Nuggets achieve highest-ever national team ranking

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's women have achieved their highest position ever — 12th — in the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Team Computer Rankings released Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
     
The Gold Nuggets' previous high was 14th twice in 2014, the first year of the rankings.
     
Rankings are based only on performances during the 2018 outdoor season and the number of athletes a school has near the top of the descending order list in the various events and how highly they are ranked.
     
XULA's top-10 national event rankings are:

     •  The 400-meter relay team of Martina Latting, Alexis Milton, Justyce Riggs and Ry-Anne Riley, second in 46.66 seconds.
     •  The 1,600 relay team of Janelle Jones, Ariane Williams, Riley and Kayla Quincy, sixth in 3:55.26.
     •  The 3,200 relay team of Brianna Pace, Maliya Vaughan, Taylor Price and Clarke Allen, sixth in 10:05.15.
     •  Riggs (12.05) and Latting (12.11), 8-10 in the 100.
     •  Williams, 10th in the 400 in 57.26.
     •  Alysia Terry, 10th in the triple jump in 11.59 meters/38 feet, one-quarter inch.
     
The USTFCCCA ranks 134 men's teams and 129 women's teams this week. Among Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's teams, SUNO is 35th, Edward Waters is 57th, and Dillard is 118th. Among GCAC men's teams, Edward Waters is 20th, SUNO is 51th, XULA is 56th, and Dillard is 71st. Neither Philander Smith team is ranked.
     
Next for XULA will be the Southeastern Strawberry Relays April 14 at Hammond, La., then the GCAC Championships April 20-21 at Tad Gormley Stadium in New Orleans.

NAIA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Team Rankings
1. Indiana Tech
2. Wiley
3. Friends
4. Wayland Baptist
5. British Columbia
6. Hastings
7. Doane
8. Concordia (Neb.)
9. USC Beaufort
10. Southern Oregon
11. Westmont
12. XULA
13. MidAmerica Nazarene
14. College of Idaho
15. Shawnee State
16. Olivet Nazarene
17. Cornerstone
18. SCAD Savannah
19. SCAD Atlanta
20. Lewis-Clark State
21. Columbia (Mo.)
22. Benedictine (Kan.)
23. McPherson
24. Point Park
25. Corban

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Chad Hunter Set to Lead FAMU Receiving Corps

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Chad Hunter is not hard to find on a football field. The redshirt-freshman receiver can be spotted easily with either his helmet on or off.

With his helmet off, the maroon dreadlocks are easy to spot from anywhere on the field. With his helmet on, he is easy to spot making amazing catches and scoring touchdowns. The former walk-on from Rickards High School has made his way to FAMU’s choice receiver. The Tallahassee Southside native proudly promotes the area where he grew up on Ridge road.

Head coach, Willie Simmons, sees Hunter as much more than a unique look. “Coming in watching Chad go through workouts, he was a guy that jumped out right away. We started our fourth quarter program going through drills and we noticed not just his quickness and explosiveness, but his work ethic. Once we started practicing, he has an extraordinary natural skill set. He can stick routes full speed, he really understands leverage, has really good hands and has a playmaker mentality about him,” Simmons said.

Hunter made his mark this past season. Playing sparingly at first, he quickly earned his way into playmaker status. At the beginning of last season, he was a possession-type receiver. Eventually, he became the “go-to” guy for quarterback Ryan Stanley.

He was the team’s second leading receiver, behind Brandon Norwood. He collected 574 yards on 31 catches for an impressive 18.5 yards each time he touched the ball. He scored 36 points on six touchdowns. None was more exciting that what most consider as the top play of the year.

The Rattlers were down against the Hampton Pirates. Backed up near their own goal line, the FAMU offense was stagnant. With a penalty, the team was backed down to its own nine-yard line, Stanley dropped back and unleashed a bomb that appeared aimed for Marcus Williams. Williams was double covered and he and both defensive backs went up for the ball. Seemingly out of nowhere, Hunter swooped in, took the ball from the crowd and scampered for the 91-yard touchdown.

Hunter is a very fun, but humble guy. “The way people tried to put everything on the coaches last year…it’s on us. For this season, I want to do better than I did last season. I want to stay consistent and have more yards and touchdowns and remain free of injuries,” Hunter said.

Receivers coach Jelani Barassa is impressed with Hunter in several ways. “I think Chad Hunter is going to be a big player for us on offense and possibly special teams as well. His work ethic was the first thing that jumped out at me. He has great character. He’s a former walk-on and earned himself a scholarship and he still has that same kind of drive about himself, that walk-on mentality. He goes hard every single day and that’s why he’s going to end up being a good player.” Barassa said.

Stanley likes the confidence he has that Hunter can get open and make tough catches when necessary. “He’s a real reliable guy. He topped a lot of people with his talent. He does a great job in one-on-one situations and he can account for when the ball is not thrown just right. I expect him to be one of the top guys in the conference this year,” Stanley said.

Hunter became one of the favorite targets of Stanley, as the two hooked up on several occasions as the team performed its best last season. An amazing over-the-shoulder touchdown on Savannah State silenced the home crowd in Savannah last season.

“More than liking Chad, I think his teammates respect him. That comes from them seeing the work he puts in on the field. When you have that, then you have a chance to lead. He’s a guy that doesn’t show up on lists for missing things, he’s always one of the first ones on the field and the last one to leave. Every rep he takes is a full speed rep. He’s a high energy guy, you hear him at practice and always competing. He gets a little chippy with the defensive backs sometimes, but that’s the intensity he brings to the position and it gives the offense life. That’s what you look for in a guy that will hopefully be a marquee player for us this year,” Simmons said.

Hunter will lead a receiver corps that returns Williams, Dock Lucky and Kevin Troutman. He is excited about the promise that the team’s new offense presents. The West Coast offense Simmons is known for is a dream for quarterbacks and receivers. The team bought into the new scheme real fast. Everybody is moving on the ball and moving fast. It’s a fast practice, so you never sitting around, it’s always something to do. It feels good to have that confidence from the coach, but I don’t even look at it that way. I am a team player and I just do my assignment…and hold everybody accountable,” Hunter concluded.

