Johnsonville's Turner signs on to play for Claflin in 2012

JOHNSONVILLE, S.C. -- After helping lead her team to a lower state title appearance, Johnsonville’s Keyarah Turner will be taking her game to the next level as a member of the Claflin University volleyball team in 2012.

Turner, a middle setter on one of the school’s most successful volleyball teams in recent memory, will leave behind her time as a Flash to carry out her dreams of studying sports medicine and playing for the perennially powerful Panthers volleyball program.

On Wednesday, May 30, Turner signed to play volleyball for Claflin in the fall, which brought out classmates, friends and family – something that let Turner know why Johnsonville will always be special to her.

“It’s good, but then again, I’m going to miss everybody,” she said. “I don’t really know how to say it. It’s good, but then again, it’s kind of sad. I’m glad to be moving on, but I’ll miss everyone.”

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Xavier's Jackson to serve as USA Basketball court coach

Coach Dannton Jackson led Xavier to a 23-9 record in
2011-12  and was voted GCAC Coach of the Year.

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Dannton Jackson is one of four selected as a court coach for the 2012 USA Basketball Men's U18 National Team training camp June 5-7 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Jackson, South Carolina's Frank Martin, Chattanooga State's Jay Price and North Carolina Wesleyan's John Thompson will assist the national team coaching staff and the 24 players who will attend the training camp, which will determine the 12-member U.S. roster for the FIBA Americas U18 Championship in Brazil later in the month.

"It's an honor to be able to represent, first of all the NAIA, as well as Xavier and our country," Jackson said. "It will be an honor to work with some of the best coaches in the country, as well as some of the most talented under-18 players in the country. I’m looking forward to the experience and can't wait to get to work."

Jackson is 202-90 in nine seasons as Xavier's head coach with three Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season co-championships, seven 20-victory seasons and six appearances in the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship. His Gold Rush were 23-9 this past season, sharing the GCAC regular-season title with Tougaloo, qualifying for nationals for the second straight year and ranking 24th in the NAIA postseason coaches poll. Xavier is the only men's team in the NAIA or NCAA to rank in the top six in scoring defense in its division each of the past five seasons.

The U18 coaching staff consists of Florida's Billy Donovan, Gonzaga's Mark Few and VCU's Shaka Smart.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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Mead, Pieri make Capital One Academic All-District team

JAVON MEAD

MATT PIERI

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Javon Mead and Matt Pieri have been chosen to the Capital One Academic All-District 4 college division men's track and field/cross country team. The College Sports Information Directors of America selected the five-member team.

Xavier has produced six Academic All-District athletes, all in the past four seasons.

Mead, a sophomore from Baton Rouge, La., and a graduate of Baton Rouge Magnet High School, is an accounting major at Xavier with a 3.66 grade-point average. Mead is a two-time All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference cross country runner who finished third in the conference meet in 2010 and fifth in 2011. He has four top-10 finishes and two top-5s in two years.

Pieri, a junior from New Orleans and a graduate of Brother Martin High School, is a pharmacy major with a 3.79 GPA. Pieri is a three-time All-GCAC runner and was the league's 2010 individual champion. He was a 2011 Daktronics Scholar-Athlete and was inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society. Pieri has won a GCAC career-record 10 Runner of the Week awards, four this past season. He has 13 top-10 finishes and nine top-5s in three seasons.

District 4 in the college division comprises athletes in Louisiana, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee. Xavier and Morehouse (District 5 of NCAA Division II) were the only HBCUs to be represented on the any of the Academic All-District men's track/cross country teams this year. 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. First-team Academic All-District members advance to the Academic All-America® ballot.

Xavier's previous Academic All-District honorees were Kelechi Okoroha in men's basketball, Joe Drexler-Dreis in men's track/cross country and tennis player Terry Richardson (at-large) in 2008-09 and Brianna Dekine in women's track/cross country in 2010-11.

Xavier is a six-time defending GCAC team champion in men's and women's cross country. Both squads qualified for the NAIA National Championships three of the past four seasons, including 2011.

Academic All-District teams  (PDF file)

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

MSU student charged with killing, eating man's brain, heart

BALTIMORE, Maryland - The 21-year-old college student allegedly told detectives that he hadn't just killed the man who'd lived with his family for months, but had eaten his heart and portions of his brain. The victim's severed head and hands were found in the men's Harford County home; more remains were left in a trash container outside a church.

