.

The addition of Morgan State tentatively completes Akron’s 2018 non-conference schedule. The Zips are scheduled to open the season at Nebraska on Sept. 1 and later travel to both Northwestern (Sept. 15) and Iowa State (Sept. 22).

In MAC play in 2018, Akron is scheduled to host Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Miami, and Northern Illinois and travel to Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, and Ohio.

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Alcorn Hires Frenchers, Moore; Promotes Thornton to DC, Wratten to Recruiting Coordinator

LORMAN, Mississippi – A pair of new assistant coaches were hired by the Alcorn State University football program as Damon Frenchers will be in charge of the defensive line and Stevon Moore will oversee the defensive backs, head coach Fred McNair announced.

Additionally, Cedric Thornton was promoted to defensive coordinator and Elliott Wratten to recruiting coordinator. Thornton previously worked as Alcorn's linebacker coach, and Wratten as Alcorn's tight ends and full backs coach.

Cedric Thornton
Thornton will enter his third season with the Braves in 2018. As the linebackers coach, he developed Darien Anderson to becoming an HBCU All-American in 2016 and an All-Conference First-Team selection.

"I'm excited about the opportunity and will do whatever I can to help Coach McNair fulfill his vision. The process will remain the same, however the goal has to be to finish in the end this year," Thornton said.

Thornton coached three All-Conference linebackers in two seasons. Under Thornton's guidance, Anderson and All-SWAC Second-Team honoree Michael Hurns combined for 159 tackles in 2016. This past season, Trae Ferrell was tabbed to the Second-Team and was top-10 in the FCS in fumbles recovered.

Additionally, Thornton heavily aided in the Braves ranking first in the conference in top-five in the country in red zone defense with a 64.5 percent mark.

"Coach Thornton is a great coach that has done an outstanding job for us. This will be a great transition for him and he has defensive coordinator experience previously at Alabama State," McNair said. "Our guys are already familiar with his style of play as well as his expectations."

Prior to Alcorn, Thornton was the defensive coordinator at Alabama State. He had the Hornets ranked 12th in the FCS in scoring defense and 18th in passing defense. Thornton also spent three seasons as the linebackers coach at Texas Southern.

Elliott Wratten

Wratten will enter his third season with the Alcorn football program. In addition to his duties with the tight ends and full backs, he is now the head of recruiting for the Braves.
 
"We're very excited about the class we're bringing in for the 2018 Season. This class has guys at every position and will help us continue our success," Wratten said. "Alcorn is a great University on the academic side, and our success on the football field has made this a fun place to recruit. We can't wait to get these guys in for summer school and get working with them this season."
 
Wratten played a vital role in Alcorn's most recent recruiting class as the Braves signed 20 student-athletes for 2018. The list included eight locals from Mississippi and also recruits from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois and Texas. Wratten helped sign student-athletes at nine different positions.
 
Alcorn's recruiting class was ranked second in the country among HBCU's by 247 Sports and sixth by BOXTOROW.
 
"Wratten has really moved us forward in recruiting and identifying players that we want. He's gone out and gotten players from the Houston and Dallas areas and has expanded our recruiting base overall," McNair said.
 
Wratten came to Alcorn after having spent the previous seven seasons at Indiana University working on both sides of the ball. The last three seasons Wratten served as a Graduate Assistant working with the Defensive Line. Wratten helped the Hoosiers advance to their first bowl game since 2007 in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl and win their third straight Old Oaken Bucket Game against rival Purdue.

The previous four seasons at Indiana, Wratten served as a Student Assistant working with the Offensive Line and Tight Ends. 

Damon Frenchers

Damon Frenchers has spent the last 29 seasons coaching football on the defensive end. He's served the last three years as a defensive line coach with stints at Lyons College, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and North Carolina A&T.
 
"Frenchers is an experienced defensive coach. He actually coached against us in 2015 in the Celebration Bowl with North Carolina A&T and has had great success everywhere he's been. He'll definitely provide a lot of leadership and toughness to the program," McNair said.
 