The Rattlers will have another morning practice on Friday at 6 A.M. and a full contact scrimmage on Saturday at 5 P.M.

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Washington Talks Spring As A&T Spring Game Approaches

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- North Carolina A&T football will play their annual Blue & Gold Spring Football Game 1 p.m., Saturday, April 7 at Aggie Stadium to prepare for what looks to be a season where they will have a huge bullseye surrounding them every Saturday. The game will be played like a traditional game with some offensive and defensive players wearing blue and others on the team wearing gold instead of offense versus defense. That is subject to change depending on circumstances between today and Saturday, but right now that is the plan of the Aggies coaching staff.

The bullseye will be there despite the Aggies entering the 2018 season with a first-year head coach who is replacing a legend. They must also replace four starters on the offensive line, two of them had multiple first-team All-MEAC honors and one of them will likely be drafted by an NFL team in three weeks.

Don’t expect too many sympathy cards to be sent to N.C. A&T's football office, however. After all, the Aggies will come into the 2018 season on top of the black college football world as its defending national champion. They are near the top of the Division I-Football Championship Subdivision world having finished sixth in the FCS Coaches Poll last season.



Plus, N.C. A&T opponents have seen this motion picture before. After the 2016 season, the Aggies sent one of the best players in school history to the NFL in Tarik Cohen. By the end of the next season, they were 12-0, MEAC champs, Celebration Bowl champs and HBCU national champs. Opponents will not be lured into taking the Aggies lightly because Rod Broadway, the school’s all-time leader in winning percentage, retired in January.

First-year head coach Sam Washington inherits from Broadway MEAC offensive player of the year in quarterback Lamar Raynard and first-team All-MEAC offensive standouts Elijah Bell at receiver, Marquell Cartwright at running back and Marcus Pettiford at tackle. The Aggies also have eight starters returning on defense including first-team All-MEAC cornerback Frank McCain and first-team All-MEAC defensive end Darryl Johnson.

“A lot of people would like to have what we have coming back,” said Washington. “Lamar, Bell and Cartwright can play, play. They’re very powerful. It’s a blessing to have them back. Then we have eight starters coming back on defense and others who played a lot as backups. We have a good group upfront (defensive line), which makes it easier to do more things on the back end. It allows us to play at a very fast pace because of our vertical play of the d-line.”

Washington does have some holes to fill. In addition to losing All-MEAC linemen in center Darriel Mack and left tackle Brandon Parker (two-time All-American), the Aggies also must replace defensive end Kenneth Melton, third-team All-MEAC linebacker Marcus Albert and first-team All-MEAC linebacker/safety Jeremy Taylor.

The Aggies filled some gaps along the defensive line during the offseason with the signing of transfers Michael Branch (Presbyterian) and Justin Nwachukwu (Northern Illinois). In addition, the Aggies have a strong nucleus of defensive linemen returning in Sam Blue, Jermaine Williams, Justin Cates, Turner Echols, Julian McKnight, Kadarius Kendrick and Shomari Wallace.

Taylor and Albert will be tough replacements because they were excellent playmakers on defense who were routinely around the football, forced turnovers and disrupted offenses.

“There are some holes we have at different positions that we need to find out if we have the right person there,” said Washington about what he wants to take away from spring practice. “Can they and will they. That's what the spring is about. Who can and who can't. I think we want the players who can and who can’t and who will and won’t identified by the end of the spring. If we can say that, we would have done ourselves some justice.”

Washington is also looking for more leaders to emerge from the spring. He pointed to Raynard, safety Jamal Darden, Cartwright, Pettiford, Bell, Blue and fullback William Hollingsworth as the players who have filled that leadership role thus far.

“They’re doing a yeoman’s job here this spring,” said Washington. “They are raising the bar so that the other guys have something to aspire to. They stand up and say something positive every day about repeating and playing at high level. They stress doing the little things right whether it's the classroom or walking down the street.”

In terms of what the 2018 Aggies will look like on the field. Do not expect them to be a far departure from what has been on the field the past seven seasons. It’s still about stopping the run, protecting the football and winning the kicking game. Something his mentor, Broadway, preached often.

“I’m not looking to quote, unquote, put my stamp on the program. I like to get the same results that we’ve had for the past 12 years,” said Washington who also worked under Broadway at Grambling State prior to working with him at N.C. A&T. “We are going to stay steadfast as the old folks would say, do what we do and do it well.”

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

UAPB 2018 Football Schedule Released in First Season under Head Coach Cedric Thomas

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) Golden Lions football team released its schedule for the 2018 football season on Wednesday. The highly anticipated season opener for the new look Golden Lions will be on Saturday, September 1, as the team will play host to Morehouse College. UAPB started off the season with a bang and defeated the Tigers 23-10 in last year's season opener.

UAPB will play host to National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics member Cumberland University on September 8 at Golden Lion Stadium. On September 15, UAPB will travel north to face the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State before returning home for the conference opener against Prairie View A&M in a highly anticipated Southwestern Athletic Conference match up. Sophomore linebacker Jontavis Testa, who will return next season to help guide the linebacking corps, produced his first collegiate interception during last year's battle against the Panthers.

A week later, the Golden Lions will face its second Panthers opponent, at Florida International University in Miami.

The Golden Lions will then return home on October 6 to host Jackson State University. Last year UAPB stormed back for a thrilling come from behind victory and beat the Tigers 34-27 in overtime to win the W.C. Gorden Classic in Mississippi.

On October 20, the Golden Lions will travel to Itta Bena to face Mississippi Valley in SWAC play. Last season against the Delta Devils, All-SWAC kicker/punter and former Scottish rugby player Jamie Gillan (nicknamed Gold Toe) broke the school record with a 52-yard field goal and Dollarway standout running back KeShawn Williams rushed for a season-high 147 yards at Golden Lion Stadium. Both will return to the Golden Lions next season as seniors.

The following week, the Golden Lions will travel to Louisiana to face Grambling State University. Last year UAPB was the closest SWAC team to upsetting Grambling, but the Tigers escaped Pine Bluff with a marginal victory.

