For Howard's Oliver, Great Leaps Forward

David Oliver has posted three of the world's top five times in the 110-meter hurdles this season, including 12.95 seconds in May.

EUGENE, Ore. -- David Oliver couldn't believe the turn his life had taken. He had graduated from Howard University with a bachelor's degree in marketing for this? He found himself bunking in an Orlando house with three other track athletes, one of whom was sleeping in the living room. They were so broke, they never turned on the air conditioning or used the dishwasher.

Oliver recalls buying five-pound bags of rice at Wal-Mart and pancake mix that required only water, and eating cereal all day long. He drove a rickety 1992 Chevy that sometimes got him to practice without stalling, but usually didn't. And then, once he arrived for his daily training under legendary, old-school coach Brooks Johnson, things got really tough. During Oliver's first practice under Johnson in 2004, the coach demanded nine 300-yard sprints, broken up into three sets.

After each set, Oliver stepped to the side of the track and vomited.



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ASU Hornets' Pierce upbeat about career, team

For the past five years, there has been one constant at Alabama State -- defensive coordinator Tony Pierce.Through the changing of head coaches, an embarrassing NCAA investigation, a SWAC championship and a never-ending carousel of assistant coaches coming and going, Pierce has endured.

Actually, he's done a bit more than endure. Over the past three years, he's put one of the top defensive units in the conference on the field. Although they slipped a bit last year, his Hornets have consistently been one of the stingiest defensive squads in the SWAC. And they've done it while propping up three terrible offensive units.

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SU's House looking to qualify in long jump

Southern University sophomore Jason House was a last-minute addition to the pool of high jumpers competing for three spots on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.

House, the 2008 Southwestern Athletic Conference champion in the high jump both indoors and outdoors, gets his first chance to claim a spot tonight when qualifying for the men’s high jump at the Olympic trials begins at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. The high jump is slated to get under way at 9:25 p.m. CDT.

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Ex-WSSU lineman Hayes finds time to give back

William Hayes is in the very early stages of what he hopes will be a successful NFL career but he is also finding time to focus on helping others.

Hayes, a former star at High Point Andrews and Winston-Salem State, was a fourth-round pick by the Tennessee Titans in April's NFL Draft. He will speak in Jamestown next week, talking about his life on and off the football field in a speech titled "Making the Right Choices."

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Huntington's Jones headed to UAPB

Pitcher will also walk on to basketball team.

On the basketball court at Huntington High School, Kyle Jones was part of a family affair, playing for his father, Mack. When it came time to pick a college, the younger Jones decided to follow in his father's footsteps — at least geographically.

Kyle Jones signed a baseball scholarship with the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff where Mack Jones was a standout basketball player as a collegian. Kyle Jones will have the same opportunity as he will walk on to the Golden Lions' basketball team. "It had a lot to do with it," Kyle Jones said of his family's ties to UAPB. "I always wanted to go there since I was little. I went back in my closet and saw some stuff and I thought, 'I should keep it in the family tradition.'"

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ASU Braves up ante on coaches' salaries

AD Hamilton ushers in change as athletic budget goes from $3.1M to $4.5M

Alcorn State announced the hiring of its third new head coach since December on Tuesday. And for the third time, the athletic department made a significant financial commitment.

Tonya Edwards will make her Division I head coaching debut for the Alcorn State women's basketball program this fall. Athletic director Darren Hamilton signed Edwards to a four-year, $95,000-a-year deal. Alcorn football coach Ernest Jones was hired at $140,000 per year, a $55,000 increase over his predecessor, Johnny Thomas. Larry Smith received a $125,000 base salary when he was hired to replace Sam West in May.

Both Hamilton and Edwards repeated the mantra started when Jones was hired - that it's a new day at Alcorn State and the bar has been raised.

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Two former Norfolk State sprinters qualify for Beijing Olympics

Former All-American Norfolk State sprinters Chris Brown and Chandra Sturrup qualified for the Beijing Olympics with victories in the 400 and 100 meters, respectively, over the weekend at the Bahamas' Olympic trials in Nassau.

Brown, 29, clocked a time of 45.43 seconds to edge 2008 NCAA outdoor 400-meter champion Andretti Bain of Oral Roberts (45.53). It was the second national 400-meter championship in Brown's career. Earlier this month, he set the national record of 44.40 at a meet in Oslo, Norway.

Sturrup, 36, will be competing in her fourth Olympics; she ran in Atlanta (1996), Sydney and Athens. She won the 100 meters in 11.14 seconds over the weekend. She will also compete in Beijing in the 400 relay.