Authorities outlined the macabre circumstances Thursday in charges against Alexander Kinyua, an electrical engineering major at Morgan State University and member of his school's ROTC program, of first-degree murder in the death of 37-year-old Kujoe Bonsafo Agyei-Kodie, a Ghanaian national and a former master's degree student.



Kinyua's father reported that Agyei-Kodie went missing last Friday after going for a jog, but the investigation eventually led back to the family home. Kinyua was being held Thursday without bond, and authorities were exploring whether ...

VIDEO: Suspect says he ate victim's heart, brain

VIDEO: Charges against man who says he ate heart, brain of housemate


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Accused Maryland cannibal's online postings show him in war paint

BALTIMORE, Maryland - For an image to accompany his "Warrior Syndicate" Internet radio show, alleged cannibal Alexander Kinyua apparently chose a photo of his face covered in green and white war paint.

The show, he said, was for "warriors skilled in combat or warfare … coming together to form a syndicate learning portal for Warrior Clans."

The web page is part of a disturbing online trove on accounts linked to Kinyua, made all the more chilling by charges from police in Harford County that he admitted this week to killing a 37-year-old man and eating his heart and portions of his brain.

MD DISTRICT COURT STATEMENT OF CHARGES
Pictures: Missing man found dismembered, partially eaten

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Brown becomes first female All-American for Claflin University

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- Tanekka Brown, a senior from Columbia, SC, has earned the status of All-American in Track and Field. The Sociology major accomplished the feat during the NCAA II National Track and Field Championships in Pueblo, CA, last week. Tanekka finished 8th in the 400M Hurdles with a time of 1:00.87.


TANEKKA BROWN
NCAA DIVISION II ALL- AMERICAN
 SIAC CHAMPION
CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY

 Brown is a four year letter winner for the Claflin University Cross Country and Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field teams.  Tanekka, ran the 100M Hurdles for the past three years finishing 1^st in the SIAC Track and Field Championships the past two seasons. That was her specialty until this season when Coach Harry Freeman suggested that she try the 400M Hurdles.  The advice paid off for Taneeka as she won the 400M Championship this spring, which qualified her for the NCAA II Nationals.

Tanekka completed her goal of becoming Claflin University's first women, All-American.  The NCAA II Track and Field All-American obtained the distinction at the NCAA II National Championships.  Coach Freeman said, “Tanekka has become a model for all of the female student-athletes here at Claflin University.  Now women who participate in any sport will be able to not only become an All-American, but a National Champion if they are dedicated and contentious about their sport.  She has set the bar high and is worthy of this distinguished honor.”

Tanneka graduated in May and plans to move to Florida and apply for a coaching position in the track and field profession.

COURTESY CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
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Banks, Southern U. Men's Basketball set to host camp June 11

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Southern head men's basketball coach Roman Banks will host the Future Jaguars Basketball Camp June 11-14 in the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

Campers will learn basketball fundamentals directly from Banks and members of his coaching staff, present and past Jaguar greats. The camp, which is open to students entering the first grade through the sixth grade in the Fall, will emphasis basic fundamentals needed to build a solid foundation for basketball.

Admission to the four-day camp is $70 and is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A snack for the camp attendants is included.

For more details, contact Rodney Kirschner, director of basketball operations, at 225,771.5609 or via email at rodney_kirschner@subr.edu.

Click here to download the application for the Future Jaguars Basketball Camp.

COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

California defensive specialist is sixth to sign with Xavier Nuggets

ALEXIS CLAY
photos from the signing ceremony
 (via Facebook)

NEW ORLEANS — Alexis Clay, a 5-foot-1 defensive specialist from Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., is Xavier University of Louisiana's sixth women's volleyball signee for the 2012 season.

Clay signed with the Gold Nuggets on May 22.

Clay was a four-time defensive player of the year on the Palos Verdes Peninsula High School varsity, and she was second-team All-Bay League as a senior. She led the Panthers this past fall with 247 digs and averaged 3.58 digs per set.

"We are very excited to add Alexis to our volleyball family," XU coach Christabell Hamilton said. "She will definitely bring in a high level of play as well as a thirst for competition. So far she's our only true libero we've signed and she's excited to take on such a big role, especially coming in as a freshman."

Clay will be a communications major at Xavier.