While at NC A&T, the Aggies were the 2015 Black College National Champions after winning the Celebration Bowl. It came after the program won the MEAC. Frenchers coached three defensive linemen to All-Conference honors.
 
Previous coaching stops for Frenchers include S.C. State, N.C. Central, Delaware State, Norfolk State, St. Paul's College, and Lane.  In addition to his football coaching responsibilities at St. Paul's and Lane, he also served as head baseball coach at both institutions.
 
"I'm excited with the opportunity to continue building on the rich traditions here at Alcorn State University. Working alongside Coach McNair and Coach Thornton, we have high expectations for what we want to achieve in the immediate future. I'm looking forward to working closely with the student-athletes in our quest to kick the door down in Atlanta," Frenchers said.
 
In 1987, Frenchers started his coaching career as a volunteer undergraduate student at the University of Missouri. Frenchers assisted defensive coaches in breaking down and analyzing film. He also assisted defensive coaches during Missouri practices. After spending two seasons with Missouri, Frenchers took over as S.C. State's defensive end and strength and conditioning coach in 1989.
 
During his three-year stint there, he coached All-American and 1992 first-round draft pick Robert Porcher. Porcher spent 13 seasons in the NFL (1992-2004) and recorded 95.5 career sacks. After leaving the Bulldogs program, Frenchers took over as N.C. Central's defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator in 1992. He spent seven seasons with the Eagles program where he coached All-CIAA performers Michael Lattimore and Corey Francis.
 
Frenchers left N.C. Central in February of 1999 to accept his first defensive coordinator position. In 1999, Frenchers became Delaware State's defensive coordinator. He was responsible for organizing and implementing the Hornets defensive game plan. He served as Delaware State's defensive coordinator and defensive line coach for three seasons before leaving for Norfolk State. In his second stint with NCCU in 2002, he was named the Eagles defensive coordinator.
 
In addition to his experience as a college football coach, Frenchers has also worked at various NFL camps over the past quarter century, and he has also spent time coaching camps at various Division I FBS schools such as Florida, North Carolina and Duke.
 
He earned a B.S., degree at the University of the State of New York, Regents College.

Stevon Moore

Stevon Moore comes to Alcorn having spent the last 17 years at as a defensive backs coach at Mississippi Gulf Coast CC. Moore also brings a wealth of NFL experience to the table having served as a scout for the New England Patriots and in player development with the Cleveland Browns.
 
Prior to Mississippi Gulf Coast, Moore worked with the Miami Dolphins and three years at LSU.
 
"Moore is a veteran defensive backs coach and was once under Nick Saban at both LSU and the Miami Dolphins. He has a great understanding of the secondary play and has a lot of awareness in teaching coverage," McNair said.
 
Moore mentored eight NFL and CFL defensive backs during his 11 years in the pros. He has experience recruiting in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Florida where he's mentored 20-30 Division I defensive backs.
 
"First and foremost, I want to thank Coach McNair, President Alfred Rankins, Derek Horne and the administration for giving me the opportunity to coach here at this great University. I am very thrilled to be here," said Moore. "We're on a quest to win a championship and I can't wait to get started."
 
Moore earned his bachelor's degree from Ole Miss in 2003.

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NSU's new baseball coach trying to figure out his team's pitching ahead of opener

NORFOLK, Virginia -- When Keith Shumate looks out from the press box at Marty Miller Stadium, he sees a combination of Oriole Park at Camden Yards and the Great Dismal Swamp.

Oriole Park, because when you’ve coached where he has, having a stadium is a luxury. Dismal Swamp, because Norfolk State is waiting for a replacement infield tarpaulin to keep recent rain at bay.

“Quicksand would be the best description for what we have,” Shumate says of a soggy field that forced the Spartans to use the batting cages at nearby Harbor Park for all of but two days in the first two weeks of practice. “It’s just saturated.”

