AAMU Jennings alternately praised, criticized during tenure

Change welcome in beginning, but soon led to friction.

Dr. Robert Jennings was never trustees' first pick to become the 10th permanent president of Alabama A&M University.

They voted 5-4 to offer him the job on Dec. 16, 2005, after their unanimous first choice, Dr. Julian Earls, then director of NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, had turned them down in October.

Jennings, now 57, was the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Future Focus 2020, an academic think tank and research training center in the Babcock Graduate School of Management at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C.

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AAMU Jennings fired for financial improperiety

Grambling State fires both head basketball coaches

By GSU Sports Information

GRAMBLING, La. – The Grambling State University Department of Athletics has announced that head men’s basketball coach Larry Wright and head women’s coach David “Rusty” Ponton will not be retained for the 2008-09 season.

"I applaud the dedication both head coaches have put into their programs during their tenure at Grambling," stated Grambling State Director of Athletics Troy Mathieu. "However, as we look to take our basketball programs to a higher level of competitiveness, a change in leadership was necessary.” ,

The university will begin the process of conducting a comprehensive search to fill both positions. While the search is taking place, Senior Woman Administrator and Lady Tiger assistant coach Sharon Perkins and men’s assistant coach Kenny Sykes will serve as interim coaches for their respective programs.

B-CU speedsters on Thunderbirds

DAYTONA BEACH -- Lamont Finnie and Louis Brown first met on the streets -- the streets of Bethune-Cookman University.

The two Daytona Beach Thunderbirds speedsters shared a common bond there.

"Me and Louis met back at Bethune, we were racing on the street with each other. We'd race and everything on the strip on foot," said Finnie, whose Thunderbirds play their Arena Football League2 home opener Sunday vs. Wilkes-Barre. "It was 60 yards. Everybody comes out. They say, 'You're fast,' well, then they text you and tell you to come out to race. If somebody calls you out, you go race."

Apparently, foot-racing is an age-old tradition among the football players and students at B-CU.

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This must be a southern thing--running in the streets for no other purpose than someone called you out...

Relief pitcher Ross stymies Southern in LSU Tigers’ 8-3 win

Photo: (L) LSU Tigers Coach Paul Mainieri; and (R) SU Jaguars Coach Roger Candor.

What was shaping up as a thriller between crosstown rivals — with Southern’s Human Jukebox grooving a cozy full house and seven runs already on the scoreboard — got quelled quickly when LSU coach Paul Mainieri made the unusual move of going to the bullpen in the second inning.

Freshman Austin Ross answered the extremely early call.

Ross struck out eight and walked one, scattering four hits, in getting his first collegiate win and making his longest appearance as LSU won 8-3 Tuesday night, in front of 660 fans, the band and onlookers from the Harding Blvd. overpass, at Lee-Hines Field.

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Southern University baseball is 2-43 all-time against LSU.

Alcorn State basketball coach West fired

Photo: Alcorn State's head men's basketball coach Samuel West (gray suit) ends 12 year coaching career with the Braves. West is a native of Natchez, MS and a 1977 graduate of Texas Southern University.


Alcorn State men’s basketball coach Samuel West was fired Tuesday after five seasons on the job, a school official confirmed.

West’s removal coincides with the arrival of new athletic director Darren Hamilton, who started Tuesday, replacing interim AD Wiley Jones. Alcorn State officials would not comment further but said a news release with more details would be issued on Wednesday.

West, 52, won 44 games and lost 103 in his five seasons as the Braves coach. The former Northwest Rankin High School boys coach was an assistant at Alcorn for seven years under legendary coach Davey Whitney before being named head coach in April of 2003.

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Florida A&M Rattlers' defense works hard, hits hard

Photo: FAMU Coach Orlando Mitjans, defensive coordinator/secondary coach; first year, a 1982 graduate of Northeastern (Mass.) University.

The drill looked pretty routine. FAMU’s defensive front rushed up to a mock offense, then backed off upon contact.