"I was most interested in attending an HBCU," Clay said. "After researching Xavier and visiting the campus, I knew it was a place where I would fit in. And I am so looking forward to playing for Coach Hamilton. I love that she can be fun and serious at the right times."



Previously signed with the Gold Nuggets were defensive specialist Darian Harris of Gretna, La., middle blocker Claudia Haywood of Memphis, Tenn., middle blocker Jodi Hill of Prairieville, La., right-side hitter Patrice Smith of Glenn Heights, Texas, and outside hitter CeCe Williams of Houma, Louisiana.

Xavier was 23-7 in 2011, won the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships and qualified for the NAIA National Championship.

2012-13 Xavier women's volleyball signees

Name Pos. Ht. Yr.* Hometown High School (College)
Alexis Clay DS 5-1 Fr. Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. Palos Verdes Peninsula
Darian Harris DS 5-3½ Fr. Gretna, La. McGehee
Claudia Haywood MB 5-11 Fr. Memphis, Tenn. Cordova
Jodi Hill MB 5-9 Fr. Prairieville, La. Dutchtown
Patrice Smith RS 5-9 Fr. Glenn Heights, Texas DeSoto
CeCe Williams OH 5-6 Fr. Houma, La. Vandebilt Catholic

* classification at Xavier in 2012-13

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

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Chuck Landon: Former MU assistant is first white SWAC coach

ALCORN STATE, Mississippi -- Doesn't Jay Hopson's new job count as a minority hiring? It should. When a black man is hired as a head football or basketball coach at a college, isn't it hailed as a progressive move in racial equality? Yes. So, shouldn't the converse also apply? I believe so.

And that's precisely what happened when Hopson, a well liked and fondly remembered former Marshall University assistant coach, was hired Monday to be Alcorn State University's head football coach. Hopson is white, you see.

But Alcorn State is a historically black school. So, when Hopson became the Braves' 18th head coach in school history, he also became Alcorn State's first white football coach.


Videographer: cameraguy06

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S.C. State AD Charlene Johnson Joins NCAA D-I Football Championship Committee

CHARLENE JOHNSON
DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina - South Carolina State Athletics Director Charlene Johnson has been appointed to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee, as announced by Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Media Relations Office.

Johnson will join a committee that will focus on developing policies and procedures that govern the administration of the NCAA Division I Football Championship. Her term on the committee began immediately and will run through September 1, 2015.

"I'm excited and pleased to ...

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MSU men's basketball team signs three

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- The Morgan State University men's basketball team signed three players to national letters of intent.

The new additions are: Donte Pretlow, a 6-foot, 185-lb., guard from Baltimore, Cedric Blossom, a 6-6, 225-pound forward from Columbia, Md. and JuCo transfer Daryl Traynham, 5-9, 180-pound point guard from Upper Marlboro, Md.

Pretlow played at Dunbar where he played for head coach Cyrus Jones. While there, he helped guide the Poets to Class 1A state championships in 2011 and 2012.

“Ever since he came up to varsity, he's been winning state championships,” Jones said. “He's played a valuable role in those titles. He was really the leader out there on the court.”

“Donte is a tough hard-nosed guard in the tradition of a long list of Dunbar-Baltimore point guards,” said MSU head coach Todd Bozeman. “He brings that Baltimore inner-city toughness to the program. He can really run a team, can defend, has tremendous poise and can make the open shot. He's certainly going to give us added depth in the backcourt.”

Pretlow, whose Poets (24-3) finished the 2011-12 season as The Baltimore Sun's No. 1 boys basketball team, averaged around 10 points, eight assists, five rebounds and two steals. At Morgan, he'll be expected to continue filling up the stat sheet and serving as a leader.

Blossom spent a season at Hammond before transferring to powerhouse Montrose Christian where he started in just about every game during his two years. Last season he was named co-captain and was a supporting player on a team that featured Tyrone Johnson (Villanova), Tyler Hubbard (Loyola) and Justin Anderson (Virginia), among others.

“Cedric is a young man that is a 6-foot-6 versatile player who will allow us to play in different ways,” Bozeman said. “He can play on the perimeter or in the post, in terms of the wing or the four. Something he did in high school.”

“He comes from Montrose Christian, a perennial basketball powerhouse, and has played with great players and knows what it takes to win. He is a good rebounder with a great nose for the ball, as well as a great defender and is extremely athletic. He's going to add depth to our team for sure.”

