Saturday, June 1, 2019

Happy birthday to @BCFHOF Class of 2018 Inductee, COACH BILL HAYES!


Good luck to Dalton Horner and Tracy Warren as they participate in the Western Canadian Baseball League, a premier collegiate Canadian summer league


Watch today’s @CoastalBaseball vs. @BaseballFamu game live here on ESPN3 @ 1 pm ET:


Tamika Catchings free clinic returns to XULA June 14

Xavier

Register Online for Clinic

NEW ORLEANS — For the second consecutive year, Xavier University of Louisiana and the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation are partnering to host the Tamika Catchings Catch the Stars Foundation Basketball Clinic at XULA's Convocation Center.
     
Date of the clinic will be June 14 from 10 a.m.-noon. The event is free and open to girls and boys ages 9-14. Click here to register online.
     
Catchings — a legendary basketball player for the University of Tennessee, USA Basketball and the WNBA's Indiana Fever — is in her third year of conducting nationwide clinics to teach youth basketball fundamentals, sportsmanship and healthy lifestyle choices.
     
Catchings is a four-time Olympic gold medalist, a seven-time first-team All-WNBA selection, a five-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and a four-time Kodak/WBCA All-America first-team selection at Tennessee. She was the 2011 WNBA MVP and led Indiana to the 2012 WNBA title. She is the WNBA career leader in steals and attempted free throws, No. 2 in rebounds and made free throws and No. 3 in points. Catchings was recipient of the 2015 ESPN Sports Humanitarian of the Year award and co-recipient of the 2016 National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy award.
     
Said XULA Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs/Director of Athletics & Recreation Jason Horn"Xavier University is pleased to partner again with Tamika Catchings to bring her Catch the Stars Foundation Basketball Clinic to our campus. This was a fun and educational experience for local youth last summer, and we look forward to a similar atmosphere this time."
     
XULA's Convocation Center opened in November 2012, seats approximately 4,000 and features all-chairback seating. It has been the site of five Gulf Coast Athletic Conference basketball tournaments for women and men.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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AD SPOTLIGHT: Jason Horn, Xavier University of Louisiana From June 2019 edition of NACDA Athletics Administration magazine

Xavier University of Louisiana Athletics

"The part I enjoy the most, I want them to graduate"

Whether you are a student-athlete, coach, administrator, or even a fan, one of the biggest draws of college athletics is the opportunity to be involved with something greater than yourself. The magic and mystery of having a part, however big or small, in the success of a program is what ignites passion, instills loyalty and keeps people coming back for more.
     
Jason Horn, assistant vice president for student affairs and athletics director at Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA), knows this to be true.
     

"I started in this business as a student worker in the basketball offices at the University of Michigan. I enjoyed the teamwork and success we were having — not just in basketball, but In all sports," Horn said. "I don't know that the goal was to be an athletics director, but more to be a part of something in a university environment that provided the community something to enjoy while helping others achieve their goals."
     

It is that servant leadership mentality and work ethic that helped Horn pave his way as a collegiate athletics administrator over the last two decades, working to put others first. Initially, the goal may not have been to become an AD, but the XULA community in New Orleans and many young leaders across the country that Horn has influenced are glad he ended up in the athletics director's chair.
     

Horn recently completed his fifth year at the helm of the XULA athletics department, and in that span has built it into an NAIA powerhouse. Nearly all (8-of-9) teams were represented at NAIA National Championship events a year ago, but the performance in the classroom for these students is perhaps even more impressive.
     

"My motto has been WIN. GROW. GRADUATE. I want every athlete to win. I want them to grow as a person during their time on campus. The part I enjoy the most, I want them to graduate," Horn said.
     

There has been a lot to enjoy for Horn in that regard, as the athletics department posted the two highest graduating classes of current and former student-athletes in back·to-back years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the area.
     

Although his accomplishments may be felt the most through the achievements of the student-athletes, Horn has marked his tenure with several key initiatives that will make an impact on XULA Athletics long-term. These include the successful negotiation of multi-year agreements with Ochsner Health System's sports medicine division, apparel provider adidas, and website provider SIDEARM Sports, as well as UniversityTickets to provide online ticketing for athletics competitions, concerts and other events, and Advanced-Online to provide an official athletics online store featuring XULA products.
     

Horn's success in these areas is no surprise based on his strong background in marketing and external relations. His experience in the college space extends to Miami, Conference USA, Bowling Green, UCF, Northwestern State and Detroit Mercy, where he served as associate athletics director for external affairs since 2011 before coming to XULA in 2014. He also worked for the World Poker Tour's Amateur Poker League, the Salt Lake City-based Winter Olympics, the Winter Paralympics and Team USA (1999-2001) the Atlanta-based Summer Olympics {1995 and 1996), and the NBA Development League and Minor League Baseball programs.
     

"Those experiences (outside of college athletics) have given me more practical business experience," Horn stated. "I've enjoyed just about every place I have been, but the collegiate space is very multi-dimensional, plus you really get to work with the next generation of leaders."
     

Since becoming an AD, Horn has called upon each of these stops along his journey that honed his skill set in different ways, preparing him for the role he holds today.
     

"With marketing, it challenges you to think 'outside of the box' and to really be entrepreneurial dally," he said. "As an athletics director, you really are a problem solver and a facilitator. My background in marketing lends itself to challenging me to view issues, tasks and projects from many angles and to hopefully make a decision that is for the good of the students and the university."
     