What Shumate doesn’t see in his first season as Norfolk State’s coach is a starting pitching rotation.

He has Chase Anderson (Granby High) for Friday’s season opener against visiting Villanova, and Jon Mahoney, a transfer from Prince George Community College, for Saturday’s game. Sunday? Midweek games? “Johnny Whole Staff,” Shumate cracked.

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Gold Rush climb into tie for 22nd nationally

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana moved from 23rd to a tie for 22nd Tuesday in the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll.

The Gold Rush (19-6), a 78-62 winner Monday at SUNO, share the position with Central Baptist, a Conway, Ark., school which is in the top 25 for the first time. This is the third consecutive poll that XULA is in the top 25.
     
Heading the list of "others receiving votes" is Dillard, XULA's next opponent at 5 p.m. Saturday in the Crosstown Classic presented by Raising Cane's at the Convocation Center.
     
Dillard will be the first of four consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference home opponents to close the Gold Rush regular season.

NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Feb. 11)
 

RANK	PREVIOUS	SCHOOL	RECORD	POINTS
1	2	The Master's (Calif.) (9)	25-1	219
2	4	LSU-Shreveport (La.)	24-2	211
T3	1	William Penn (Iowa)	23-2	202
T3	6	Pikeville (Ky.)	24-2	202
5	3	Columbia (Mo.)	24-2	191
6	14	Carroll (Mont.)	22-4	183
7	12	Central Methodist (Mo.)	23-3	169
8	16	Westmont (Calif.)	20-4	167
9	5	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)	21-4	158
10	8	Montana Western	20-5	153
11	10	Georgetown (Ky.)	21-4	150
12	15	Oklahoma City	18-6	149
13	9	Hope International (Calif.)	22-4	139
14	17	William Carey (Miss.)	18-5	135
15	11	Dalton State (Ga.)	19-6	107
T16	18	Our Lady of the Lake (Texas)	18-8	104
T16	7	Science & Arts (Okla.)	19-6	104
18	13	LSU-Alexandria (La.)	19-7	103
19	19	Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)	20-6	91
20	24	Texas Wesleyan	17-8	86
21	25	Life (Ga.)	18-8	73
T22	NR	Central Baptist (Ark.)	17-5	65
T22	23	Xavier (La.)	18-6	65
T24	21	Cumberlands (Ky.)	18-7	54
T24	NR	Graceland (Iowa)	17-9	54

Others Receiving Votes: Dillard (La.) 44; SAGU (Texas) 26; Harris-Stowe State (Mo.) 18; Wayland Baptist (Texas) 14; Campbellsville (Ky.) 13; Wiley (Texas) 13; Peru State (Neb.) 10; Missouri Baptist 9; Vanguard (Calif.) 5; William Jessup (Calif.) 3. 

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Gold Rush defeat Knights 78-62 for 10th road win

NEW ORLEANS — Virgil Davison scored 23 points Monday, and Rayshawn Mart had 21 points and 11 rebounds to lead NAIA No. 23 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 78-62 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against city rival SUNO at The Castle.
     
The victory was XULA's 10th this season on the road. The Gold Rush won a combined six times on opponents' courts the previous two seasons.
     
Davison, who made four 3-pointers, scored his most points since Dec. 22. Mart, a freshman, produced a career high for points and tied his career best for rebounds. The double-double was Mart's second.


The Gold Rush (19-6, 6-2) led 37-23 at halftime, then pulled away in the final nine minutes after the Knights (3-16, 1-9) got as close as 56-52.
     
Jalen David scored 14 points for XULA, Joseph Williams had nine points and eight rebounds, and Jeff Dixon had seven assists.
     
George Brock had 16 points and five assists for SUNO. Teandre Jones scored 15, and Andre Funches scored 10. Brock entered No. 2 in NAIA Division I with 25.6 points per game, but XULA limited him to 5-of-17 from the floor in 37 minutes.
     