A week of exciting festivities on the campus of UAPB will culminate with the Bulldogs of Alabama A&M coming to Pine Bluff on November 3 for the sacred UAPB homecoming game. Alabama A&M hosted UAPB for its homecoming game in 2017.

On November 10, the Golden Lions will travel to Baton Rouge to battle against the Jaguars of Southern University. The Jags were victorious in last year's 47-40 shootout in Little Rock at War Memorial Stadium.

The Golden Lions will round out the regular season in Houston as they face Texas Southern University on November 17.


2018 UAPB GOLDEN LIONS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
9/1 Morehouse
9/8 Cumberland University
9/15 @ South Dakota State
9/22 Prairie View A&M*
9/29 @ FIU
10/6 Jackson State*
10/13 OPEN
10/20 @ Mississippi Valley*
10/27 @ Grambling*
11/3 Alabama A&M**
11/10 @ Southern*
11/17 @ Texas Southern*
11/24 OPEN
12/1 SWAC Championship

*denotes conference game
**denotes Homecoming
HOME GAMES IN BOLD

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

JCSU Announces 2018 Football Schedule

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Johnson C. Smith University has finalized the 2018 football schedule, which includes five home games and two games against teams that participated in the 2017 NCAA Division II Playoffs.

The Golden Bulls will begin the season on Thursday night, Aug. 30 when they travel to local rival Wingate for a 7:00 p.m. start against the Bulldogs.

JCSU will open their home slate a week later, hosting Benedict at 6:00 p.m. in the annual Eddie McGirt Classic. The game against the Tigers will also feature the induction of the newest members into the JCSU Athletics Hall of Fame.

On Sept. 15, JCSU will meet Virginia Union in a nonconference game in Salem, Va. Dubbed the Mayor's Cup Classic, the Golden Bulls and Panthers will meet for the first time since 2015.

After the tilt with the Panthers, JCSU returns home to face the defending CIAA Champions in Virginia State. A trip to CIAA Northern Division foe Lincoln rounds out the month of September.

The Golden Bulls will then host longtime rival Winston-Salem State in Charlotte and following road games at Fayetteville State and Shaw on consecutive weeks, will entertain St. Augustine's on Oct. 27 for the annual Homecoming game.

The regular season will then come to a close with the Commemorative Classic on Nov. 3, with JCSU hosting archrival Livingstone at the Irwin Belk Complex.

Ticket information for the upcoming 2018 season will be finalized in the coming weeks.

2018 JCSU Football Schedule
Date Opponent Site Time
Aug. 30 at Wingate Wingate, N.C 7:00 p.m.
Sept. 8 Benedict Charlotte, N.C. 6:00 p.m.
Sept. 15 vs. Virginia Union Salem, Va. 4:00 p.m.
Sept. 22 Virginia State* Charlotte, N.C. 6:00 p.m.
Sept. 29 at Lincoln Lincoln, Pa. 1:00 p.m.
Oct. 6 Winston-Salem State* Charlotte, N.C. 1:00 p.m.
Oct. 13 at Fayetteville State* Fayetteville, N.C. 1:00 p.m.
Oct. 20 at Shaw* Durham, N.C. 1:00 p.m.
Oct. 27 St. Augustine's (Homecoming) Charlotte, N.C. 1:00 p.m.
Nov. 3 Livingstone* (Commemorative Classic) Charlotte, N.C. 1:00 p.m.
Nov. 10 CIAA Championship Game Salem, Va. TBD

JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

NCCU to pay for education of women's basketball players who had scholarships canceled

DURHAM, North Carolina — North Carolina Central University will fund the education of at least seven former women's basketball players whose scholarships were not renewed for the upcoming season.

The school confirmed the decision Tuesday to WRAL News.

"North Carolina Central University remains committed to the academic success of all our students, including student-athletes who were part of the women’s basketball team during the 2017-2018 season but who will not be returning next year," Associate Vice Chancellor Ayana Hernandez said.

"The university has reallocated resources for the seven students who are not graduating in May to continue and complete their education at North Carolina Central University. NCCU will provide scholarships and other funding to support each academically qualified student as she matriculates through her respective undergraduate degree program."

Head women's basketball coach Trisha Stafford-Odom decided last month that 10 members of the team wouldn't have their scholarships renewed for the 2018-19 academic year.

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Undefeated HBCU Champs A&T Releases 2018 Schedule

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- The defending black college football national champions, the defending Celebration Bowl champions and the defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football champions North Carolina A&T Aggies released the list of games they hope will lead to another special season like the one they had during the 2017 season. Fans can get a preview of Aggies Football in 2018 with the annual Blue-Gold Spring Game scheduled for 1 p.m., Saturday, April 7 at Aggie Stadium.

The Aggies (12-0), who finished the 2017 season as the only undefeated team in the NCAA Division I-Football Championship Subdivision, will not shy away from putting their winning streak on the line to open the 2018 season.

They will open the season against one of the best teams in FCS football in the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in Montgomery, Ala., on Aug. 25. The Aggies (No. 6) and the Gamecocks (No. 10) finished in the NCAA FCS Coaches Poll last season. Both teams also finished undefeated their respective conferences with the Gamecocks running the table in the Ohio Valley Conference for the fourth straight season.

The game will be the fifth installment of ESPN’s FCS Kickoff series which featured Jacksonville State taking on Chattanooga last season. Jacksonville State won that game. Other past winners of the FCS Kickoff include Eastern Washington, Montana and North Dakota State.

As if that challenge wasn’t strong enough, the Aggies will spend the next week in Greenville, N.C., to take on the East Carolina Pirates, a Division I-FBS program out of the American Athletic Conference. N.C. A&T has had success against FBS schools as of late, defeating Kent State in 2016 and Charlotte in 2017. ECU will be the Aggies second AAC opponent in three years after the Aggies lost to Tulsa in 2016.

Non-conference play ends with a rematch against Gardner-Webb on Sept. 8 in the 2018 home opener at Aggie Stadium. The Aggies were 45-3 winners over the Runnin’ Bulldogs last season in Boling Springs, N.C.