Traynham spent last season as the starting point guard for Palm Beach State, which is one of the most renowned junior college basketball programs in the country. He helped lead the head coach George “Butch” Estes' Panthers to a 26-5 record and the FCSAA/District 8 State Semifinals.

“He's a general,” Bozeman said. He can really run a team and create for others. He started his career at UMass, before transferring to junior college. I've been knowing him ever since he was a young kid.”

Traynham completed the 2011-12 season by averaging 10.8 points per game, 5.7 assists and 2.5 steals for the Panthers.

COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Breakout freshman softball season for SAU's White

RALEIGH, North Carolina - Jolanda White’s St. Augustine’s College softball team practiced on a baseball field. It’s hardly surprising that she maintained her baseball-length hitting when the Falcons played on softball dimensions.

White, a freshman from Leland, bashed a Central Collegiate Athletic Association-leading 10 home runs, while batting .396, 10th best in the league. She also stole 18 bases, third best in the conference, was first in slugging percentage (.783) and was fourth in total bases (83). She led St. Augustine’s in nearly every offensive category.

“I was expecting to do good, but I wasn’t expecting to ...

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Who will be the next commissioner of the CIAA?

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina - Who will be the next commissioner of the CIAA? That is the question on everyone’s mind around the conference.

Leon G. Kerry, who had led the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) for the past 22 years retired unexpectedly this year. While the CIAA suggests that Kerry stepped down on his own volition, there is speculation that the CIAA's chief might have departed involuntarily due in part to ethical questions surrounding $100,000 in payments that went to Ereka Crawford-Brim, an employee with Charlotte's Regional Visitor Authority. Kerry was also a big part of the move that shifted the conference tournament from Raleigh to Charlotte.

Peggy Davis, who had ...

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Black Nouveau | Program: New Orleans - Xavier and Dillard Universities and more...

Black Nouveau and the Running Rebels Community Organization, which serves at-risk youth from the Milwaukee area, travel to New Orleans to volunteer, learn, and gain new experiences. The group visits the French Quarter, tours Xavier University and Dillard University (both Historically Black Colleges and Universities), views the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and cleans up the town of Violet. In Oxford, Mississippi, they visit the University of Southern Mississippi--Brett Favre's Alma mater, and later, they experience horse riding.   Let us never forget the challenges ahead ... And Still We Rise!

NCAA Baseball Tournament 2012: Prairie View A&M Glad To Be Playing In Houston

HOUSTON, Texas - The ultimate underdog in the Houston Regional of the NCAA Baseball Tournament has to be the Prairie View A&M Panthers of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), a league of Historically Black Colleges and Universities that are rarely expected to compete with the larger schools for college baseball supremacy.

But Prairie View is no slouch and Rice would be wise not to overlook the Panthers in their first-round matchup on Friday. In 2006, it took a ninth-inning single with the bases loaded to keep Prairie View from upsetting Rice in the first round.

Panthers head coach Waskyla Cullivan is glad to be playing in Houston for the sake of the PV fan base.

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TSU Coaching Legend Gilliam, Sr. Honored in Roast

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Former Tennessee State University football players, alumni and fans showed their gratitude last Saturday as the group honored TSU coaching legend Joe Gilliam, Sr. in a roast at the Sheraton Music City Hotel.

Coach Gilliam was greeted by hundreds of supporters including NFL Hall of Famer Richard Dent and former Dallas Cowboy Ed 'Too Tall' Jones. Several other players also showed their gratitude to Coach Gilliam, who spent two-plus decades at Tennessee State.

As an assistant coach under John A. Merritt, Gilliam helped create one of the best defenses in the country.

While at Tennessee State, Gilliam posted a record of 164-31-6 in his 25 years. The Tigers posted four undefeated seasons and won seven Black College National Titles.



COURTESY TSU ATHLETICS

Gilliam then returned to TSU as the head coach in 1988 and was named OVC Coach of the Year in 1990. Over 80 TSU student-athletes reached the NFL during Gilliam's tutelage.

Not only was Coach Gilliam a success on the field, approximately 74 percent of his student-athletes graduated from Tennessee State. The men have professions in the business, education and in the medical field to just name a few.

In 2007, Coach Gilliam was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. At the ceremonial roast on Saturday, Gilliam received recognition from the State of Tennessee and the City of Nashville.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Texas Southern Football: A New Era Begins

XU has basketball and volleyball camps, summer league

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana will offer summer camps in basketball and volleyball and, for a fourth consecutive season, play host to the Super Elite Summer League in boys basketball.

