XU Alum Washington Claims his spot in Louisiana Sports Hall

Facebook video of acceptance speech

NATCHITOCHES, Louisiana — Otis Washington deflected praise Saturday during his Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame acceptance speech.

"It was never, ever, ever about me," said Washington, a 1961 Xavier University of Louisiana graduate and a Selma, Ala., native. "I just went along for the ride. And boy, what a ride."

Washington coached St. Augustine High School of New Orleans to Class 4A state football championships in 1975, 1978 and 1979 and a 4A runner-up berth in 1971. He left St. Aug after the 1979 season and was an assistant coach at LSU for one season, then head coach at Southern University from 1981-86. He also was an assistant coach at Tulane and director of the New Orleans Police Athletic League.

"Otis Washington brought discipline, character, excellence and leadership to St. Aug's football program," said former St. Aug athletics director Emmett Moten, Washington's presenter. "And he brought a can-do, never-say-can't attitude."

Washington thanked many who helped him achieve the honor, including his wife of 48 years, Linda, also an XU graduate.

"She has endured untold numbers of Sunday film sessions at our home and many evenings alone as I prepared for each week's upcoming game," Washington said. "She has endured taunts and barbs from boorish fans and through it all remains my greatest support, my rock. She has served as a surrogate mother to literally dozens of young men. I can't imagine having accomplished any of this without her. I could not possibly end without thanking her."

Washington, who starred in football and baseball as a Xavier student, also is a member of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Hall of Fame (inducted 1994), the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame (2012) and the New Orleans High School Sports Hall of Fame.

Also inducted Saturday were football's Leonard Smith, Kevin Faulk, Jake Delhomme and Pat Collins, softball's Yvette Girouard, horse racing's Frank Brothers and and basketball's Avery Johnson, a St. Aug graduate. A sellout crowd of 831 was in attendance for dinner and inductions at the Natchitoches Events Center. There are nearly 400 members in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, including recipients of the Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award and the Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism. The first induction class was in 1959.

"There's not a nicer, classier guy in this room tonight than Otis Washington," Collins said.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/

Xavier's Alfred Williams Named Head Coach at Harris-Stowe

HEAD COACH ALFRED WILLIAMS
 MEN'S BASKETBALL
HARRIS-STOWE STATE UNIVERSITY

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana, an educator of future college head coaches for nearly 70 years, added another to its list Wednesday when Harris-Stowe State University hired Alfred Williams to lead its men's basketball program.

Williams, 31, was a Xavier men's basketball assistant coach the past six seasons (2009-15) and served a vital role in one of the most successful periods in Gold Rush history. Williams also played three seasons for the Gold Rush (2004-05, 2006-07 and 2007-08).

Harris-Stowe is in St. Louis and a member of the NAIA Division I American Midwest Conference. Like Xavier, it is a historically black university.

"I am definitely looking forward to the opportunity and the challenge," said Williams, whose final day at Xavier was June 22. "I have spent 10 years (at Xavier) with coach (Dannton) Jackson. I have seen just about everything I could see and learn from him. The amount of preparation we did with coach Jackson will help me at Harris-Stowe. I give thanks to the Xavier family for all the support I got here."

Williams succeeds Phillip Hunt, who coached the Hornets for six seasons. Harris-Stowe was 6-24 overall this past season and 5-17 (tied for 10th place) in the American Midwest.

"I'm going to take what I learned here at Xavier and take it to Harris-Stowe with a new energy, a new mentality," Williams said. "We'll be working hard at it every day."

During Williams' tenure as an assistant coach, the Gold Rush were 139-55 with three consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championships (2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14) and a school-record five consecutive appearances at the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship (2011-15). Xavier's 121 victories from 2010-11 through 2014-15 are the second-winningest five years in the program history, topped only by the Gold Rush's 126 victories from 1936-37 through 1940-41.

"I am proud of Alfred," said Jackson, who has a Gold Rush-record 273 victories in 12 seasons. "Harris-Stowe is getting a very good basketball coach and a very good young man who will care for the university and take care of their student-athletes. From a leadership standpoint, he is prepared."
As a 6-foot-4 forward he averaged 8.4 points and 5.8 rebounds in 97 career games and helped Xavier earn a share of the 2006-07 GCAC regular-season championship and qualify for the NAIA national tourney in 2005, 2007 and 2008. He was All-GCAC his senior year when he averaged 11.4 points and a team-leading seven rebounds per game.