“We have added more worthy opponents to the schedule, but that is a challenge we are looking forward to,” said N.C. A&T coach Sam Washington who is preparing to enter his first season as the Aggies head coach after spending the last seven as its defensive coordinator. Washington is taking over for Rod Broadway who retired from coaching after seven seasons as the Aggies head man.

“We are starting out with Jacksonville State and ECU so that says a lot about where we see ourselves as a program because those are two really tough games,” Washington continued. “We are not afraid. We’re going to do the things we need to do to be successful and then see what the outcome is.”

N.C. A&T will get a week off before opening conference play against the Morgan State Bears on Sept. 22 at Aggie Stadium. The game will not count against either team's overall conference record because neither school had Hampton on their 2018 schedule. Therefore, the non-conference A&T/Morgan matchup will mean each MEAC school plays seven conference games in 2018.

N.C. A&T defeated the Bears 49-17 last season in Baltimore behind two interception returns for touchdowns by cornerback Frank McCain. The Aggies return to Aggie Stadium for their third straight home game when they face the S.C. State Bulldogs on Sept. 29. The Aggies knocked off the Bulldogs 21-7 last season in Orangeburg, S.C., behind a dominating defensive performance that held the Bulldogs to 82 yards rushing.

A road game against Delaware State appears on the schedule next with the Aggies going to Dover, Del., to face the Hornets on Oct. 6. The Aggies have won four straight over the Hornets including last season’s 44-3 triumph at Aggie Stadium. N.C. A&T returns home to face the Florida A&M Rattlers on Oct. 13. The Aggies have won six straight against the Rattlers, which is the longest winning streak in the 66-game history of the matchup for N.C. A&T.

Bethune-Cookman, the team that gave the Aggies their toughest fight last season, will await the Aggies on Oct. 20 in Daytona Beach, Fla. The Wildcats were a serious threat to the Aggies historic 2017 season until a late touchdown pass by Lamar Raynard gave the Aggies a 24-20 win at Aggie Stadium.

The Aggies will get a second week away from competition before facing the Norfolk State Spartans in the Greatest Homecoming On Earth at Aggie Stadium on Nov. 3. Elijah Bell had seven catches for 114 yards receiving and the Aggies defense held the Spartans to minus-four yards rushing in a 35-7 win in Norfolk, Va., last season.

N.C. A&T’s final two games are away from home as they will travel to Savannah, Ga., to take on the Savannah State Tigers on Nov. 10. The Tigers and the Aggies have only played three times and will likely not face each other for a while with the Tigers returning to Division II in 2019.

Of course, the season will end with the annual Aggie-Eagle rivalry between N.C. A&T and N.C. Central. In 2018, the Aggies will have to travel to Durham to face the Eagles on Nov. 17. The Aggies completed their march to the outright MEAC title with a 24-10 win over the Eagles at Aggie Stadium last season.

N.C. A&T will be after their third black football title in four years, their third Celebration Bowl win in four years and their fourth MEAC title in five years.

Date	Opponent	Time	Series Record	Skinny
Aug. 25	vs. Jacksonville State (10-2, 8-0 OVC), ESPN Kickoff, Montgomery, Ala.	TBD	First Meeting	Two top-10 titans will go at it to open the FCS season.
Sept. 1	at East Carolina (3-9, 2-6 AAC)	TBD	First Meeting	The Aggies undefeated in football and upset ECU in men's basketball. ECU will not underestimate A&T.
Sept. 8	Gardner-Webb (1-10, 0-5 Big South)	6 p.m.	A&T leads 1-0	Lamar Raynard’s MEAC Offensive Player of the Year bid began in the 2017 opener at GWU. (321 passing yds, 3 TDs)
Sept. 22	Morgan State (1-10, 1-7 MEAC)	6 p.m.	MSU leads 42-39-3	Marquell Cartwright rushed for a career-high 176 yards. Frank McCain had 2 pick-6’s in 49-17 win at MSU in 2017.
Sept. 29	S.C. State (3-7, 2-6 MEAC)	1 p.m.	SCSU leads 32-21-2	The Aggies have their first three-game winning streak over SCSU since 1990-92.
Oct. 6	at Delaware State (2-9, 2-6 MEAC)	TBD	A&T leads 24-22-1	The Aggies have won the last four meetings by an average margin of 26.5 points.
Oct. 13	Florida A&M (3-8, 2-6 MEAC)	1 p.m.	FAMU leads 44-18-3	N.C. A&T has won six straight over the Rattlers for their longest winning streak in the 66-game series.
Oct. 20	at Bethune-Cookman (7-4, 6-2 MEAC)	4 p.m.	B-CU leads 22-18	The Aggies only fourth-quarter rally of 2017 resulted in a 24-20 win over B-CU.
Nov. 3	Norfolk State (4-7, 4-4 MEAC) Homecoming	1 p.m.	A&T leads 31-11	The Aggies are 17-3 against the Spartans in Greensboro.
Nov. 10	at Savannah State	TBD	A&T leads 3-0	The Aggies have scored more than 30 points in each of the three meetings.
Nov. 17	at N.C. Central	2 p.m.	A&T leads 50-34-5	It is starting to become the toughest ticket to get in North Carolina on the third weekend in November.

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

MEAC and SWAC Great Success at 3X3U National Championship Tournament

What I like

The SWAC and The MEAC

VIDEO: Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship

The tournament kicked off with the SWAC beating the Big 12. Though this might not seem like much, let’s be clear. Three of the four players averaged over 15 points per game, and the third played in the Elite Eight. So when the Big 12 sends a solid group of seniors, it should not lose to a conference where only one team had a record over .500. But that’s what happened and that was awesome. Same goes for the MEAC, whose dudes knocked off the uber-competitive ACC. Hats off to all the SWAC and MEAC’s representatives who finally get a chance to make a name for themselves on a national stage. 

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Southern returns to the football field for program's first spring practice since 2013

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- For four years Southern football’s offseason played out the same way.

From the moment the final whistle blew on the last game of the season, the Jaguars would not touch a football in an official capacity until the start of preseason camp in August.

The next few weeks would be a mad dash to piece together a starting-day roster, make adjustments to the schemes and break in new players, not to mention get players back into game shape after nearly nine months away from the field.

This year is different, though.

