Morgan State Varsity “M” Club, Inc. Announces 2015 Athletic Hall of Fame Class

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- The Varsity "M" Club, Inc. of Morgan State University announced today the six members of its 2015 Athletic Hall of Fame Class. The new class will be inducted during a banquet on Friday, September 18, 2015, at 7:00 PM at the Morgan State University – Tyler Ballroom and will be recognized at the Morgan State vs. Virginia-Lynchburg football game on Saturday, September 19, 2015.

Tickets for the induction banquet are available for $50 per seat. Tickets can be purchased by contacting the Varsity M Club at msuvarsitymclub@gmail or completing the 2015 Hall of Fame Ticket Order Form (PDF).

The 2015 Varsity "M" Club, Inc. Athletic Hall of Fame Class inductees are:

Daryl Jackson, Football (1986-1989)
During his tenure Jackson set the record for most passing yards in career (5,066), and tied the records for most touchdown passes in a career (31) and most touchdown passes in a game (4). Jackson finished his career holding fourteen Morgan season and career statistical records.

Ali Culpepper, Football (1998-2001)
Culpepper, a transfer from Syracuse University, left his imprint on the Bear football program as one of its most prolific running backs. He set the record for most rushing yards gained in a career (2,727), most carries in a game (44), most carries in a career (605) and most rushing touchdowns in a career (28), all which still stand today. He was a first team All-MEAC selection in 2001.

Tanya Elliott, Track and Field (1976-1980)
Elliott made significant contributions to the Morgan track and field legacy as a relay team competitor. She helped lead her team to a 4x100m relay Championship at the 1977 Penn Relays with a time of 47.5. In 1979, her 4x100m relay team posted a time of 45.9 as they posted their second Penn Relays 1st place finish.

Curtis Ellis, Wrestling (1978-1981)
Ellis was a standout in the Bears wrestling program in the 118 pound class. A four time MEAC champion and three time All-American, Ellis was undefeated during his four year MEAC career (36-0) and finished his career with an overall record of 102-17-1 and ranked 8th overall in the country.

Theresa Gibson & Kimberly Watkins, Coach (1983-present)
Gibson and Watkins have served as the coaches for the Morgan State University Cheer Bears for over thirty years. Their teams have combined to win ten MEAC Cheerleading Championships and became the first HBCU team to place as high as 2nd in the NCA Collegiate Cheer Championship in 2014.

Monique Liddell, Basketball (1996-2000)
Liddell made an immediate mark on the legacy of the Lady Bear program after her MEAC 1st Team All-Rookie selection after her freshman season. She finished her career ranking second in all-time scoring (1,420 points), second in steals (208) and fourth in rebounds (790).

COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

CIAA Football Media Day set to Open 2015 Season

Hampton, Virginia - The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) will kick off the 2015 football season with its annual Football Media Day on Thursday, July 23rd at 1:00 p.m. at the Marriott Research Triangle Park, 4700 Guardian Drive, Durham NC 22703.

Media interested in attending the Media Day activities must RSVP via theciaa.com at: http://www.theciaa.com/forms/footballmedia15. Deadline for register is Wednesday, July 15.

The CIAA Football Coaches Association's Predicted Order of Finish will be announced along with the Preseason All-CIAA Team following the luncheon. Head coaches will then present their season outlook.

This year, four new head coaches will be welcomed to the conference: Kermit Blount of Johnson C. Smith University, Herb Pickens of Lincoln University, Michael Morand of Saint Augustine's University, and Byron Thweatt of Virginia State University.

The first game of the 2015 CIAA football season is 72 days away and counting. Winston-Salem State University will travel to Pembroke, North Carolina on September 3rd for a 7 p.m. matchup against UNC Pembroke.

The 2015 championship game will be played on Saturday, November 14 at the Durham County Stadium with a 2:00 p.m. kickoff. The nationally televised game will feature the Northern and Southern Division champions. Tickets will go on sale on July 23rd via theciaa.com.

COURTESY CIAA MEDIA RELATIONS

Mike Newell, Dillard’s well-traveled new coach, believes he’s the right man for the job

COACH MIKE NEWELL
320 Career Wins
DILLARD UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- This summer, newly hired Dillard coach Mike Newell was asked by the school’s human resources department if athletic director Kiki Baker Barnes explained his job description.

Yes, Newell responded.

Win.

“I expect the program to begin competing for a conference championship within his first three years and eventually compete for a national championship,” Barnes said.

This from a men’s basketball program with a recent history of losing. During the past four seasons, the Bleu Devils won 15 games.

Last season, DU won five games. The Bleu Devils have not enjoyed a winning season since 2004-05. The last team to win at least 10 games was the 2008-09 squad.

Still, Newell agrees with Barnes’ winning plans at Dillard. Here’s five reasons why.

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B-CU Athletics Mourns Passing of NFL'er Damion Cook, Age 36

DAMION COOK

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Damion Cook, who provided the defensive foundation for the renaissance of Bethune-Cookman football as well as one of the program’s most light-hearted moments, died Friday. He was 36.

Cook, who would go on to play in the National Football League, Canadian Football League and United Football League, suffered a heart attack as he was moving into his new home in Baltimore, Maryland where he was Head Football Coach at Atholton High School.

The Baltimore Suns confirmed that Cook died at his home on Friday morning after returning from a road trip to visit his parents in Florida.