Williams is one of three Gold Rush players with 800 points, 500 rebounds and 150 assists in a career. Williams shot 41.1 percent from 3-point range in his career to rank fourth in Xavier history. His blocked shot and ensuing tiebreaking basket with seven seconds remaining lifted Xavier to an 82-79 victory over third-seeded Georgetown (Ky.) in the opening round of the 2007 NAIA nationals at Kansas City, Mo. — the first opening-round victory for the Rush since 1973.

After receiving his bachelor of science degree from Xavier in 2008 and before returning to the university, Williams worked in his native Greenville, S.C., with his brother Eric for Fundamentals 4 Success, a non-profit community agency which offers educational, personal and athletic assistance to basketball student-athletes.

Another brother, Shammond Williams, is the University of North Carolina's career leader in 3-point field goals made and is second in career free-throw percentage. Shammond played 13 years professionally — seven in the NBA — and coaches college basketball in New Orleans, too. Shammond in 2014-15 completed his second season as an assistant at Tulane.

Xavier was 24-10 in 2014-15, finished second in the GCAC regular season and tournament and ranked 21st in the postseason poll. The Gold Rush have the NAIA's longest active streak of top-25 appearances, 50.

Xavier hopes to replace Williams as soon as possible. "There are enormous shoes to be filled here," Jackson said, "but we are really happy for Alfred."

Xavier's legacy of educating head coaches dates to the 1940s, when Leonidas Epps joined Clark College of Atlanta and eventually won SIAC men's championships in football, basketball, golf and track and field. Other college head coaches Xavier produced include Marino Casem, Doug Porter and Otis Washington — all football hall-of-famers — and Jackson, Dale Valdery and Bernard Griffith in basketball. Former Jackson players now coaching include Landon Bussie at Prairie View A&M (women's basketball assistant) and Shaun Dumas (boys basketball head coach) at Crescent City Christian High School in Metairie, La. Ryan DeRousselle, Nick Haywood and Devin Andrew were Gold Rush assistants this past season. In addition, John Ashaolu is director of athletics and student programs at Community College of Beaver County in Monaca, Pa.

XU assistants under Jackson still coaching include Kim Lewis, entering his fifth season as an assistant at the University of Richmond, and Jason Flanigan, entering his 11th season as head coach at Holmes Community College in Goodman, Mississippi.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/

'The Secret Game' review: How a scrappy basketball team challenged segregation — and won

THE SECRET GAME
Scott Ellsworth
ISBN: 9780316244619
ISBN-10: 0316244619
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Publication Date: March 10th, 2015
Pages: 400
Amazon Books: Kindle: $12.99; Hardcover: $19.47; Audible: $20.95 or Free

Coach John B. McLendon
North Carolina Central University
(Photo Courtesy: NCCU Eagles Athletics)

DURHAM, North Carolina -- At 11 a.m. on a Sunday in March of 1944, two of the best college basketball teams in the United States did something unthinkable.

They played each other.

No cameras, no cheerleaders, no screaming fans greeted the players as they took position on the court. In fact, the gym had been locked in an effort to keep spectators out. The reason for the secrecy was simple. The Duke Medical School team was white. The North Carolina College (North Carolina Central University, today) team was black. And in 1944, the color line in Durham, N.C., ran right through the basketball court. Crossing that line was not just an act of defiance — it was against the law.

This extraordinary contest — one of the first times in basketball history that a black team squared off against a white team at the college level — constitutes the focal point of Scott Ellsworth's compelling history, "The Secret Game: A Wartime Story of Courage, Change, and Basketball's Lost Triumph." But the book is about far more than a single game. It's about the evolution of a sport, the tortured legacy of race and repression, and about how basketball, which for decades had served as an instrument to defend segregation, became a tool to undermine it.