Horn's problem-solving, facilitating and decision-making have garnered him attention in the eyes of his peers. In April, he was unanimously chosen to serve a two-year term as president of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) by the league's executive committee. Prior to that appointment, he served the GCAC as the vice president and chair of the athletics directors. In 2016-17 he was voted GCAC Athletics Director of the Year, and in 2018, Horn joined the MOAA Board of Directors.
     

Not bad for an AD who was new to the small-school scene just a handful of years ago.
     

"I think I have gotten to know more of our students (working) in the NAIA," said Horn. "There is definitely less of the proverbial 'red tape.' Most NAIA institutions run with a lean staff and Xavier is no exception. But our department culture is one where our crew will go the extra mile to provide a solid experience."
     

At first glance it might look like Horn is doing big things on a small stage, but the stage is not as small as it seems. Horn's Influence as a minority athletics director has not gone unnoticed. His involvement as a member of the NAIA's National Administrative Council (NAC) and the Competitive Experience Committee, in addition to his leadership role within MOAA, goes a long way in terms of representation and inspiration for students watching, at XULA and elsewhere.
     

"I joined this field when there were, frankly, not very many people who looked like me," Horn said. "But as an undergraduate at Michigan, there were many people that encouraged me to give it a shot — so I did. I appreciate that there has been more growth and opportunity over the years."

XULA

Jason Horn Q&A

Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks?
Easily Dunkin Donuts. I have their coffee at home and in the office right now.

If you could take a week's vacation anywhere in the world, where are you going?
London . . . I have never been. It is on the list.

Favorite mobile app?
Twitter — A great way for me to keep up with colleagues and to get some great ideas and have a few laughs.

If you could sit front row at any concert, whose would It be?
No clue . . . not a concert guy. Our staff tries to keep me away from music on game days.

Favorite professional sports team?
Any Detroit team!

The last book you read?
"Rules of the Red Rubber Ball" by Kevin Carroll

Most memorable sporting event growing up?
Detroit Tigers winning the World Series in 1984.

Favorite quote?
In the words of Al Davis — "Just win, baby!"


Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Gold Rush place 2 on Academic All-District® team

Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennis
NEW ORLEANS — Samir Chikhaoui and Gabriel Niculescu, members of the Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennis team, have been named to the College Sports Information Directors of America Google Cloud Academic All-District® 2 NAIA at-large team for 2018-19.

Chikhaoui, a junior from Lille, France, and Niculescu, a senior from Bucharest, Romania, are the third and fourth Gold Rush tennis players to be named Academic All-District and the first since Karan Salwan in 2016-17.

The Google Cloud Academic All-District award recognizes student-athletes for outstanding achievements in the classroom as well as in competition. Nominees must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale. They also must have completed at least one full calendar year at their current institution and reached sophomore athletic eligibility.

District 2 consists of NAIA members in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana and Tennessee.

Chikhaoui and Niculescu are the only males from the NAIA's Gulf Coast Athletic Conference or an HBCU (Historically Black College or University) to make an at-large Academic All-District® team this year. The only other Louisiana student-athlete on a men's at-large team is swimmer Alarii Levreault-Lopez of LSU in NCAA Division I.

First-team Academic All-District® members advance to the Academic All-America® ballot. The Academic All-America® NAIA team will be announced June 18.

During the past 11 years, XULA has produced 23 Academic All-District® selections, all but one on the first team.

Xavier

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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XULA's Perez is state's top freshman; Goreau, Borodii repeat

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennis standout Santiago Perezhas been chosen Freshman of the Year and first-team All-Louisiana by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
     
Perez is one of three from XULA to earn statewide recognition on an end-of-season team that includes NCAA Division I student-athletes. On the women's side XULA's Charlene Goreau made the first team, and Mariia Borodii is on the second team.
     

Xavier University of Louisiana tennisA panel of tennis publicists from Louisiana universities selected the All-Louisiana teams, and the LSWA announced the awards this past week.
     
Perez, from Pereira, Colombia, is the Gold Rush's third state Freshman of the Year and the first since Kyle Montrel in 2013. Perez produced a 17-match singles win streak, all at the No. 1 position, and was 18-3 overall.
     

Goreau, a senior from Toulouse, France, made the state's first team for the first time after second-team selections in 2016 and 2018. She joined Dominique Bell (2005, 2007-08) and Anastesia Opata (2008-10) as the only Gold Nuggets to make All-Louisiana three times.
     

Borodii, from Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, became the second XULA woman to make All-Louisiana as a freshman and sophomore. Nour Abbes (2014-15) did it first. Borodii was on the first team a year ago.
     

In voting for Coach of the Year, XULA's Alan Green was second on the men's side and third on the women's. The Gold Nuggets' Angelica De Vincenzis was runner-up for Newcomer of the Year.
     

Both XULA teams made deep runs this month during the NAIA National Championship tournament at Mobile, Ala. — the men were national runner-up for the third time in four years, and the women reached the semifinals for the second consecutive year and the fifth time in seven years.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Today, #HERstory was made. You are looking at the first ever female Band Director of the Grambling State World Famed Tiger Marching Band, Dr. Nikole Roebuck



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FAMU defensive collapse results in lopsided defeat versus Georgia Tech


Friday, May 31, 2019

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XULA's Perez is state's top freshman; Goreau, Borodii repeat


Tamika Catchings free clinic returns to XULA June 14