Dates of the basketball camp, for boys and girls age 6-16, will be July 9-12. The volleyball camp will offer sessions for ages 9-13 from July 16-18 and ages 14-18 from July 19-21.

The Barn, the 75-year-old gymnasium in its final months as the home of XU athletics, will be the site of both camps and the summer league.

More information on the camps can be obtained by visiting www.xula.edu/athletics/camps or by contacting Alfred Williams (basketball) at (504) 520-6778 or xugoldrush@xula.edu or Christabell Hamilton (volleyball) at (504) 520-5344 or chamilt5@xula.edu.

Twelve schools — Brother Martin, Catholic (Baton Rouge), East St. John, Ellender, Jesuit, Madison Prep, McDonogh 35, O. Perry Walker, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, Scotlandville and Riverside — will compete in the summer league. Jesuit will play Madison Prep at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the first of the six opening-day games. The league will run for five consecutive Wednesdays and conclude June 27. Xavier and O. Perry Walker co-sponsor the league.

Basketball Camp click here for information Volleyball Camp click here for information Super Elite Summer League click here for information

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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Three Added to TSU Men's Basketball Staff

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State University head coach Travis Williams announced his coaching staff for the 2012-13 season on Tuesday afternoon. Ben Betts, Rodney Hamilton and Brandon Johnson join the Tigers men's basketball program - all of which have experience at the NCAA Division I level.

Williams brings three staff members that have a strong expertise in academics, recruiting and success. Betts and Hamilton have been head coaches at previous stops, while Johnson served as an assistant with former TSU head coach John Cooper at Auburn.

"I was really overjoyed by all the national interest our program generated for these positions," said Williams. "I wanted to hire guys with great experience coaching on all levels and fit the criteria to carry on what we have started here at TSU."

Betts was head coach at South Carolina State from 2004 until 2006 and most recently worked in collegiate hoops as an assistant under Jeff Capel at Oklahoma in 2011. He helped the Sooners to an elite appearance with future NBA star Blake Griffin in 2009.

Last season, Betts spent the year as the Director of Basketball at the Spectrum Sports Academy in Roanoke, Virginia.

Hamilton joined the Tigers after three successful years as head coach of Indiana Tech's women's basketball program. The Memphis native guided Indiana Tech to a No. 15 ranking and helped the team tie for the most regular season wins in the past nine seasons.

Hamilton previously worked at Ohio Valley Conference foe Southeast Missouri for two seasons.

Johnson joins the Tigers after spending the past three years as an advisor for John Lucas Basketball Resources.

The veteran coached five years at Auburn. During that time, he played a vital role in helping revitalize the Auburn basketball program as the Tigers nearly claimed a SEC West Division title in 2007.

"I felt very comfortable hiring Ben, Brandon and Rodney," noted Williams. "These individuals bring a great level of professionalism, integrity, work ethic, recruiting and coaching experience."

Tennessee State posted a 20-13 record - the best in 32 seasons for the Tigers. Coach Williams was named the 16^th TSU head men's basketball coach on April 13.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Bethune-Cookman Wildcats to face Florida Gators

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- There was little drama to Bethune-Cookman's NCAA baseball selection party Monday at Buffalo Wild Wings.

The players barely had time to look up from their plates when they saw their school's name flash on the screen. There was a hoot or two in the crowd, but the players remained stoic when they saw they will be heading to the Gainesville Regional where they will meet No. 1 overall seed Florida at 7 p.m. Friday.



"We take it as a business trip," B-CU sophomore outfielder Josh Johnson said. "We're not going to throw fireworks in the air. Wherever we play, that's where we play."

The selection party is old hat for the Wildcats, who qualified for the NCAA's 64-team field for the seventh straight year after winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament May 20. This will be the third time in four years they will be playing in the Gainesville regional.



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Alcorn State Taps Hopson as New Head Football Coach

Mississippi native Jay Hopson (L) brings an impressive resume'
to Alcorn State with a vision of building a championship
program, both academically and athletically.  Hopson
becomes the first non-black head football coach in the
Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), a league
with four head football coaches that earned
Super Bowl championships as players -- Doug Williams
(GSU), Monte Coleman (UAPB), Anthony Jones
(AAMU) and Reggie Barlow (ASU).
(Photo Courtesy ASU University Relations)

ALCORN STATE, Mississippi — No matter the setting, Jay Hopson knows how to use his passion and love for the game to inspire enthusiasm in others and that, coupled with his ability to set high core values, will work well at Alcorn, said President M. Christopher Brown II.