Ellsworth, a former Portland resident, combines an irresistible narrative with outsized characters, particularly the North Carolina Central coach, John McLendon, who came of age in the Great Depression, as basketball fever was sweeping across the Midwest. Too poor to afford a ball, McLendon and his friends tossed rocks and socks through a playground hoop. His stepmother forbid him to have anything to do with the game unless he read the bible for an hour every day and swore off coffee, soda, snuff, cigarettes, and alcohol.

CONTINUE READING

READ RELATED ARTICLES
Original New York Times article by Scott Ellsworth in PDF Format
Duke University Alumni Magazine article by Scott Ellsworth in PDF Format
The Hartford Courant article by Dom Amore in PDF Format

Lynn Thompson Receives Promotion from B-CU President

LYNN W. THOMPSON
VICE PRESIDENT FOR INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
Photo Courtesy: Bethune-Cookman University Athletics

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman University Director of Athletics Lynn W. Thompson has been elevated to the position of Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics, announced Tuesday, June 30, by B-CU President Dr. Edison O. Jackson. Thompson’s duties as Vice President will begin July 1, and he will continue to lead the 17-sport Division I program.

Thompson, a native of Daytona Beach, Florida and 1980 graduate of Bethune-Cookman College, has served as Director of Athletics at Bethune-Cookman since 1991, recently completing his 24th year at the helm in Daytona Beach. Currently, B-CU has a total of 17 intercollegiate sports, all of them competing on the Division I level of athletics.

“We are so proud of the accomplishments of Wildcats Athletics under the direction of Lynn W. Thompson,” said Dr. Jackson. “Under his leadership, Bethune-Cookman Athletics has become a championship program across the board with impressive academic performances of the student-athletes, conference championships and NCAA postseason bids in several of our sports. More importantly, his integrity, leadership and creative vision for branding Wildcats Athletics has opened doors for the entire university, and we are pleased to have him join the senior leadership and university cabinet as we further the mission of our institution.”

During Thompson’s tenure at Bethune-Cookman, he has served in several Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) leadership roles. On the national level, he became the first African-American to chair the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee, and also served as a member of the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee, the NCAA I-AA Football (now Football Championship Subdivision) Committee and the NCAA Football Issues Committees. Thompson has vast experience in creating policy for intercollegiate athletics on a national level. He has also served as chairman of the MEAC Basketball and Baseball Tournaments, and has been selected five times as an NCAA Peer Reviewer for the athletics certification process.

“Thompson is known across the nation as an outstanding athletic administrator who is highly respected and sought after,” continued Dr. Jackson. “We are extremely happy to have him remain as the leader of our program for years to come.”

During his tenure overseeing a sports program that is known throughout the nation, Thompson has directed the Wildcats to a total of 64 championships, beginning with 44 MEAC championships, including a dynasty of 12 baseball titles in the past 15 years; a run of five consecutive softball titles from 2000-2004 – as well as three addition consecutive titles from 2010-12. B-CU Football has won a total of six MEAC titles, including at least a share of the last three consecutive from 2012-14.

“I am humbled by the opportunity to join with Dr. Jackson and his cabinet to push forward the agenda of Bethune-Cookman University,” commented Thompson. “Dr. Jackson clearly understands the impact that a successful athletic program can have on the entire university, and I look forward to assisting in implementing his vision.”

B-CU’s golf programs for women and men have won a total of 20 PGA National Minority Golf Championship (13 women, 7 men) titles, featuring an international roster from all around the world. The men’s program won the inaugural 2014 MEAC Golf Championship, earning the school’s first-ever team bid to the NCAA Regionals in Raleigh, North Carolina. B-CU track & field has trained an indoor/outdoor NCAA hurdling champion, and were represented by the Wildcats’ first ever Olympian in the 2012 London Olympic Games. In 2015, B-CU Men’s Track & Field swept the indoor and outdoor MEAC crowns, while defending the outdoor title from a season ago.

Away from the athletic fields, Thompson is heavily involved in the B-CU Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), where his office is constantly open for prayer and consultation with all students. He served as a staff pastor at Calvary Christian Center in Ormond Beach, Florida, for over 10 years in addition to leading the men’s ministry.