XULA outshot the Knights 51.7 to 36.2 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 43-32.
     
XULA will play host to Dillard at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Convocation Center in the second game of the Crosstown Classic presented by Raising Cane's. The Gold Rush moved ahead of Dillard in the GCAC standings when Dillard lost 92-79 at Tougaloo. Talladega leads the conference at 7-2, with XULA a half-game behind and Dillard (6-3) in third place.

BOX SCORE

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Gold Nuggets earn third consecutive conference victory

NEW ORLEANS — Essence Wells, one of four from Xavier University of Louisiana in double figures, scored 16 points Monday in a 71-59 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against SUNO at The Castle.
     
The Gold Nuggets (10-11, 3-5) won their third straight conference decision after dropping their first five. It was their first victory of the season in a GCAC road game.
     
Mikayla Bates scored 13 points, all in the first half, for XULA, and Gina Smith and DeDe Martinez scored 10 apiece. Smith grabbed nine rebounds, and Maya Trenchhad seven assists.
     
The Lady Knights (4-16, 1-9) also had four double-figure scorers. Briana Upshur had 16 points, Shadejha scored 13, Kascity Martin had 12, and Andriel Moss had 11 points and 10 rebounds.
     
SUNO, which lost its ninth in a row, never led. The Gold Nuggets led the final 38 minutes, including 38-28 at halftime.
     
XULA outshot SUNO 38.1 to 35.1 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Lady Knights 42-37.
     
XULA will play host to Dillard at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Convocation Center in the opening game of the Crosstown Classic presented by Raising Cane's. Dillard clinched a tie for the GCAC regular-season championship with a 98-66 victory at Tougaloo.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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Nuggets win at No. 9 LSUA for first victory of season

ALEXANDRIA, Louisiana — Freshman Manon Bonada defeated Ariadna Cabezas 7-6 (7-2), 7-5 at No. 4 singles Monday to clinch Xavier University of Louisiana's 6-3 victory against LSU-Alexandria in a matchup of NAIA top-10 women's tennis teams.

The Gold Nuggets (1-5), ranked 10th, gave Alan Green his 199th dual-match victory as coach of the XULA women. It was the season opener for the Generals, who are No. 9 and were a national quarterfinalist in 2017.

XULA never trailed and won despite getting just a half-point from two-time All-American Charlene Goreau. Freshmen accounted for four of the Gold Nuggets' points.

For the second consecutive dual, freshman Mariia Borodi and sophomore Yi Chen Pao were winners in doubles and singles. They teamed for an 8-5 victory against Alba Perny and Laia Charles to give XULA a 2-1 lead heading into singles. Borodii then beat Miljana Milojevic 6-1, 6-0, and Pao came from behind to beat 46th-ranked Laia Charles 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Bonada and Goreau secured the other doubles victory, 8-2 against Cabezas and Claudia van den Brink. At. No. 5 singles, XULA freshman Farah Baklouti earned her first collegiate singles victory by beating van den Brink 6-3, 6-1.

XULA's women and men will visit two-time defending NAIA champion Georgia Gwinnett at 10:30 a.m. EDT Friday in the Grizzly Invitational at Lawrenceville, Ga.

Results

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Hughes, Cash Join Hampton Pirates Football Staff

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Hampton University head football coach Robert Prunty announces his first two staff members today as longtime defensive coach Hank Hughes and former Hampton University quarterback Ataveus Cash will join the staff this coming season.

Hughes will serve as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, while Cash will serve as the quarterback coach and passing game coordinator.

"Hank Hughes brings a wealth of knowledge on the defensive side of the ball to our staff," said Prunty.  "He's been a coordinator at all levels and understands defense and what we want to do.

Hughes joins the Hampton University after a year at Davidson College where he served as the linebacker coach and defensive run game coordinator in 2017.  He was on the staff at Lafayette College in 2016 as the defensive tackles coach. 

With nearly 40 years of coaching experience, Hughes has coached defense on the FBS level from 1993-2015.   In 2015, he served as the defensive line coach at Nebraska where they were ranked in the top 15 in FBS in rushing defense and fourth down defense.

He came to Nebraska after serving as the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for Tommy Tuberville at Cincinnati in 2014. The Bearcats' defense made steady improvement throughout the 2014 season, holding five opponents to 17 or fewer points during a seven-game win streak to end the regular season. The late-season surge helped the Bearcats earned a share of the American Athletic Conference title.

Hughes spent the previous 13 seasons as an assistant coach at Connecticut, coaching the defensive line for the Huskies throughout his tenure at the school. Hughes was the defensive coordinator for four of his seasons at UConn and was assistant head coach for eight seasons from 2005 to 2012.

During Hughes' time with the school, Connecticut appeared in five bowl games and won a share of two Big East Championships. The 2010 Huskies earned a spot in a BCS bowl game, taking on Oklahoma in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. The Husky defenses regularly ranked among the nation's top rush defenses, in large part due to the play of Hughes' defensive line, and UConn ranked in the top 10 nationally in total defense in 2006, 2008 and 2012.

Hughes' 2012 defense is regarded as one of the finest in school history with the unit ranking seventh in the country in rush defense, ninth in total defense and 19th in scoring defense. The run defense was also stout in 2011, ranking first in the Big East and fourth nationally.

The Huskies' 2008 defense ranked among the nation's best finishing sixth in the country and first in the Big East in total defense at just 278.0 yards per game. UConn also ranked in the top 25 nationally and top three in the Big East in 2008 in pass efficiency defense, rushing defense and scoring defense.

Hughes' defense helped UConn make a successful transition to the Big East, leading the conference in total defense in each of its first two years in the league in 2006 and 2007. In the Huskies' first season in FBS in 2002, Hughes' defense ranked fifth in the nation in pass defense and the top 20 in total defense and pass efficiency defense.

Hughes also served as the defensive line coach at Memphis from 1998 to 2000, helping the Tigers lead the nation in rush defense in 2000. Hughes' previous college coaching experience includes stints at Harvard, Cincinnati and James Madison among others, and he also spent two seasons in the professional ranks with the Montreal Machine of the World League of American Football. Hughes played linebacker at Springfield College.

Former Hampton University quarterback and NFL player Ataveus Cash joins the new staff this year to serve as the quarterbacks coach.    He will continue to serve as the Assistant Athletics Director for Operations.   Cash had previously served as an assistant coach for the football program in 2013 as a wide receiver coach

Cash was a part of the 1997 Pirates squad that went 10-2 and won the MEAC title and SBN Black College National Championship. Cash was also on the 1998 MEAC championship squad, as well as Pirates track & field squads that won MEAC both the 1999 indoor and outdoor MEAC titles.

After graduating from Hampton in 2001 with a B.S. in therapeutic recreation, Cash signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent. After time with the Jets, Cash played for the New York Giants, and he also spent time during in his NFL career with the Washington Redskins as a wide receiver, kick returner, and punt returner.  He also played for the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe, winning the World Bowl in 2005.

Cash has had a hand in several facets of campus from bringing in the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Division 6A and 5A football championship games for the past two December's, along with the VHSL state basketball quarterfinals and semifinals in March of 2017. 

He is administrator for summer camps at HU and has been the team leader in redesigning Holland Hall, the weight room and on the committee for newly redesigned locker rooms in Armstrong Stadium for women's soccer and men's lacrosse.  Cash has also been the liaison on the clothing deal between athletics and Under Armour.

Cash serves as the CEO and founder of The Ataveus Cash Legacy Foundation (ACLF), an organization which promotes academic excellence and higher education for youth in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and other economically disadvantaged communities nationwide.

"Ataveus Cash understands the quarterback position, and the position at Hampton University having played here," Prunty said.  "He knows the technique, the fundamentals and will do a great job as our quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator."

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.