“Knowledge and character matter at Alcorn,” Brown said as he introduced the next leader of the institution’s football program on a day we will all remember. “It is our goal to build not only an outstanding program, but a winning program where student athletes thrive. And Hopson was the only candidate who mentioned that the character of your team will define the success of your program.”

President Brown jokingly added while talking with alumni about the new hire, “We are not just interested in winning the SWAC championship next year—although that would be great—but we want to build a legacy by developing a championship program.”

By no means is it coincidental that Hopson, 43, was named Alcorn’s 18th head football coach by the 18th university president. For years Hopson envisioned Alcorn as his dream job. “I have often dreamed of working with Alcorn and I am elated to have the opportunity to work with the Alcorn community to establish a program that the Alcorn family can be proud of for years to come.”

Members of the search committee, campus alumni, community leaders, and university donors cheered as Brown welcomed Hopson to the podium.

The Vicksburg native played defensive back at Ole Miss and most recently was a defensive coordinator for Memphis University. He has also been an assistant at Ole Miss, Southern Miss and the University of Michigan.

“President Brown is dedicated to creating a new Alcorn and together we, not I, will lead the Braves to victory,” Hopson said. “We are all purple and gold and I am proud to be an Alcornite.”

Vicksburg mayor Paul Winfield celebrated the University’s decision and Dr. Brown’s vision for a great Alcorn. “Vicksburg supports Dr. Brown, Coach Hopson and the Alcorn family. We believe in the president’s vision and Alcorn’s future. Vicksburg is here to assist Alcorn anyway we can.”



Videographer: cameraguy06

Alcorn has become the first Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) school to name a non-black as Head Football Coach.

Dr. Brown said “The future for Alcorn football is bright and I am excited that Coach Hopson will lead us forward.”

Brown also informed the crowd that Coach Hopson's application included an extensive statement on APR – a critical marker for post-season eligibility and student-athlete graduation rates.

Coach Hopson stated that “He believes in Dr. Brown's vision for this university.” The newly appointed football coach's first order of business is putting together his staff and getting acquainted with the team.

Hopson is a native of Vicksburg, Mississippi and was a four year letter winner as a defensive back at the University of Mississippi 1988-91. During his matriculation at Ole Miss, he was named to the Academic All-SEC four times, and was also a member of the CoSIDA District VI Academic All-America team in 1991.

He received a Bachelor in Business Administration from Ole Miss and a Master's in Health, Physical Education and Recreation from Delta State University.

As a coach, he received All-American Football Foundation Top Assistant Coach honor in 2007. Coach Hopson brings experience from Marshall, Delta State, Southern Mississippi, Michigan and Memphis.

Alcorn State will open the 2012 season against Grambling State in the Port City Classic on September 1, 2012.

For photos of today's press conference, please click on the link below.

Jay Hopson Press Conference Photo Gallery:  Photos Courtesy of Mike Jones

COURTESY ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS
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CFL's Roughriders name guest coaches for training camp

REGINA, Saskatchewan, Canada - The Saskatchewan Roughriders are pleased to welcome a group of guest coaches to the 2012 Training Camp beginning June 3rd at the University of Regina.

Cheston Blackshear joins the Riders after spending the last three seasons at the University New Mexico working with the Offensive Line and Tight Ends and has nine years’ experience coaching at the collegiate level. Blackshear entered coaching after an outstanding playing career at the University of Florida where he was a four-year letter winner (1996-99) with 28 career starts at offensive guard. He will work alongside Offensive Line Coach Kris Sweet.

Jeff Cummins is the head coach of the Acadia University Axemen. In his seven years at Acadia, Cummins has captured back to back AUS Football Championships (2005, 2006) and was named AUS Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2005. Following his graduation from the University of Oregon, Cummins played six seasons in the Canadian Football League with stops in Las Vegas, Toronto, Ottawa, and Hamilton where he captured the 1999 Grey Cup with the Tiger-Cats. Cummins will work with Rider Coach Mike Walker and the Defensive Line.

Richard Kent spent the 2011 season with the United Football Leagues Omaha Nighthawks. Kent comes to the Riders with over 20 years of coaching experience at the collegiate and professional levels. Previous to Omaha, Kent spent the 2009 season as the secondary coach with the Toronto Argonauts. As a player, Kent was a quarterback and receiver at Appalachian State from 1979-81. Kent will spend time with Special Teams Coordinator, Craig Dickenson and Linebackers Coach, Alex Smith.

Ben Norton guests with the Riders after spending the 2011 season with the UFL’s Hartford Colonials where he filled the triple role of offensive line assistant, special teams assistant and offensive quality control coach. In addition, Norton has over 17 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level, working mostly with offensive linemen. As a player, Norton was a four year letter winner at Stephen F. Austin State in Texas and was a member of the team that played in the 1989 NCAA FSC national championship game. Norton will spend time working with Running Backs Coach, Bob Dyce as well as Coach Kris Sweet and the offensive line.

Jamie Stoddard joined the University of British Columbia in 2010 as a Receivers Coach. Before getting into coaching Stoddard enjoyed an impressive nine year professional career with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as a non-import wide receiver. While with Winnipeg, Stoddard had 191 receptions and amassed 2,808 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns. Stoddard will work with Receivers Coach Jason Tucker.

Ted White joins the Riders from Howard University where he is currently the Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach. From 1994-98 White attended Howard where he is the Bison and MEAC all-time passing leader and total offense leader with almost 10,000 yards during his productive collegiate career. Following that, White played professionally for five years with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and also had stints with the Barcelona Dragons of NFL Europe and the Montreal Alouettes. White will join Coach Khari Jones working with Rider quarterbacks.

Current imports from HBCU on the Roughriders active roster are:

1. Patrick Brown, WR, Bethune-Cookman
2. Jalil Johnson, DB, Jackson State
3. James Patrick, Safety, Stillman College

Prairie View A&M and Grambling State, like Texas and OU, will also play at the Cotton Bowl through 2020

EXCERPT:

DALLAS, Texas - But the council also has some voting to do: It’ll be asked to sign off on issuing $25.5 million in debt to renovate the Cotton Bowl, which council has already indicated is a done deal — in large part to keep Texas and Oklahaoma’s Red Rivary Rivalry at Fair Park through 2020. And, as Rudy noted Friday, that too has been wrapped up, thanks in large part to Pete Schenkel, who got the schools to sign on the dotted line on behalf of the State Fair of Texas.

The schools will each receive $500,000 a year to play in the Cotton Bowl — an amount OK’d in ’07, when Texas and OU signed their most recent agreement that ramped up payments leading to this year’s game. Per the council’s recap: The schools received “$125,000 each in 2007, $425,000 each beginning in 2008 through 2011, and $500,000 each beginning in 2012 through 2015.”



One thing not noted at the end of last week: Grambling State University and Prairie View A&M University have also agreed to stick around till 2020, though at a greatly reduced price. They’ll each receive $75,000 to play at the Southwest Airlines State Fair Classic, the same amount the teams have been receiving since their respective $25,000 checks were upped to $75,000 in 2008. (No word on how much the marching-band members get — though it should be a lot, since they’ve long been the game’s most featured attraction.)

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NCAA penalizes Grambling for academic performance

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Joseph Price didn't have to wait long to learn the specific challenges he'll face as Grambling's new men's basketball coach.

Walter Harrison, the NCAA Division-I Committee on Academic Performance, notified Grambling President Frank Pogue on Friday of the committee's decision regarding the Tigers' Academic Progress Rate-related penalties.

Grambling announced Monday five sanctions that include limited practice, a shortened season and a reduction to 10 scholarships.



The Tigers played the 2011-12 season under the third phase of APR penalties, including a postseason ban and reductions to both its schedule and available scholarships.

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Grambling State's Coach Patricia Bibbs Press Conference

Texas Southern barred from postseason play

Houston, Texas – Texas Southern University announced Friday that the football team has been barred from postseason play for the 2012-2013 seasons due to falling short in fulfilling an NCAA graduation rate requirement.

The school disclosed that when the NCAA releases its annual Academic Progress Report (APR), it will show the football program failed to meet the required average score over the most recent four-year evaluation period for graduation rates.

Last month, representatives from Texas Southern met before an NCAA committee and learned the football program had received a four-year average score of 811 out of 1,000. The NCAA standard rate is 930. Because of this, the football team is ineligible for postseason play, and that includes the SWAC Championship Game and NCAA Division I FCS championship.

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