A veteran television and radio producer and personality, Thomp
son has utilized his experience in the media with the development of B-CU’s CatEye Network which produces and distributes programs on television, live streaming of Wildcats athletic events, and he also serves as executive producer of the various B-CU coach’s television shows and the CatEye Radio Network. In addition to his duties as Director of Athletics, he was recently named as chair of the advisory committee for the university’s acquisition and management team of WELE 1380 The Cat radio station located in Ormond Beach, Florida.

For the latest information on Bethune-Cookman Wildcats Athletics, follow us on Twitter (@BCUathletics), Instagram (BCUathletics), Facebook (facebook.com/BCUathletics), or visit us at www.bcuathletics.com.

COURTESY BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

N.C. Attorney General in ‘discussions’ with Ritz-Carlton over CIAA surcharge

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- The N.C. Attorney General’s Office said it’s still in talks with the Ritz-Carlton in uptown more than two weeks after the state agency said it planned to sue the hotel for adding a 15 percent CIAA surcharge to customers’ bills during the February basketball tournament.

Earlier this month, the agency’s Consumer Protection Division sent the Ritz-Carlton a draft of a legal complaint that asks a judge to bar the hotel from automatically imposing charges without disclosure. The agency is also seeking restitution and refunds for customers who paid the CIAA gratuity while patronizing the hotel’s lobby bar.

In the draft, the attorney general’s office claims the hotel added the unprecedented service charge without disclosing it first to customers, and used the “CIAA” acronym on the bill without the athletic association’s consent.

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is the oldest African-American athletic conference in the nation. It has hosted its tournament in Charlotte since 2006.

CONTINUE READING

Ex-Delaware State football player will bring sport to New Zealand

Douglas Webber Events Director Craig Douglas (L) and Giesler Sports World Wide CEO Jarin Giesler (R) speak to the media during a press conference at Eden Park on June 3, 2015 in Auckland, New Zealand. Organisers today announced an American football exhibition for March next year in Auckland and Wellington.

(June 2, 2015 - Source: Phil Walter/Getty Images AsiaPac)

American Football coming to Auckland and Wellington in March 2016; DSU's Giesler plays major role in New Zealand introduction to American Football

 PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania -- Kellen Kemp still remembers the first time he saw Jarin Giesler arrive on campus in 2006 at Delaware State University in Dover.

Kemp watched as a raised Ford F-150 with 6 inches of lift added and 40-inch rims drove up.

"The first thing everyone is thinking is, 'Who is this?' " Kemp said. "Out of that hops a 5-7, 200-pound long snapper. Everyone is looking around, going, 'What is going on here?' "

"It kind of stuck out like a sore thumb," Giesler recalls.

Add to the equation that Delaware State is a historically black university, and Giesler's arrival to the football team as a short white kid from Cortez, Colorado, was certainly out of the ordinary.

Giesler and Kemp, an offensive lineman from Cardinal Dougherty High School, became friends when they both played on the offensive line.

So when Giesler went to law school at Oklahoma City University and became a certified NFLPA contract adviser, among other business ventures, he hired Kemp to play a big part in his company, Giesler Sports World-Wide.

READ RELATED ARTICLE/VIEW PRESS CONFERENCE

CONTINUE READING



CONTINUE READING

Howard University Volleyball Releases 2015 Schedule

Shaun Kupferberg
Head Women's Volleyball Coach
HOWARD UNIVERSITY

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The road the Howard women's volleyball team must take in pursuit of a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship and NCAA Tournament bid has been laid out as the Lady Bison program has released its 2015 schedule.

Here is a breakdown of the impressive 29-match slate:

•  16 non-conference contests against 15 opponents representing ten different leagues;
• Four invitationals, including the DC Invitational, which will include Howard's home opener vs. Western Carolina and a match against the University of Maryland in Burr Gymnasium on September 5;
• Two or more games against five different conferences (Atlantic 10, Big East, Big Ten, Ivy League, Patriot League);
• Ten home matches, including five straight from October 9-23;
• Rematches of the 2014 MEAC Championship Game against Hampton on October 9 (in DC) and October 30 (in Virginia);
•  Five other MEAC home-and-home series against Coppin State, Delaware State, Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State and Norfolk State;
• A MEAC interdivisional match with Bethune-Cookman on October 15;
• A Senior Day matchup against newly minted Atlantic Sun member NJIT on November 13.