Defensive coordinator Orlando Mitjans wanted the play repeated — again and again. Defensive end Kendrick Washington clearly understood what Mitjans wanted.

“We just put it in our hearts and our heads to make most of the plays,” Washington said after the Rattlers went through the sixth day of spring workouts on Tuesday.
The defense has been showing a tenacious attitude even before the team put on pads on the third day. The front seven has been especially aggressive, showing unusual speed this early.

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If you are attempting to keep up with the players on the FAMU roster, here is what we have been able to confirm from this article:

#71 Cameron Houston, Nose Tackle/DT, 6-0/285 soph., Rockledge H.S., Rockledge, FL.
#97 Kendrick Washington, DE, 6-5/245, soph., Sebastian River H.S., Sebastian, FL.
#91 Marquiste Ramos, DE, 6-5/245, junior, Bayside H.S., Bayside, FL.
#99 Joseph Weems, DE, 6-5/245, RS junior, Carol City H.S., Miami, FL.

The class standings indicated are the anticipated school level for Fall 2008.

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South Carolina State football holds fifth practice

South Carolina State continued spring football drills Monday as the Bulldogs conducted the fifth of 15 scheduled workouts.

A good bit of Monday's workout was devoted to correcting mistakes from the team's first scrimmage this past Saturday, according to head coach Buddy Pough. The Bulldogs also devoted some time to fundamentals, sharpening execution of assignments, red zone offense and defense, and third down-and-medium execution.

Pough said overall execution was fair but that his team appeared sluggish in the beginning before coming alive near the end of the workout.

VIDEO: S.C. State quarterback Malcolm Long in 5th Bulldog spring practice session (3/31/08).



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UAPB using spring practice for evaluation

As spring practice begins today for the Arkansas-Pine Bluff football team, the Golden Lions are under evaluation by first-year head coach Monte Coleman.

Coleman, who has served as the Golden Lions’ defensive coordinator the last two seasons and will continue that role this season, said Monday that the next three weeks will be an evaluation period for his football team.

“I addressed the team and told them that the spring is an evaluation period,” Coleman said. “Every position is open.”

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Tennessee State University alum coaches Michigan State Spartans golf team

Photo: Michigan State University Spartans head golf coach Sam Puryear

Life coach: The Sam Puryear impact

Photo Gallery: Sam and the Spartans, http://www.golfweektv.com/gallery/SamPuryear

It’s been another frigid winter in central Michigan. Snowfall in East Lansing has been about 14 inches above average, which isn’t good news for Michigan State senior Nate Gunthorpe. The Spartans have putting practice at 6 a.m. three days per week, and it’s a few miles from his off-campus house to the school’s indoor Rearick Golf Complex.

“Waking up, getting snow off your car, warming it up and being there by 6 ready to putt,” Gunthorpe said. “We definitely know why we’re doing it.”

Waiting for Gunthorpe and his teammates is first-year head coach Sam Puryear. Standing 6 feet tall and dressed impeccably in Spartan green, Puryear is a man with a plan. His energy is palpable, and his preparation is relentless. Always approachable and never short on one-liners, Puryear is just nine months removed from his first college coaching job, a 1 1/2-year stint as Stanford’s assistant coach, in which he helped head coach Conrad Ray guide the Cardinal to the 2007 NCAA championship.

Now, as the first black head golf coach in a major NCAA Division I conference, Puryear has the reins of the Spartans, a team that rose into the top 20 earlier this season.

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Mini Bio:
Sam is a 1992 graduate of Tennessee State University. He served three years as the assistant golf coach at Stanford University, winning the NCAA Division I national golf championship last season (2007). Prior to joining Stanford, he served as Executive Director of East Lake Junior Golf Academy in Atlanta, GA., where he managed the development of golf instruction and curriculum for an academy serving more than 1,000 youth. Puryear has a proven track record for fundraising, campaigning, and program support.

Samuel G. Puryear Jr. was born and raised in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Great article!!

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3-way battle for quarterback at WSSU

Photo: Winston Salem State University head football coach Kermit Blount.

If Winston-Salem State had to play a football game today, Coach Kermit Blount said it would be tough to choose a starting quarterback.

One of the priorities during spring practices, which ended yesterday, was to find a starter from the three candidates. But with the final spring scrimmage being rained out yesterday, Blount couldn’t say who won the battle.

The three candidates - junior Jarrett Dunston, sophomore Brian Wynn and freshman Tienne Jefferson - all had their good and bad moments during the 14 practices that were spread out during the past three weeks.

Another candidate who will arrive in the fall is Branden Williams, a talented player from Seale, Ala. Williams, 6-1 and 190 pounds, came to watch practice on Friday, making the long drive with his father, Arthur. Williams, who is playing high-school baseball this spring, passed for more than 3,000 yards and rushed for more than 2,000 while scoring a combined 45 touchdowns in his career.

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LSU opens key week at Southern Jaguars

Paul Mainieri gathered the LSU baseball team near first base Sunday at McKethan Stadium in Gainesville, Fla., fresh off its only victory of a three-game series at Florida.

LSU (16-10) will play Southern (10-10) at 6 p.m. today at Lee-Hines Field. "Playing Southern at Southern will be tough,” Mainieri said. “Centenary’s been playing good ball. They beat Arkansas the other day. That’s not going to be an easy game."

“All the pressure is on LSU to win,” Cador said. “There’s no pressure on us. LSU better come in, and they’d better be able to beat us by a whole bunch of runs, or people are going to think there’s something wrong.”

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Wells is Savannah State University football's last hope

Photo: SSU Tigers head coach Robby Wells is on the hot seat before the season starts for the 2008 Tigers.


Robby Wells saw Savannah State's football program as "a little gold mine" six years ago. Now the Tigers' head miner, Wells must find that hidden mineral vein. Or SSU should close its mine for good.

This is a program in peril. Nine coaches in 13 years, four since Wells became taken with the school as a South Carolina State assistant in 2002. Ten wins since moving to Division I-AA in 2000, only three against I-AA competition. A fan base dwindling with each coaching change, blowout loss and stranger-than-fiction episode, like student coaches selling steroids to players.

Wells is the Tigers' last hope. The administration made a long-term commitment when they hired him four months ago, with athletics' headmaster Claud Flythe promising Wells will be at SSU as long as he himself is.

Wells will either make the Tigers respectable or drive them to extinction. Such is the risk taken by a historically black college that hires a young white man with no head coaching experience to lead its marquee athletic program.

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Former Florida A&M head coach Rubin Carter was a finalist for this position. Kent Schoolfield, a former Fort Vally State head coach, and FAMU and Florida State assistant coach was also a finalist. Georgia Southern's legendary QB/current Bethune Cookman assistant coach Raymond Gross was a finalist.

But, the SSU president selects Robby Wells, with no head coaching experience--period, over coaches that have had some success at the Division I level or higher.

Carter was a Miami All-American and NFL All Pro; Schoolfield was an NFL player and FAMU All American; Gross won national championships with GSU and was an All-American player. Wells credentials just doesn't measure up to the other coaches that were available to SSU.

In all fairness to Wells and his staff, they have no chance of winning, even with a 12 game schedule stacked with NAIA and Division II programs.

Inadequate scholarships--no incoming talent equals no winning program. You can't attract Division I level talent based on a pipe dream and an unproven coaching staff. Who would put their football future into the hands of an unproven commodity like Coach Wells.

It can get worst than the Tigers ever imagined with a possible record of 1-11 or 0-12 in 2008, and a Tigers fan base quickly disappearing. SSU in its current condition with NCAA probation and reduced scholarships, would be hard pressed to be a competitive Division II program, today.

Nine coaches in 13 years speaks volumes about the ineptitude of the SSU administration when it comes to the major economic engine of the school.

Moreover, why schedule 12 football games in 2008, and only play four games on the Tigers home field? You don't make money playing road games at Division II and NAIA stadiums, so what's the logic behind that move?