"Damion Cook was a giant man with a gentle spirit," said B-CU Athletic Director Lynn Thompson. "As a young Wildcat, he was a brilliant student-athlete from a tremendous family who supported him and our university for many years.

"It is now our time for us, the B-CU family, to support the Cook family with love, prayer and acts of kindness as they endure the heartbreak of losing him much too soon," Thompson added.

Along with Adul Yates and Rod Smith, Cook anchored a defensive line for the 1998 Wildcats who improved from a 4-7 mark the previous season to an 8-3 finish – the program’s first winning season since 1985 as well as the highest win total since 1977. That season ended with a berth in the Heritage Bowl against Southern televised nationally on NBC.

Cook provided one of the program’s most unusual moments during the epic eight-overtime game against Virginia State earlier in the season.

In the sixth overtime, he blocked a field goal attempt, picked up the ball and lumbered all the way down the field for the apparent game winning touchdown. However, Cook thought the five-yard line was the end zone and proceeded to dive, only to land on the one-yard line and end the play.

Bethune-Cookman would still win, 63-57, and Cook gladly endured the nickname “Big Dive” the remainder of his Wildcat career that included a Black College All-American nod in 2000.

"Although he was a year older, it didn't take me long to recognize the personality of this gentle giant," said Rashean Mathis, a B-CU teammate of Cook now with the Detroit Lions. "At the time, he was the biggest athlete I know but he topped that with one of the greatest personalities I had ever seen. Although we didn't keep in touch over the years, the memories we shared will last forever."

The American Heritage (Fla.) product, who earned a Hospitality Management degree in 2001, was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as a free agent that year and would spend time on the practice squad. He earned a brief moment attention for his imitation of Ray Lewis that made it on the inaugural season of "Hard Knocks."

He would later play for the Chicago Bears, the Ravens, the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions in addition to the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad. Also, he played for the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the Omaha Nighthawks of the UFL and was on the Arena League's Tampa Bay Storm's practice squad..

After his playing days, Cook became a strength and coaching in Michigan from 2011 to 2013 before taking a position as a mental health counselor with the Howard County (Md.) Public School System, which led to the Atholton coaching job. Atholton was 3-7 last season after winning just one game the year before.

He is survived by his wife, JaNiece, and three children, Mikah, Lucas and Brianna.

COURTESY BETHUNE COOKMAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Jake Gaither House starts brick campaign to raise money

JGH WEBSITE

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Gov. Rick Scott may have vetoed a $125,000 state grant for the Jake Gaither House. But owner Cornelius Jones is not despairing.

The Tallahassee real estate entrepreneur has launched a brick campaign to raise money for the home, once owned by the legendary Florida A&M football coach. He is also receiving donations from members of the American Football Coaches Association, which has endorsed his efforts.

The Jake Gaither House is at 212 Young Street, near the FAMU campus. Gaither and his wife, Sadie, lived there more than 40 years. Jones bought the house for back taxes ($35,000) in late 2013, intending to re-sell it. When he discovered it had belonged to Gaither, who died in 1994, Jones spent more than $100,000 to restore it.

Jake Gaither coached at FAMU from 1945 to 1969. He mounted a 203-36-4 record and won seven black college national championships. Gaither was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1975.

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Xavier University's Otis Washington, the coach who didn’t want to coach, enshrined in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- When Otis Washington graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana in 1961, he was your typical college graduate.

He had no idea what he would do next.

He did have three options: head west to California, become involved in the Civil Rights Movement or accept a job as a coach.

With the paltry sum of $16.82 in his pocket, California was out of the question.

The Civil Rights Movement was probably too serious for many in his age group.



He’s not sure why, but he took the least appealing road at the time and accepted a coaching position, even though he wasn’t interested in a coaching career.

“I figured I’d stay at St. Augustine for a year and then get the heck out of there,” he said.

One year turned into 18 and produced one of the state’s most successful high school coaching tenures, and the coach who wasn’t interested in coaching was enshrined in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in Natchitoches on Saturday.

When your 11-year head coaching résumé includes three state championships and a runner-up trophy, seven district titles in the ultra-competitive Catholic League, an 80 percent winning rate and more than 120 players sent to colleges around the country, it’s difficult to believe coaching really wasn’t on his radar.

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Mickles: For affable Avery Johnson, life is all about timing

COACH AVERY JOHNSON
Courtesy: University of Alabama

NATCHITOCHES, Louisiana — Upon being fired by the Brooklyn Nets two days after Christmas in 2012, Avery Johnson knew one thing: He was going to coach basketball again.

He just didn’t know where or when.

Actually, he sort of knew the when part of the equation.

With son Avery Jr. entering the final year and a half of his high school career in the Dallas area, Johnson was going to take some time to take it all in.

“I didn’t want to coach that first season (2013-14) because he was going to be a senior,” Johnson said Saturday before his induction into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. “Last year, I wanted to be there for him in the transition to college, and actually, I wanted to see some college games.”

Johnson accomplished those two things, and when the University of Alabama called about a week after his 50th birthday, he jumped at the opportunity to get out of the ESPN studio and back onto the court.

“At some point last season, I knew I wanted to get back into coaching,” he said. “Whether it was the NBA or college, if the right situation presented itself I was going to take a look at it. Alabama called, and the rest is history.”

If you think it couldn’t have worked out any better, it may have.

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