This year, Southern has time. This year, the Jaguars have options. The panicked fury of preseason camp won’t be necessary.

Spring football is back at the Bluffs.

“The biggest difference is being able to be on the field and coach them," said coach Dawson Odums. "Being able to work on special team fundamentals. Being able to work on offensive fundamentals. … When you go from November to August, it’s lot of time to not be in pads and working on the fundamentals.”

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New coach plans to keep N.C. A&T on track

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- Good cop, bad cop. Coach Sam Washington was willing to fill either role on Rod Broadway’s staff at North Carolina A&T.

There’s no doubt, though, which one Washington enjoyed the most.

“Bad cop, absolutely,” he says. “I love bad cop.”



“Sort of like Coach Broadway’s ‘hitman,’ if you will,” former N.C. A&T All-America offensive lineman Brandon Parker said. “He brought that ‘get after it’ attitude to the field every day, and there wasn’t a day that he doesn’t get competition going between any two players. He obviously may have not gotten the same credit because he wasn’t the chief in charge, but he definitely deserved just as much respect as Coach Broadway.”

Broadway, who had Washington on his staff at Grambling State before they moved on to A&T, occasionally flipped roles in recent years. Perhaps he foresaw his retirement after last season would lead to Washington being elevated from assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, so Washington got to be good cop a little more often.

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A&T's Brandon Parker focusing small to prepare for NFL Draft

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- There are a few lessons in life that a man must only learn one time, and unfortunately for Brandon Parker, he learned one of them before the biggest job interview of his life back in February at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Parker, N.C. A&T’s former All-American left tackle, decided to grab some fast food and wound up being forced to sit out the bench press.

“I had some Chipotle and it didn’t sit well,” Parker said, laughing.



His second run at impressing NFL scouts easily got off to a better start on Monday morning when he walked into A&T’s weight room sporting his familiar smile and managed 21 repetitions on the bench press, surpassing the 20-rep standard for linemen in combine-style testing.

“It feels good,” Parker said. “The Combine went pretty good – I’d like it to have gone a little better.”

Among the other Aggies participating in drills were Khris Gardin, Trey Scott, Jeremy Taylor and Marcus Albert -- the most athletic of the bunch -- but Parker was the main draw for representatives from 17 different NFL franchises, including Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie.

At 6-7, 300 pounds, Parker has the size to be a prototypical tackle at the next level, and his production at A&T matched up, with three straight first-team All-MEAC and offensive line selections in blazing a trail for one of the best rushing offenses in FCS.

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NFL Rumors: Patriots Meet With Two Small-School NFL Draft Prospects

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- The New England Patriots reportedly have their eye on two under-the-radar NFL draft prospects. As part of their pre-draft prep, the Patriots on Monday met with North Carolina A&T offensive tackle Brandon Parker, according to a report from Christian Shanafelt, and worked out Sam Houston State defensive lineman P.J. Hall, league sources told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. 

Parker, who reportedly met with legendary Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, is projected as a fifth- or sixth-round draft pick. He started every game at left tackle over the past three seasons and was a three-time Offensive Lineman of the Year in the MEAC. The Patriots, of course, have a glaring need at left tackle following Nate Solder’s decision to sign with the New York Giants in free agency.

 Hall played his college ball in the Football Championship Subdivision, starring for a Sam Houston squad that reached the national semifinals in three of his four seasons. Listed at 6-foot-1, 310 pounds, he played on the edge for much of his college career before moving inside as a senior and subsequently earning Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2017.

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Anthony Jones, ex-Redskin, tapped as new ECSU football coach

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina -- Elizabeth City State University has tapped a member of a Super Bowl-winning team to be the Vikings’ next head football coach.

Anthony Jones, a member of the 1987 championship Washington Redskins, will join the Viking football program this spring.

Jones replaces Earnest Wilson, who was fired about two weeks ago. Wilson posted a 9-11 overall record and a 6-8 mark in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association games over two seasons at ECSU.

In addition to his duties as ECSU’s new head football coach, Jones will also serve as an academic adviser within the Academic Affairs department.

ECSU officials did not immediately have terms of his contract, including his compensation, available Monday afternoon.

Jones has not coached since 2016. According to an ECSU spokesman, Jones has been enrolled in graduate school at the University of West Alabama, where he is expected to complete a master’s of education degree in student affairs this spring.

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GSU's Jackson named Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year

BOSTON, Massachusetts -- Grambling State University first-year head men's basketball coach Donte' Jackson was named the Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year by Collegeinsider.com on Monday afternoon.

"This is a tremendous honor to be put in a category of great basketball coaches," Jackson, who became Grambling State's first-ever recipient of the award, said. "We had a good season, a record-setting season, and I give all credit to the assistant coaches and our players for all their hard work during the season. I am just blessed for the opportunity to win this award and blessed to be at Grambling State University.

Jackson, who has earned National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) NCAA Division I District 23 Coach of the Year and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Coach of the Year honors this season, guided the Tigers to one of the best seasons as an NCAA Division I program with a 17-14 overall record and an outright SWAC regular season championship. It was Grambling State's first Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) regular season title in 30 years (1988-89) and first winning season since the 2005-06 season.

Jackson, who was selected the SWAC Coach of the Year, guided the Tigers to a signature road victory on Dec. 1 with a 64-63 win over Georgia Tech, and brought attention to the Grambling State program with a school-record 11 game winning streak, which stretch from Jan. 8 to Feb. 17. During the streak, the Tigers swept Texas Southern, which last happened during the 2005-06 season.

"This is a huge honor for Coach Jackson as he is the best minority coach in the country," Grambling State Director of Athletics Paul A. Bryant said. "This is an outstanding honor for Coach Jackson and it shows the quality of coaching that we have here at Grambling State University."

The Ben Jobe Award is presented annually to the top minority coach in division I men's basketball. An icon in the history of basketball at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Jobe is best known as the head coach of the Southern University, a position he held for 12 seasons.

His record at Southern was 209-141 and included four NCAA Tournament appearances. He also coached the Jaguars to one NIT appearance, five SIAC championships, 11 SWAC titles and two NAIA Tournament Championships. Perhaps his most memorable moment as a coach was Southern's 93-78 win over Georgia Tech in the first round of the 1993 NCAA Tournament. It stands as one of the great upsets in the history of the event.