The Tigers are not a Division I FCS football program in any stretch of the imagination, and until a full commitment is made financially to SSU football, attempting to compete at the FCS (formerly 1-AA) level is a major disservice to the Tigers student-athletes and fan base.

It will take more than hope (with no head coaching experience) to win at SSU. The first order of business should have been to hire a competent athletic director.

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The future of Alabama A&M University

Only a strong leader can save the university from itself

Whether you supported Dr. Robert Jennings in his almost two-year tenure at Alabama A&M University or whether you thought he had proved himself unequal to the task of leading the historically black school effectively, the decision by the board of trustees on Monday to fire Jennings must lead to this conclusion: This is a regrettable time for the university.

But we'll go further: A&M's leadership is, in fact, in chaos and there's little hope it can reach a state of equilibrium unless things change dramatically and soon.

Exactly why Jennings was fired remains unclear. Reports of Jennings' alleged questionable payments to staff members haven't been effectively addressed publicly.

The board has continued to meet behind closed doors to discuss his job performance, saying it was dealing with "good name and character" and getting legal advice.

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Jennings plans court action against firing by A&M

Photo: Fired Alabama A&M University president Dr. Robert R. Jennings.

Alabama A&M University President Dr. Robert Jennings was fired by the board of trustees in a 7-1 vote March 31, 2008, but will not leave without a fight.

"He feels like this was an absolute travesty of justice," said his attorney, John Saxon of Birmingham. "It was a kangaroo court. "I'm not even sure, first of all, that this was a lawful meeting."

Saxon said Jennings was not given a hearing or chance to respond publicly to the charges against him, and the termination was based on the report of an ad hoc committee never approved by the board.

"He has not been afforded due process, and we plan to fully challenge the decision and all of these points in Madison County Circuit Court," Saxon said. "I think he didn't play ball the way some people wanted him to play ball and to go along the way things had been in the past. And that bothered some people, some people in high places."

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Dr. Jennings is a Morehouse College grad earning a B.A. in sociology in 1972; earned a M.A. in educational psychology in 1974 and a Ed.S. degrees in interrelated learning, 1979 from Clark Atlanta University. He also earned a Doctor of Education degree in educational administration and policy studies from Clark Atlanta University in 1982.

FAMU's Coach Taylor happy with RBs, defense

Photo: Quarterback Eddie Battle #8, comes out of the first week of spring practice holding on to the starting position. The 6-2/215 redshirt junior is from Titusville, FL/Astronaunt H.S.

After reviewing the film from Saturday's scrimmage, Florida A&M football coach Joe Taylor was pleased with his team's ability to run the ball and pointed to the receiving corps as an area in need of improvement.

"The running game I was very satisfied with," Taylor said. "We just need to find the top three or four receivers and give them some more reps. I was also impressed with the special teams. We need to work on our punt team, but our kickoff return was good."

Taylor was also pleased by the play of his defense, which has so far had the better end of the stick in 11-on-11 drills.

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Delaware State's Moore hitting stride

Photo: Laronne Moore is a former QB at Prince George's County (MD) Northwestern H.S., that has 4.29 speed in the 40 yard dash. As a Hornet WR, the 6-0/180 junior will be a dangerous weapon in the DSU offense.

Wide receiver learning fast after just one season at new position

DOVER -- Nothing Laronne Moore does suggests rookie. At 6-foot tall, Moore has that sinewy, streamlined leanness of a veteran wide receiver. He can reach out to pull in a pass even the best sometimes miss.

But the Delaware State junior is quick to remind people that last season was his first year playing wide receiver. Now, Moore is the Hornets' heir apparent.

"This is actually my first spring football," Moore said Saturday at Alumni Stadium. "I'm ready to take over. I hope I can do all they expect me to be."

DSU, which finished 10-2 last season and won its first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title since 1991, will need Moore to reinvigorate its passing game. DSU ranked seventh out of the nine MEAC teams with just 134 receiving yards per game.