In speaking on the schedule, fourth-year Head Coach Shaun Kupferberg said, "As our team continues to grow and develop, we have to raise our level of play each season; the best way to do that is to play higher levels of competition. We have a large turnover in the roster from last year and everyone will have to get up to speed quickly because there are no easy matches this year. Each tournament is going to be a challenge, but every match is also winnable. Last season, we were able to play at a high level in certain stretches of the season. To be successful this year, we will have to be much more consistent throughout the year."

The 2015 Howard Women's Volleyball Schedule can be viewed by CLICKING HERE.



Howard University Athletics
2015 Women's Volleyball Schedule

Date	Opponent	Location	Time/Result
District of Columbia Volleyball Challenge
8/28/2015	American	Washington, DC	7:00:00 PM
8/29/2015	George Mason	Fairfax, VA	1:00:00 PM
8/29/2015	Georgetown	Fairfax, VA	4:30:00 PM
9/1/2015	Loyola (MD)	Baltimore, MD	7:00:00 PM
District of Columbia Invitational
9/5/2015	Western Carolina	Washington, DC	2:30:00 PM
9/5/2015	Maryland	Washington, DC	7:00:00 PM
9/6/2015	George Mason	College Park, MD	12:00:00 PM
9/6/2015	Pennsylvania	College Park, MD	5:00:00 PM
9/8/2015	UMBC	Baltimore, MD	7:00:00 PM
Villanova Classic
9/11/2015	James Madison	Philadelphia, PA	5:00:00 PM
9/12/2015	Villanova	Philadelphia, PA	1:00:00 PM
9/12/2015	Siena	Philadelphia, PA	5:00:00 PM
Rutgers Invitational
9/18/2015	Rutgers	New Brunswick, NJ	12:30:00 PM
9/18/2015	Duquesne	New Brunswick, NJ	4:30:00 PM
9/19/2015	Princeton	New Brunswick, NJ	10:30:00 AM
9/25/2015	UMES	Princess Anne, MD	7:00:00 PM
9/27/2015	Delaware State	Washington, DC	3:00:00 PM
10/2/2015	Morgan State	Baltimore, MD	7:00:00 PM
10/4/2015	Coppin State	Baltimore, MD	3:00:00 PM
10/9/2015	Hampton	Washington, DC	7:00:00 PM
10/11/2015	Norfolk State	Washington, DC	3:00:00 PM
10/15/2015	Bethune Cookman	Washington, DC	7:00:00 PM
10/18/2015	Coppin State	Washington, DC	3:00:00 PM
10/23/2015	UMES	Washington, DC	7:00:00 PM
10/25/2015	Delaware State	Dover, DE	3:00:00 PM
10/30/2015	Hampton	Hampton, VA	6:00:00 PM
11/1/2015	Norfolk State	Norfolk, VA	3:00:00 PM
11/6/2015	Morgan State	Washington, DC	7:00:00 PM
11/13/2015	NJIT	Washington, DC	7:00:00 PM
11/20-22/2015	MEAC Tournament	Princess Anne, MD

COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

CIAA Football Media Day set to Open 2015 Season

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

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

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

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

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

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

COURTESY CIAA MEDIA RELATIONS

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

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

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

Yes, Newell responded.

Win.

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

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

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

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

CONTINUE READING

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

DAMION COOK

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

COURTESY BETHUNE COOKMAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Jake Gaither House starts brick campaign to raise money

JGH WEBSITE

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

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

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

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

CONTINUE READING 

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

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

He had no idea what he would do next.

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

CONTINUE READING

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

COACH AVERY JOHNSON
Courtesy: University of Alabama

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

He just didn’t know where or when.

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

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

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

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

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

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

CONTINUE READING

The President Honors the Life of Reverend Clementa Pinckney

CHARLESTON, South Carolina (June 26, 2015) -- President Obama travels to the College of Charleston in South Carolina to deliver a eulogy for Reverend Clement Pinckney and 8 other congregation members of Emanuel AME who were killed on June 17, 2015.




Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) delivered an emotional speech on the Senate floor on Wednesday, remembering the nine victims of the shooting in Charleston.

Tuskegee Football Ranked, All-Americans Named

TUSKEGEE, Alabama -- Tuskegee has rankings of 22 and 24 in the Lindy's and Sporting News's preseason polls for division 2.

Coach Willie Slater's team is the lone representative in the poll from the SIAC in either poll. Tuskegee opens the season at home against Clark Atlanta on September 5th.

Tuskegee's Jewell Ratliff is preseason division 2 All-American and Julian Morgan earned honorable mentioned nods.

Last season, Ratliff who rocks number five, had 79 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and one sack. He also led the team with three interceptions. The senior from New Orleans, was in on two pass breakups and five passes defended in 2014 for the Golden Tigers.



CONTINUE READING

Three ex-FAMU students sentenced to 10 years probation in fatal hazing case

ORLANDO,Florida -- State Attorney Jeff Ashton wanted to send a harsh message Friday during the sentencing hearing of three ex-FAMU Marching Band members convicted in the hazing death of drum major Robert Champion.

But Circuit Judge Renee A. Roche, in determining their sentences, had other considerations:

First, she said, Champion willingly participated in the ritual that ended his life that November evening in 2011.

Second, the young men convicted of manslaughter and hazing in April will have to live with felony records for the rest of their lives.



Finally, Roche said, it was important to balance their sentences against the other nine former FAMU band members charged in the case.

Most were given probation.

At the end of the day Friday, so were Aaron Golson, Benjamin McNamee and Darryl Cearnel. All received 10 years probation.

"The court recognizes that perhaps Mr. Champion had thoughts or philosophical objections or reservations about this conduct, but there was no evidence of that presented in this case," Roche said prior to handing down the sentences.

CONTINUE READING

UMES grad Myers working hard for pro hoops career

MICHAEL MYERS
6"-9"/245 lbs. Forward
HOMETOWN: CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY
Photo Courtesy: UMES ATHLETICS

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -- When the NBA draft is over on Thursday night, University of Maryland Eastern Shore graduate Michael Myers doesn't expect to have received a phone call making him one of just 60 picks over two rounds.

But that doesn't mean he's given up on making it to the NBA.

"I'm more worried about what comes after the draft," he said. "I'm probably not going to be a draft pick because of all the high major guys. But I'm still going to be working hard. I'm just going to try and get more workouts and try and make someone's summer team."

Ever since he left Princess Anne after graduation, he's been working toward his goal of being a professional basketball player.

A morning workout with his trainer in the morning at a college campus is how he starts his day. He runs through various drills to work on different aspects of his game including his handle and shooting.

In the afternoon, he'll go and put up shots on his own and then head out to the gym or the pool for a workout.

CONTINUE READING

Jackson State: Caught in the Middle

JACKSON, Mississippi -- With names like Walter Payton and Jackie Slater, Jackson State boasts a long, storied history. From 1977 to 1990, the Tigers won at least 8 games 13 times in 14 seasons. Jackson State plays in a 60,000 seat stadium, and has finished in the Top 10 in FCS attendance in all but five years from 1978 to 2009. In 1997, they had over 38,000 in average attendance; by 2013, that number had dropped to a little over 17,000 per game, but that's still higher than plenty of Division 1 FBS schools.

For some reason, the Tigers never had much postseason success; they are 0-12 all time in the FCS playoffs, with a 28-7 loss to MTSU in 1990 and a 48-7 loss to Montana in 1989 their most recent chances.

Then again, the FCS playoffs never were appealing to the SWAC; largely due to the cost of traveling to places like Montana and Delaware, it wasn't worth it for SWAC teams to participate. In 1999, the SWAC split into two divisions and started a championship game. JSU has made the championship game five times, winning once.

This season, the MEAC has also dropped out of the FCS playoffs. There will be a SWAC-MEAC championship game starting this fall. Is that enough to keep Jackson State happy?

In 2011, former Athletic Director Bob Braddy said "Our limits have been reached" in the SWAC.

CONTINUE READING

Stillman Releases 2015 Football Schedule

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- Stillman College announces the 2015 football schedule and kickoff times for the nine-game 2015 schedule, featuring four home contests.