Every year since 2010, Colleginsider.com has awarded the Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year Award. Ed Colley, of Fairfield, was the inaugural recipient of the year. Cuonzo Martin (2011-Missouri State), Sean Woods (2012-Mississippi Valley State), Kevin Ollie (2013-UConn), Willis Wilson (2014-Texas A&M-CC), Bobby Collins (2015-Maryland Eastern Shore) and Dana Ford (2016-Tennessee State) have received the honors over the past eight years.

Jackson was named a finalist on Friday with other top coaches in NCAA Division I, including Tommy Amaker (Harvard), Mike Boynton (Oklahoma State), Earl Grant (Charleston), Ron Hunter (Georgia State), Mike Jones (Radford), LaVall Jordan (Butler), Edward Joyner (Hampton) and Kelvin Sampson (Houston).

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Before the Final Four, College Seniors Hooped for $100K

Catch the quarterfinals on Twitter Sunday from 2-3 p.m. EST:  SWAC vs. America East, SEC vs. Big Ten, MEAC vs. West Coast, Big West vs. Ivy. The semifinals, third-place game, and championship will air on ESPN2 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Sunday.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Moments after Jamal Aytes stepped to the line and calmly sank two free throws, leading his Big Sky team to a 21-20 win over the SWAC, a duffel bag of cash, thrust from the sidelines, landed on the court. He’s finally cashing out.

Take a $16 Uber ride from the Alamodome and you’ll find college basketball players from all over the country celebrating their own duffel-bag moments. Well, technically, the guys balling out in this 3-on-3 tournament aren’t college athletes anymore—they’re seniors whose NCAA eligibility expired after their last collegiate game.

Here at the first annual Dos Equis 3X3U (pronounced “three-on-three-you”) National Championship at St. Mary’s University, all 32 D-1 conferences have a team in attendance. With constant music—like “Why You Always Hatin?” and “Walk It Talk It”—pumping through the venue and the athletes genuinely playing hard, the environment is electric.

“The competition is high because everybody wants to win money,” says Ates, who averaged 12.7 PPG and 5.3 RPG this season for Southern Utah. “We’re all seniors who are about to go off into the world, so we all just want that cash. It’s great.”

In this setting, it doesn’t matter whether you’re from North Carolina or North Carolina A&T.  All that matters is whether you can get buckets.

In the first game of the tournament, the SWAC beat the Big 12. Later that day, the MEAC took down the ACC and Atlantic Sun conquered the Big East. This tournament presents an opportunity for smaller-conference players to show they can hang with the big dogs.

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Williams, Quincy qualify for nationals in women's 400

MOBILE, Alabama — Ariane Williams and Kayla Quincy qualified for nationals, and Xavier University of Louisiana won five events Friday at the University of Mobile Invitational track and field meet.

Williams (57.26 seconds) and Quincy (57.33) finished 1-2 in the women's 400-meter dash to meet the B-qualifying standard for the NAIA National Championships. Williams was All-America in this event a year ago after finishing seventh at nationals.

The other XULA victories were by the 3,200 relay team of Brianna Pace, Taylor Price, Maliya Vaughan and Clarke Allen (10:11.92), Tamia Scott in the women's javelin — a XULA PR of 34.81 meters/114 feet, 2 inches — Edward Angel in the men's high jump (2.03 meters/6 feet, 8 inches) and Brandon Matthews in the men's triple jump (14.04 meters/46 feet, three-quarters of an inch).

Alysia Terry posted a XULA PR of 11.59 meters/38 feet, one-quarter inch to improve her NAIA B-qualifying mark in the women's triple jump. XULA's other runner-up finishes were by Justyce Riggs in the women's 100 (12.49) and 200 (25.74), Raven Davis (1:07.52) in the 400 hurdles, Damoy Boyd (1:58.64) in the men's 800, Khalil Gallien (15.49) in the men's 110 hurdles and Evan Simmons (41.68 meters/136 feet, 9 inches) in the men's discus.

The XULA women produced 12 top-3 finishes, and the men had six.
     

There was no team scoring. Also competing were Belhaven, Concordia (Ala.), Loyola (New Orleans), Mobile, South Alabama, Spring Hill and Webber International.
     

The meet was the fifth of the outdoor season for XULA, which will return to Mobile next Friday for the South Alabama Invitational, a two-day meet.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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North Carolina A&T Article Image Junior Rodney Rowe ran a personal-record 20.58 in the 200 meters at the 74th annual Pepsi Florida Relays hosted by the University of Florida. Photo by Kevin L. Dorsey Courtesy: NC A&T Sports Information Foursome Breaks School Record at Florida Relays

GAINESVILLE, Florida -- The North Carolina A&T men's and women's track and field teams traveled south for a holiday weekend and tallied a plethora of personal records at the prestigious 74th annual Pepsi Florida Relays hosted by the University of Florida at James G. Pressley Stadium.

The women posted 11 top-10 finishes, eight personal records, seven season-best marks and a new school record while the men had eight top-10 finishes, two personal records and two season-best marks.

The women’s 4x400 relay team of junior Tori Ray, sophomore Sun-Sara Williams, freshman Payton Russell and freshman Nia Lundy placed second and set a new school record in 3:36.91. The previous school record was set in 2009.

• Results (Delta Timing)
• Pepsi Florida Relays Central (for complete PDF and HTML results)

The Aggie 4x800 team of freshman Khadija Reid, sophomore G’Jasmyne Butler, senior Imani Coleman and sophomore Kristoni Barnes finished sixth at 8:59.80. The 4x100 team of Ray, senior India Brown, Jazdia Beasley and junior Kayla White ran a season-best 44.65 to place eighth.

Barnes (2:09.27) and Butler (2:09.47) ran personal-best times in the women’s 800 meters while Ray (53.98) and Williams (54.73) set personal records in the 400. On Thursday, Lundy (54.71) was 10th and Russell (55.65) was 12th competing in the open 400 as they ran their fastest times of the early outdoor season. In the 400-meter hurdles, junior Kennedy Thorne (1:01.52) was 10th and freshman TeJyrica Robinson (1:02.90) was 15th with new PR’s.