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Taylor boosts Prairie View in win over Southern Jaguars

Photo: PVAMU senior pitcher Wrandal Taylor #3, discuss game strategy with teammates. The 5-10/190 Two-Time ALL-SWAC First Teamer is from Beaumont, Texas/Ozen H.S.

Prairie View senior pitcher Wrandal Taylor, the face of the program’s rise from obscurity, did Sunday what he’s done for so long: produce a gem when his team needed him most.

Taylor (3-2) struck out six in a complete-game 6-2 win over Southern at Lee-Hines Field. Entering Sunday, the Panthers had gone 3-15, including two losses to SU on Saturday, since March 5 and Taylor had lost twice since winning last on March 1.
“This team needed it. Golly,” PV coach Michael Robertson said.

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Florida A&M Rattlers Rally to beat A&T Aggies

Photo: FAMU Rattlers head baseball coach Robert Lucus.

GREENSBORO, N.C. (March 30, 2008)– On a day tailor-made for sloppy play because of cold, rainy weather, the North Carolina A&T baseball team went eight innings without letting the elements have an affect.

But in the ninth, Sunday’s conditions finally caught up with the Aggies. Florida A&M scored six runs in its half of the ninth on three Aggie errors to rally and beat N.C. A&T 8-6 in MEAC action at War Memorial Stadium.

The loss dropped the Aggies to 4-2 in the MEAC and 11-15 overall as the Rattlers (6-13, 2-4 MEAC) took two out of three from the Aggies during the weekend series. The Aggies appeared to be in great shape heading into the ninth. Although he gave up a run in the eighth, the Aggies had closer Marquis Frink on the mound.

They also had a 4-2 lead. Therefore, Frink appeared to be headed for his fourth save of the season. Frink struck out Chris Justice to open the ninth. It fell apart from there, however.

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The FAMU Rattlers knocked off Albany State on Friday 5-2, and get two wins of three games with the Aggies for a great winning weekend. Rattlers on a run...

Tim Jones led the Rattlers with three hits – two of them doubles – and he scored twice in the 3rd game with A&T. Cunningham had two hits and scored twice. Go Rattlers!

Cosby to be N.C. A&T's commencement speaker

Photo: Bill Cosby, Ed.D.

GREENSBORO — Bill Cosby will be the speaker at N.C. A&T's spring commencement on May 10. An estimated 1,100 students will receive degrees that day at the Greensboro Coliseum starting at 8:30 a.m.

Cosby is an actor, comedian, author and philanthropist who has both a master's degree and a doctorate in education from the University of Massachusetts. His latest work is the book "Come on People: On the Path from Victims to Victors" with co-author Alvin F. Poussaint, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Cosby recently lent his name to a collaborative educational program, the Cosby Kids Initiative, at A&T and GTCC that aims to enhance the academic performance of targeted students in fourth, sixth and eighth grades.

A&T also will host a special performance, "An Evening with Bill Cosby" at 7 p.m. May 9 at the Sheraton Four Seasons. For tickets and more information, call 433-5570.

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Jackson State Tigers rehearse for spring game

The Jackson State football team held its final scrimmage before the spring game on Saturday. The conclusion of spring workouts takes place with a 1:30 p.m. kickoff inside Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium this coming Saturday.

Coming off a hiatus for spring break, the JSU defense was a bit ahead of the offense. Defensive end Sam Washington had the hit of the day, a blind-side sack that snapped back the head of Hinds CC transfer Terrance Barnes. Defensive back Willie Brown picked off an overthrown ball by quarterback A.J. McKenna and linebacker Malcolm Palmer recovered a fumble.

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Rattlers split a pair against North Carolina A&T, 2-9, 6-4

Photo: FAMU Rattlers P/IF Cirilo Manego, (0-4), 5-9/165 senior, New Orlean, LA/De La Salle HS.

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Florida A&M Baseball team split a doubleheader with North Carolina A&T, dropping Game One 9-2 and winning Game Two 6-4, here Saturday afternoon at War Memorial Stadium.

In game one FAMU (5-13, 1-4 MEAC) punched out 10 hit with Jared Jeffries leading the way with three, while N.C. A&T (11-13, 4-0 MEAC) finished with seven hits paced by Neil Rosser with two hits.

Tim Johnson (4-1) got the win for the Aggies giving up one earned run and striking out 11 in nine innings, while Cirilo Manego (0-4) took the loss for the Rattlers giving up five earned runs and striking out two in five innings.

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A clarion call from Bennett College new president

Photo: Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author and commentator, and the Founder & Thought Leader of Last Word Productions, Inc, a multimedia production company. She is also currently serving as the 15th President of Bennett College for Women, Greensboro, N.C.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Julianne Malveaux has but one major goal for Bennett College for Women: that it become an oasis for education.

"The mantra must be 'Education or extinction,' " she said.

Malveaux was installed as the college's 15th president in a Saturday-afternoon ceremony filled with dignitaries, scholars and celebrities.

Her speech: "Belle: A Clarion Call for Excellence and Equality — Right Here! Right Now!"

Her pledge: Bennett College will move from "good to great."

In her inaugural address, Malveaux said it is important that Bennett College answer the call to nurture the intellect, education and academic achievements of its students.

"If we do not educate this population, we fail," she said.

Malveaux, who has a doctorate in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, discussed the importance of embracing global studies now that the American economy is on the brink of recession.

"We have to prepare our students for a global world," she said.

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Author and syndicated columnist Dr. Julianne Malveaux, Ph.D, gives an inspiring talk on the contributions of W.E.B. DuBois and other African-American scholars in this event marking UCSD's celebration of Black History Month. Dr. Malveaux received her BA and MA degrees in economics from Boston College in three years, and earned a Ph.D in economics from The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She holds honorary degrees from Benedict College, Sojourner-Douglass College and the University of the District of Columbia.

SSU conducts first scrimmage of spring practice

Photo: SSU Tigers have won three games in two years playing Division I-AA, Division II and NAIA competition. The Tigers defeated the Golden Bulls, Johnson C. Smith University (D-II) 24-10 on Sept 7, for their only victory in 2007.

Running backs Edwards, Curry and Babb run for touchdowns.

The performances of Savannah State's running backs and offensive linemen highlighted the Tigers' first scrimmage of spring practice Saturday morning.

Antwan Edwards, Rashad Curry and Justin Babb each ran for touchdowns behind an offensive line that was proficient with the Tigers' zone-blocking scheme.

There was not a final score or a winning team among the blue and white squads (the quarterbacks wore orange jerseys). There was not a roster and no statistics were recorded. SSU coaches used the scrimmage to evaluate performances and develop techniques.

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JSU's Denardo Smith hopes to make mark at tailback

Denardo Smith knows this is his chance.

The redshirt freshman came to Jackson State last fall with the undefined "athlete" label. He played linebacker, and even some defensive end, at Carver High School in Montgomery, Ala. He started out as a safety/linebacker with JSU, but was quickly converted to running back.

Carver certainly wasn't getting any playing time behind the trio of Erik Haw, Lavarius Giles and Cody Hull in 2007 - hence the redshirt. But there weren't high expectations for 2008 either - until Haw decided to forgo his senior year and test the NFL waters.

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Golden Lions bounce back with pair of victories over Texas Southern

After Arkansas-Pine Bluff lost 15-2 to Texas Southern on Friday, the Golden Lions’ morale was at an all-time low.

My, how quickly things can change.

Daniel Gathright pitched a complete game and UAPB pounded out 18 hits in a 15-9 win over the Tigers in the first game of a doubleheader, and the Golden Lions scored 10 runs in the final three innings — including five in the bottom of the ninth — of the nightcap to pull off a thrilling 12-11 victory to take their first Southwestern Athletic Conference series of the season on Saturday at Regional Park.

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