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Former high school football star Lee McElroy finds opportunity in college athletic administration

Photo: Lee McElroy, former president of the National Association of Athletic Directors (2006-07), took a career-killer job at the University of Albany (SUNY) in 2000. While he recognized the problems at the University of Albany--administrative instability, no Division I conference affiliation, mediocre facilities, little private booster support--he also sensed opportunity. Today, under the athletic leadership of McElroy, UAlbany is the star of the East Coast Conference. (Courtesy DONNA ABBOTT VLAHOS THE BUSINESS REVIEW)

When others saw risk, Beaumont native Lee McElroy found opportunity. The oldest of 12 siblings, the former Hebert High School football star became the first to go as far from home has he did. Years later, an unexpected career shift took him from home again, this time on a journey that has allowed him to make as bigger a difference off the field than he ever did on it.

Through it all, McElroy points to a racially segregated upbringing that shaped his values today, as he is one of few African-Americans to run an athletic program at a non-traditionally-black school. "I've had a lot of success everywhere I've been, and that's because I learned to go in and look at an environment and then develop the pieces to make it fit," said McElroy, the director of athletics at New York's University of Albany since 2000.

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McElroy previously served as athletics director for four years at American University in Washington D.C., seven years at California State University-Sacramento and one year at the University of the District of Columbia.

Alcorn State names Tonya Edwards women's basketball coach

Photo: Coach Edwards comes to Alcorn State with superb credentials as a winner, including a high school championship, two national championships with the University of Tennessee Lady Vols in 1986 and 1987; was named MVP of the 1987 NCAA Tournament and named to the 1999 WNBA All-Star Team.

LORMAN, MS — After several weeks of searching, Alcorn State has found its new women’s basketball coach. ASU Athletic Director Darren Hamilton announced Monday that the school has hired Tonya Edwards as the new coach of the Lady Braves, pending approval of the board of trustees.

Edwards will be formally introduced to Alcorn fans at an 11 a.m. press conference today at the University Club in Jackson. Edwards comes to Alcorn State after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Detroit-Mercy. During her tenure she oversaw the budget, scheduled non-conference games and team travel, served as recruiting coordinator and coached the guards.

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Cooper prepares for presidency of S.C. State

Photo: Tallahassee, Florida native George Everett Cooper, Ph.D., earned his Bachelor’s degree from Florida A&M University; master’s degree, Tuskegee University; doctorate, University of Illinois, Urbana.

Dr. George E. Cooper will officially cement his name as South Carolina State University’s 10th president later this month. “I’m really excited about coming in. It’s just going to be an honor to serve,” Cooper said by phone Monday.

Cooper, the deputy administrator for science and education resources development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, emerged from a field of more than 40 applicants to be named the next president of S.C. State. He will officially take his position on July 16.

Cooper also touched on S.C. State’s athletic tradition, particularly in football. “I would hope we would be conference champs,” he said. But Cooper said the first mission of the institution is to provide students with a strong academic background and mold them into outstanding citizens.

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Former ASU coach hopes to get NCAA charges dropped

MONTGOMERY, Alabama - Former Alabama State University coach L.C. Cole says he hopes to have alleged NCAA rules violations against him dropped or reduced to minor charges.

"I'm happy that it's coming to an end, but I'm anxious over how it's going to play out," said Cole, who was fired by ASU in 2003 and now coaches in the Canadian Football League.

The Montgomery Advertiser reported Monday that Cole might benefit financially if the charges are reduced to minor status. When fired, Cole had two years left on a contract that paid him about $125,000 annually and stipulated it could be terminated only if he was found to commit major NCAA violations, the newspaper said.

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Florida A&M University is Back!

AAMU players propose statue for Crews

The late Louis Crews is the all-time winningest football coach at Alabama A&M University. The stadium is named after him and the entrance leading to the luxury boxes is filled with his memorabilia. Now, a group of his former players, spearheaded by former split end Tom Jones and former quarterback Onree Jackson, are trying to raise money to erect a statue and a plaza in his honor outside of the stadium.

"This is our way to honor Coach Crews and his legacy," said Jackson, who played for Crews from 1965-69. "We're talking about a man that was larger than life. We're talking about the man that put Alabama A&M football on the map."

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FAMU golf team records ace with latest recruit

So much was at stake on a day when Shepherd Archie III was playing one of his worst rounds of golf. He was seven strokes over par and his high school team needed just one good shot. He’d been the go-to guy for Augusta (Ga.) Richmond Academy so many times before. Even in his struggles that didn’t change.

Down to his last shot, Archie perfectly executed a 30-foot birdie to clinch the Georgia 4A championship for his team this past spring. “I had no idea that the putt that I made would have won the tournament for us,” he said. “I was playing real badly at the time but I just tried to find a way to get through the round. My driver was off but I just had to find a way.”

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Former SU Jaguar leaps his way onto US Olympic Team

Brian Johnson earns US Olympic Team Spot in Long Jump

Willie Davenport, Rodney Milburn, and now, Brian Johnson -- SU Olympians. Brian Johnson solidified his name in Southern athletic lore forever, as he finished second in the long jump today at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene, OR.

Johnson had the leading jump on the trials heading into today's long jump finals. On Friday, Brian leaped 8.09m (26-06.50 ft), outdistancing eventual winner, Travell Quinley, by 3 inches.

On Sunday, Trevell Quinley lept 8.36m (27-05.25 ft) to take the win over Johnson, who had a second place jump of 8.30m (27-02.75 ft), while Miguel Pate finished third.

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SCSU's newest coach no stranger to Bulldogs

John L. Williams does not need much schooling about South Carolina State University. A former player and assistant coach at North Carolina A&T during the 1990s, the Greenville, N.C. native got first hand view of the Bulldogs’ football tradition. As a senior, he lined up against the Bulldogs’ team which went 10-2 and won both the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and Heritage Bowl.

Starting today, Williams will try to help add to SCSU’s history as the new strength and conditioning coach. He replaces Thomas Stallworth, who resigned to take a similar job at Grambling State.

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Jackson State's Shasta Averyhardt gets taste of big time

Former JSU star Shasta Averyhardt played in her first USGA championship last week at the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links. She made the cut of 64 and won her first match before losing the second 3 and 2. "It was different... it was fun," said Averyhardt, who was meet medalist for the 2008 SWAC champion Lady Tigers. "They treated me like a queen. I can definitely get used to it."

The atmosphere was a little different playing on the pristine Erin Hills Golf course in Erin, Wisc. - the scheduled host of the 2011 U.S. Amateur. From the strict pace of play to the locker rooms to the length of the course, the event was a taste of big-time professional golf.




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The 6-1, 22 year old Averyhardt is from Flint, Michigan and is scheduled to complete her degree requirements in accounting at JSU in December 2008. She has exhausted all four years of her eligibility in collegiate golf.

ASU responds to NCAA allegations: L.C. Cole hopes to clear his name

Photo: Texas Southern University first year head coach Johnnie Cole.

After nearly five years, Alabama State's NCAA rules infraction case is winding down. On Friday, school officials sent in their final response to numerous alleged rules violations -- many of which the school self-reported -- and former head football coach L.C. Cole said his attorney plans to send in his response on Monday to the four charges he's facing.

In addition, there were several indications late in the week that former ASU assistant coach Johnnie Cole, L.C.'s brother, had been cleared of all major violations in the case. Contacted on Friday, Johnnie Cole, now the head coach at Texas Southern University, said the NCAA had told him that he couldn't discuss the situation. Johnnie had been charged with three major violations when he was suspended in 2003 from his job as offensive coordinator.

L.C. Cole, in the meantime, is set to argue his innocence once more.

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The beat goes on for former Landstown coach Chris Beatty

Photo: FAMU's Joe Taylor, the former Hampton University coach made a surprising move in 2006, hiring Chris Beatty out of the high school ranks to run his offense. “Chris has this great ability to evaluate talent and then find a way to get the football to that talent. To me, to hire a guy like that, it wasn’t a risk. It was a no-brainer.” (Mark's Digital Photography)

MORGANTOWN, WV - Here in the war room at West Virginia University, the newly assembled football staff is building its offense, but the braintrust has hit a snag. Offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen, who helped Wake Forest to an ACC title in 2006, is stumped. So is associate head coach Doc Holliday, who helped Florida win a national championship in 2007. Receivers coach Lonnie Galloway, who came from an Appalachian State staff that won the past three I-AA national titles, has no answers.

The group turns to the youngest, least-experienced coach in the room. He offers simple advice, his career-long mantra. “I know one thing,” Chris Beatty says. “You don’t take the ball out of your best player’s hands. You just don’t. Let’s start there.”

Everyone nods. Basic, but brilliant.

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2008-09 Alabama A&M Basketball Preview: #143

Alabama A&M Bulldogs
Overall Rank: #143
Conference Rank: #1 SWAC
2007-08: 14-15, 11-7, 3rd
2007-08 postseason: none

If Alabama A&M could only beat Arkansas Pine Bluff, their season would have ended much differently. As it was, the Bulldogs finished third in the conference and had a first round conference tournament exit at the hands of the Golden Lions. With a whole slew of talent returning, the Bulldogs will have the best back court in the SWAC and that should be enough for Coach Vann Pettaway’s squad to think about a conference championship.

Who’s Out: However, there is a huge, literally and figuratively, hole to fill in the front court. The 6-11 Mickell Gladness tallied 10.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Having a big guy like that...

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Small, three other Rattlers to be honored at awards banquet

The 2003 football season had come to this: two friends and veteran football coaches clashing in a game that would decide the MEAC championship. On the home sideline stood George Small and his North Carolina A&T Aggies. Joe Taylor had his slightly favored Hampton Pirates ready on the opposing side.

The Aggies scored first, twice in the opening quarter for a one-touchdown lead. The lead swelled to 17 points, then Hampton punched back twice. Just a field goal separated them at halftime. Small went into his playbook and found just the right schemes to win and secure the sixth league title for the Aggies.

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Choose Jackson State University

Meet JSU alumna Dr. Linda Johnson, a Mississippi Optometrist.

Former HU Denique Graves named assistant women's basketball coach

VESTAL, N.Y. -- The Binghamton University women's basketball team has announced the hiring of former Howard University Bison player, Denique Graves as an assistant coach to first-year head coach Nicole Scholl.

Graves is a three-year veteran of the WNBA and has seven years of international playing experience. She was drafted 15th overall in the 1997 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Monarchs and played for two seasons. In 2001, she signed as a free agent with the Orlando Miracle.

Around the globe, Graves played in Brazil (1997), Greece (1998), Turkey (1999) and Bulgaria (2001). In addition, she was both a professional player and a coach in Sweden (2000), Switzerland (2002), Austria (2003-04) and China (2004).

"I am very excited for Denique to join our coaching staff here at Binghamton," Scholl said. "She brings a wealth of playing experience and will be instrumental in the development of our post players. Her ties to the east coast and internationally will also benefit our program. Denique and I have the same philosophy when it comes to teaching and providing a positive experience for the young women in our program."

A 2008 graduate of Howard University, Graves starred for the Bison from 1993-97 before launching her professional career. She was a three-year All-MEAC selection and was the first player from a historically black college or university to be drafted by the WNBA.

Since 2004, Graves has been a coach at seven different basketball camps. Most recently, she was the Girls Basketball Director and Coach for the Headfirst Camp in Washington D.C.

Binghamton University, a SUNY doctoral research university for 13,000 students in beautiful upstate New York, plays Division I Women's Basketball in the American East Conference. Each of the nine institutions - University at Albany, Binghamton University, Boston University, University of Hartford, University of Maine, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), University of New Hampshire, Stony Brook University, and University of Vermont - offer a unique blend of academic and athletic tradition.

SSU's Jackson gets AD job at Lincoln Univ. in Missouri

Paula Jackson announced Friday that she has resigned as Savannah State University's assistant athletic director of compliance/senior woman administrator to accept the position as AD at Lincoln University, an NCAA Division II school in Jefferson City, Mo. Jackson, who joined SSU's athletic staff in May of 2005, also served as the school's interim AD from Oct. 2007 to May 2008.

"I want to thank Paula for all her hard work and dedicated service in a variety of roles at SSU," said new SSU AD Bart Bellairs. "She is going to be a big asset at Lincoln University and will be missed by many people at SSU. I appreciate what she has done during my brief time as athletics director."

Jackson came to SSU from Kentucky's Morehead State University, where she served as assistant AD and senior woman administrator. Prior to that, she held the same positions at Clark Atlanta University.

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New SCSU women’s basketball coach keeping busy, staying quiet

Since accepting the head women’s basketball job at South Carolina State in April, Doug Robertson has seemingly kept a low profile. The relative silence from his office should not be construed as inactivity, however. Over the past 2½ months, Robertson has worked feverishly to put the Lady Bulldogs’ program back on the winning track.

Step one was the formation of a coaching staff who could best maximize the talents of the current players while demonstrating an ability to recruit new talent from throughout the country. To that end, Robertson has hired Marcell Harrison and La’Nette Dillard, while retaining the services of Antonio Davis.

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