White (13.30) placed fourth in the women’s 100mh, sophomore Madeleine Akobundu (19-feet, 2 ¾ inches) was sixth in the long jump and Brown (23.50) was seventh in the 200.

In the jumps, a pair found their stride and notched new PR’s. Junior Anisa Toppin was sixth in the triple jump marking 42-feet, 1 ¼ inch and freshman Nazah Reddick placed 12th in the high jump at 5-feet, 7-inches. Toppin measured 18-feet, 10 inches in the women’s long jump also setting a new personal record.

The men were led by sophomore Jaylan Mitchell running a personal-record 10.35 in the 100. Junior Rodney Rowe (10.39) was fourth in the 100 but clocked 20.58 in the 200m to register a new personal record.

Redshirt senior Todd Townsend, sophmore Robert Miller, senior TeQuille Jackson and junior Michael
Dickson placed second in the men’s 4x110-meter shuttle hurdle relay at 57.47. The men’s 4x100 team of Mitchell, Thomas, Dickson and Rowe won the college section placing fourth with a time of 39.15. The top three teams were all Olympic Development teams and the Aggies edged host Florida who placed fifth.

Freshman Trevor Stewart (46.61) was seventh in the 400m with Dajuan Harding (47.93) following in 10th place. Freshman Chase Bonham (52.84) ran his fastest time of the season in the 400mh and Dickson (14.02) was ninth in the 110mh. Senior Nehemiah Lipford had a season-best high jump at 6-feet, 7-inches.

The Aggies are slated to compete at the High Point VertKlasse Meeting in High Point, N.C. for a two-day meet beginning on Friday, April 6.

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

JSU president says he is in charge of athletics department

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State president William Bynum said Thursday he plans to wait at least another two months before naming a replacement for former athletic director Wheeler Brown, but that even when he does, he still intends to be "hands on" with the program.

Bynum removed Brown from his post in December — a decision that was affirmed by the IHL board in February, but Brown has challenged his removal and is currently going through the school’s internal appeals process.

“Until all that is cleared … and people have made decisions relative to his contract, I’m not going to move,” Bynum said. “I’ll continue to be the acting AD along with my administrative team. My hands are tied until that process runs its course.”

Bynum, who sat down Thursday for an interview with the Clarion Ledger in his 10th month on the job, said he hopes the appeals process will allow him to have a new AD in place by June 1.


In the meantime, Bynum, his vice president and chief of staff Debra Mays-Jackson and special assistant to the president Thomas Hudson will continue to run the department, with associate athletic director Genese Lavalais serving as a liaison between the president and the coaches.

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TSU Football to Host Coaches Clinic

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State University football program will hold a coaches clinic on Friday, April 13 in the Floyd Payne Campus Center.

The clinic is for high school coaches and will feature speakers from TSU, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Middle Tennessee and NC State.

The event begins at 8:45 a.m. and is free to attend.

Coaches Clinic
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 8:45 a.m.
Registration - 8:00 a.m..
Location: Floyd Payne Campus Center (Student Center) - Forum
Participants: High School Coaches
Cost:  Free
Contact: Natasha Plant (nplant@tnstate.edu; (615) 963-7562

Three More Named To Hampton Pirates 2018 Football Coaching Staff

HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Hampton University head football coach Robert Prunty has announced the final three members of his coaching staff for the 2018 season. Ryan Anderson will coach safeties and serve as co-defensive coordinator, Julius McNair will be the running back coach, while Mike Buscemi will be the special teams coordinator.

Ryan Anderson joins the Hampton University staff after serving two years as the inside linebackers coach at East Carolina. He will coach the safeties and serve as co-defensive coordinator with Hampton.

Anderson served with Hampton Head Coach Robert Prunty at East Carolina following a three-year stint as a defensive assistant at Southeastern Conference member Vanderbilt from 2013 to 2015. During his last two seasons in Nashville, Anderson helped build the Commodore linebackers into one of the SEC's stronger units.

NAME TITLE 
Robert Prunty Head Football Coach
Brian White Offensive Coordinator
Hank Hughes Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach
Ataveus Cash QB Coach/Passing Game Coordinator
Bobby Blizzard Wide Receivers Coach
Scott McConnell Tight Ends Coach
Ryan Anderson Safeties Coach/Co-Defensive Coordinator
Julius McNair Running Backs Coach
Mike Buscemi Special Teams Coordinator 
Hunter Williams Director of Football Operations

During his first campaign at East Carolina, Anderson's unit featured two of the team's top three tacklers in Jordan Williams (77) and Cam White (63).

Coaching primarily the Vandy inside linebackers and defensive ends in 2015, Anderson assisted a unit that statistically ranked among the NCAA's top 25 in fourth down defense (4th), first down defense (5th), redzone defense (6th), third down defense (7th), most fumbles recovered (20th) and scoring defense (23rd) by allowing only 21.0 points per game. One of his top players, Zach Cunningham, earned Associated Press First-Team All-SEC honors after ranking among league leaders in tackles for loss (16.5), solo tackles (69) and overall stops (103), forced fumbles (4) and recovered fumbles (3).

In 2014, Anderson played a key role developing inside linebacker Nigel Bowden into a Freshman All-Southeastern Conference performer. Bowden topped all SEC first-year players in total tackles (78) and became the first rookie to pace Vanderbilt in stops since 1998.

The Commodore defense stood among the nation's best in several categories during Anderson's first campaign in Nashville in 2013, including passes intercepted (13th), turnovers gained (13th), pass defense (23rd) and total defense (23rd).

"Ryan Anderson is one of the most intelligent young football coaches that I have been around," said Prunty. "He is very detailed oriented as a coach and stresses the fundamentals of the game. Ryan will be an asset to our staff on defense."

Julius McNair comes to Hampton University this year to coach the running backs after serving the last five years at the University of Tennessee-Martin. He was the running backs coach for two years and defensive backs coach along with recruiting coordinator for three years.

In 2017, he helped guide a rushing attack that averaged nearly 120 yards per game and produced the third leading rusher in the Ohio Valley Conference in Ladarius Galloway who averaged just under 80 yards per game.