The Tigers will open the season on the road at West Alabama in the second year of the Tiger Bowl on Sept. 5. Stillman will host Concordia-Selma the following week in the home opener.

Homecoming is set for Oct. 3 versus Lane College. After back-to-back road games at Clark Atlanta and Tuskegee, Stillman will host two home games. Central State will visit on Oct. 24 before Miles College visits for a Thurs. night kickoff on Oct. 29 at 6:00 p.m. The regular season will conclude at Kentucky State on Nov. 7 with the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship set for the following week.

"We are eager to return to the winning ways that Stillman is accustomed to," said head coach Teddy Keaton. Keaton is 24-20 over four seasons coaching his alma mater. The 2014 Tigers went 5-6 and suffered the first losing season since the 2010 team went 3-8. "Stillman fans have been a great supporter over the years and we look forward to playing in front of a great fan base."

Stillman is 35-35 versus 2015 opponents since the 2004 season, when the Tigers became an NCAA Division-II program. Stillman holds winning records versus Concordia-Selma, Lane, Clark Atlanta, Central State, and Kentucky State. All times listed are Central Time Zone.

STILLMAN COLLEGE TIGERS 2015 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

9/5/2015 | 6:00 PM | @ University of West Alabama (UWA leads series 2-0)
9/12/2015 | 3:00 PM | Concordia College-Selma (Stillman leads series 5-2)
9/19/2015 | 6:00 PM | @ Albany State University (ASU leads series 5-0)
10/3/2015 | 1:00 PM | Lane College - Homecoming (Stillman leads series 7-4)
10/10/2015 | 1:00 PM | @ Clark Atlanta University (Stillman leads series 6-2)
10/17/2015 | 1:00 PM | @ Tuskegee University (Tuskegee leads series 9-1)
10/24/2015 | 3:00 PM | Central State University (Stillman leads series 4-1)
10/29/2015 | 6:00 PM | Miles College (Miles leads series 8-3)
11/7/2015 | 12:00 PM | @ Kentucky State University (Stillman leads series 9-2)

COURTESY STILLMAN COLLEGE TIGERS SPORTS INFORMATION 

Xavier University Cuts the Ribbon on its New Fitness Center

XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA NEW FITNESS CENTER

PHOTO GALLERY

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana unveiled another athletics facility Wednesday when it introduced its Fitness Center.

At 12:13 p.m., retiring president Dr. Norman C. Francis cut the ribbon at the front entrance of the newly built $3.6 million facility, which is located at the corner of Drexel Drive and South Clark Street — between the Living Learning Center and St. Martin de Porres Hall, Xavier's two largest student residences. The Fitness Center is on the site of the former B. Samuels building, which Xavier purchased and demolished.

PHOTO GALLERY

The facility will be open to XU students, faculty and staff. Through July 3, the Fitness Center will be open Monday-Thursday from 4-11 p.m., Friday from 4-10 p.m. and closed during the weekend. Hours of operation will be expanded beginning July 6. Beginning in the fall 2015 semester, XU faculty and staff will pay to use the Fitness Center.

The first floor of the two-story facility offers an NCAA/NAIA regulation-sized basketball court, an office, a lounging area and an area with free weights and weight machines. The second floor consists of a three-lane walking/running track, a cardio room, spin studio and other multifunctional studios. State-of-the-art exercise machines will be available throughout the facility.

The basketball court will be mostly used for intramural events such as basketball and volleyball, large exercise classes, fitness activities, yoga, dance and Zumba classes. The court can be divided with a retractable curtain to offer multiple activities simultaneously.

"The opening of this much-requested new facility on campus has generated a great deal of interest from faculty, staff and especially students," said Francis, who will retire June 30 after 47 years as president. "It will provide the Xavier community with a safe, convenient and comfortable state-of-the-art facility in which to pursue their individual health and wellness goals."

This is the fourth XU athletics facility to open in three years. During the fall of 2012, Xavier opened the Convocation Center — a multipurpose facility which seats nearly 4,000 as the home of XU basketball and volleyball — the Convocation Center Annex and the XU Tennis Center.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/