McNair played in 43 games for UT Martin from 2009-12, earning a start in 13 games. The linebacker accounted for 140 tackles (76 solo), 10.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one interception, eight pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, three quarterback hurries and one blocked kick. He also added 88 yards rushing with a pair of touchdowns playing in a special quarterback package in 2010.

His best season came during his senior campaign, when he racked up 70 tackles and recorded his lone career interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery to go along with a career-best four pass breakups. As a junior, he started in eight games and recorded 53 tackles, including career highs of 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries and one blocked kick.

Before attending UT Martin, McNair was an all-state performer at Mount Olive High School. He threw for 2,253 yards and 24 touchdowns during his senior season, leading all of Class 1A in touchdown passes.

McNair graduated from UT Martin in 2013 with a degree in business. He is married to the former Jasmyne Reese.

"After interviewing several running back coaches, Julius McNair was clearly the best one I had met with," Prunty said. "He brings a lot of energy and teaches technique, fundamentals and we are very fortunate to have him on the staff."

Michael Buscemi comes to Hampton this year to serve as the special teams coach after being at Duke University for two seasons as the defensive quality control coach.

During his first year with at Duke, Buscemi worked with a defense that produced three All-ACC selections and a Freshman All-America honoree in linebacker Joe Giles-Harris. Duke's defense had three tabbed as ACC Players of the Week and redshirt senior defensive tackle A.J. Wolf repeated as a First Team CoSIDA Academic All-America honoree.

Buscemi came to Durham after spending three seasons as the special teams coach at UCF. In 2015, he added director of player personnel duties to his role with the Knights.

During the 2015 season, the Knights led the American Athletic Conference and ranked 10th nationally in net punting while ranking among the league's top five in both kickoff return average and kickoff return average defense. Also, kicker Matthew Wright converted 13-of-17 field goals.

En route to a 9-4 record, second straight AAC championship and berth in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl in 2014, UCF led the AAC and ranked third nationally in kickoff return average as Michael Easton recorded a 96-yard return for a touchdown against SMU and Rannell Hall averaged a team-best 27.5 yards per return. Additionally, kicker Shawn Moffitt ended his career as UCF's all-time scoring leader, amassing 314 points.

UCF's special teams units helped the Knights to a 12-1 record, a No. 10 final national ranking, a league title and a victory in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in 2013. Along the way, the Knights earned their first wins over top-10 teams (Baylor and Louisville) as well as their first triumphs against Big Ten Conference (Penn State) and Big 12 Conference (Baylor) programs.

Buscemi earned a degree in criminal justice from UCF in 2006 and later received a master's degree in sports and fitness in 2008. He is married to the former Meme Diaz and the couple has one son, James Michael.

"Mike is an outstanding special teams coach who came highly recommended from previous staffs," said Prunty. "He's a rising star in the coaching profession as a special teams coach."

For more information on Hampton University football, please contact the Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5757 or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

Texas Southern Football announces staff additions

HOUSTON, Texas -- Texas Southern Football head coach Micheal Haywood has announced the additions of Morris Watts and Michael Slater to the Tigers staff for the 2018 season.

Watts will take over as TSU's offensive coordinator while Slater will lead the Tigers defensive line unit.

One of the legendary names in college football coaching, Watts, arrives to TSU from Arkansas. He has also previously coached at Central Michigan, serving as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.



Watts' coaching career spans more than five decades and encompasses three high schools, nine universities and two professional teams.

Watts began his career at Seneca (Mo.) High School in 1961 before moving on to Joplin (Mo.) High School. He moved on to college coaching in 1965 at Drake University, beginning a journey that would take him to Louisville, Indiana, Kansas, LSU (twice), Michigan State (three times), Mississippi State, Miami (Ohio) and, finally, in 2011, Central Michigan.

Watts also mixed in two pro stops, the first with the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL, the second with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL.

Throughout his career, Watts has worked directly with several quarterbacks who have played professionally, including Indiana's Tim Clifford; Michigan State's Jim Miller, Tony Banks and Jeff Smoker; Cliff Stoudt of the USFL's Birmingham Stallions; and Vinny Testeverde of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.



Prior to joining TSU, Slater served as defensive line coach at Arizona State University.

Slater arrived at ASU from Kansas where he served as defensive line coach in 2016. Under Slater's tutelage, the Jayhawk defensive line helped Kansas' defense top the Big 12 Conference in pass defense (219.8 yards per game) and lowest opponent third-down conversion percentage (35.6). Slater coached defensive end Dorance Armstrong Jr., who, as a sophomore, became the first unanimous all-Big-12 Conference selection in KU Football history.

Slater joined the KU program after four-year stint as defensive line coach at Rice. In his time with the Owls, Slater saw his defensive front become a disruptive force that was instrumental in the Owls newfound success.

In April 2015, Slater saw Christian Covington selected by the Houston Texans, becoming the third Owls defensive line product to be drafted in his combined tenure on the Owls' staff. As a graduate assistant at Rice from 2008-10, Slater mentored future pros Cheta Ozougwu and Scott Solomon. In addition, 2014 Rice senior Zach Patt earned an invitation to the Arizona Cardinals rookie camp.

In 2014 Rice set a school record with 39 sacks, and Patt set a single-game mark with five vs. FIU. In his four seasons at the helm of the Rice defensive front, Slater's group combined for 84 of the Owls 103 sacks, forced 28 fumbles and recovered 18.

In his first stint with the Owls, Slater earned a Master's of Liberal Studies degree during his three-year tenure while working with the defensive line. After his graduation in the spring of 2011, Slater spent one season as the defensive line coach at Angelo State before returning to Rice.

Slater coached at the high school level in the Houston area for 12 years, first at Alief Hastings for five seasons, before moving on to Alief Taylor for seven years. He coached the defensive line and also coordinated special teams. As the defensive line coach at Taylor, he coached future Rice player and Chicago Bear Cheta Ozougwu.

Slater began his coaching career while attending Southwest Texas State (now Texas State), where he served as a student assistant coach in 1993 before graduating with a degree in agriculture/animal science.

TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS