TSU Student-Athletes Celebrate Graduation - May 5, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tennessee --- Tennessee State University celebrated this year’s graduating class on Saturday with the 2018 Spring Commencement Ceremony at the Gentry Center.

TSU enjoyed another successful year in the classroom with a total of 37 seniors from the athletic department hearing their name called as part of Saturday’s ceremony for those graduating in May or with expected summer graduations. Combined with the graduates from the winter ceremony, Tennessee State Athletics had 52 graduates during the 2017-18 academic year.

“It brings me great joy to see our student-athletes accomplish great things academically,” TSU Assistant Athletic Director for Academic Services Jeremy Perry said. “College graduation is a huge milestone and to see the hard work of our senior athletes come to fruition is priceless.”

Among TSU’s graduates this spring are NFL hopefuls, team and individual Ohio Valley Conference Champions and NCAA National Qualifiers.

Nationally recognized motivational speaker Dr. Eric Thomas served as the undergraduate commencement speaker on Saturday.

PHOTO GALLERY

MEN’S BASKETBALL
Ken’Darrius Hamilton
Christian Mekowulu
Samson Oyediran
Darreon Reddick
Delano Spencer

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Maxine Beard
Lauren Elliott
Tia Wooten

FOOTBALL
Terrell Bonds
Tyrell Doss
Lakhalon Holland
Joseph Johnson
Marvin Maddox
Jason Morrow
Dell Porter

MEN’S GOLF 
Jermey Fultz
Kody Rendleman

SOFTBALL
Kasey Cox
Whitney Ennis
Rea Sylvester-Former SA

MEN’S TENNIS 
Grant Maddox-Former SA
Shashank Nautiyal

WOMEN’S TENNIS
Phyllicia Hemphill-Former SA

MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD 
Jemarruse Amos
Zyhir Baker-Elam-Former SA
David Jones
Jontue McDowell
James Stewart

WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELDHannah Alsup
Cyra Beard
Daimer Gordon
Christian Pryor
Kayla Pryor

VOLLEYBALL 
Cherlie Adorno-DeJesus
Samantha BeltranT
Alexis Johnson
Katora Roberts

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

OVC Men's and Women's Basketball Championships to Return to Evansville in 2019 and 2020

EVANSVILLE, Indiana -- The Ohio Valley Conference Board of Presidents have voted to award the 2019 and 2020 OVC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships to the Evansville Sports Corporation for the event to be held at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.

The event was held for the first time in Evansville this year, the first time the Championship was held outside of Nashville since 2002.

The date of the 2019 OVC Basketball Championship is March 6-9 while the 2020 Championship will be held March 4-7.

“After thorough and thoughtful consideration, the OVC membership decided to award the 2019 and 2020 OVC Basketball Championships to the City of Evansville based on a number of factors, including outstanding local leadership, the success of this past year’s championships, and the quality of the Ford Center,” said OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche. “We are delighted to again have the opportunity to work with our partners in Evansville and are excited to start building on the terrific foundation that was laid with the 2018 OVC Basketball Championships.”

The Ford Center, which opened in 2011, is an 11,000-seat arena located in the core of Evansville’s downtown district. The 290,000-square foot facility serves as home of Evansville Thunderbolts of the Southern Professional Hockey League and the University of Evansville men’s basketball team. The Ford Center also serves as host to numerous sporting events and concerts on an annual basis.

Evansville is the third-largest city in the state of Indiana with a population of nearly 120,000 in the city limit and 300,000 people in the metropolitan area.

#BigBlueRising

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Florida A&M Rattlers and Southern Jaguars to Renew Football Rivalry

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- One of the longest standing non-conference rivalries in Black College Football history will be renewed in September of 2019, as the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Rattlers will take to the field against the Southern University Jaguars of Baton Rouge, Louisiana for the first time since 2012.

FAMU and Southern jointly announced the initial home-and-home agreement on Wednesday, which begins with a date in venerable Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, on Saturday, September 21, 2019, followed by the return date at A.W. “Ace” Mumford Stadium in Baton Rouge on September 12, 2020.

FAMU and Southern have met four times on the gridiron since the yearly series was suspended in 2001, once in the MEAC-SWAC Challenge in 2007 and twice in the Atlanta Football Classic in 2011 and 2012. The last meeting between the Jaguars and the Rattlers on the schools’ respective campuses occurred in 2008, when FAMU edged Southern 52-49 in a high scoring road win in Baton Rouge, La.

FAMU Athletic Director John Eason, Ph.D., said, “The two-year, home-and-home agreement with Southern University is a ‘“win-win’”for both schools. We are excited about the opportunity of playing one of the most recognized football programs among HBCUs. It represents our efforts to ignite our fan base with games they want to see.”

Southern Athletic Director Roman Banks said, “The renewal of this rivalry represents the best of both schools and will spark high interest among our respective fans. This one is a ‘no-brainer.’ Southern and FAMU should play each other and we’re extremely excited about this development.”

The two universities began their football rivalry in 1941, and while FAMU enjoys a slight edge in the meetings at 33-26-1, the record is just one part of the rich legacy that these two programs share.

The pair combined have won 22 Black College National Football championships, FAMU won 12 and Southern won 10. Both teams rank in the Top 20 all-time among NCAA Division I FCS programs in winning percentage, each having won more than 64 percent of their games since the 1920s.

Both schools have also produced their share of star athletes and coaches who occupy the Pro Football, College Football and Black College Football Halls of Fame.

The honor roll of stellar luminaries is headed by players such as FAMU’s Bob Hayes, Ken Riley, and Willie Galimore, along with Southern greats Mel Blount, Isiah “Butch” Robertson and Aeneas Williams, as well as legendary coaches A.S. “Jake” Gaither of FAMU, and Arnett “Ace” Mumford of Southern.

FAMU and Southern are also among the perennial attendance leaders in Division I FCS, with both ranking in either the Top 10 or Top 20 over the past decade or more.



In fact, FAMU has ranked third in the FCS in home attendance in each of the past two seasons, while Southern has turned in a pair of Top 15 finishes in average home attendance in 2016 and 2017.

Of course this long-standing Black college rivalry would not be complete without the musical complement of two of the greatest marching bands in America – FAMU’s world famous Marching “100” and Southern University’s “Human Jukebox.”

The fans bases of both schools have longed for this rivalry to be renewed, and they will get their wish come September 21, 2019.

Vaughn Wilson

Director of Rattler Productions
Florida A&M University Athletics

Christopher Jones

Assistant Athletics Director for Media Relations

Southern University And A&M College

Ram Ramblings: Hayes fulfills dream with induction into N.C. Sports Hall of Fame

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- When Bill Hayes was coaching football there was a scowl on his face most of the time because he was in his element.

Now that Hayes has been out of coaching for a few years he doesn’t where that sideline scowl anymore.

“I smile a lot more these days, and why not?” Hayes said Thursday morning, the day before he will be inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.

Hayes, 74, who has lived in Winston-Salem his entire coaching career going back to his days at North Forsyth, had quite a time cutting his speech he will give on Friday at the induction ceremony in Raleigh.

“They gave me only four minutes but I think I got it nailed down pretty good,” Hayes said. “If I don’t mention any names then I think I’ll be OK.”

Hayes, the all-time winningest coach in N.C. A&T history, is also the second winningest coach in Winston-Salem State history. His 195-104-2 record in 27 seasons as a coach only tells half the story about his career.

Hayes not only was a good coach on the field, he cared about his players off the field. And the countless stories of what he did for his former players is something he is proud of.



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Michael Reddick’s arm sends Albany State baseball to SIAC title game

ALBANY, Georgia — Michael Reddick and his Albany State teammates were a little miffed when the SIAC all-conference baseball team was released Wednesday.

Of the six top awards the conference issued, five went to representatives from Miles, the Western Division regular-season champion. Albany State, the Eastern division regular-season champion, was shut out.

With Reddick, the Albany State staff ace, going up against SIAC Starting Pitcher of the Year Dylan Johnson for a spot in the championship round of the SIAC Tournament, he felt he had something to prove.

The effort Reddick came up with was nothing short of a gem of a performance. The sophomore from Lee County had a complete game four-hitter, striking out seven and walking one in an 8-3 victory.

“We were a little upset with the awards the other night,” Reddick said. “We had been playing just as well. We wanted to take them on. Everybody was hyped up for this game.”

Albany State earned a spot in Sunday’s 2 p.m. SIAC championship game against the winner of Saturday’s late Miles-Kentucky State contest. The Golden Rams will have two chances to win the title, with a second game at 6 p.m. should they lose the first championship game.

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Atlanta loses costly $20 Million land dispute to Clark Atlanta University

ATLANTA, Georgia -- The City of Atlanta has lost its final bid in a university land dispute that may cost taxpayers more than $20 million.

This month, the state Supreme Court ruled against the city, requiring it to return 13 acres of premium property that sits near Mercedes-Benz Stadium to its rightful owner, Clark Atlanta University.

The move ends a four-year legal battle with CAU, which sued the city several years ago, and records reveal costly expenditures and demands related to the sale.

Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development arm, acquired the land in 2014 in a $14 million transaction with a bankrupt Morris Brown College. The school used the money to dig out of financial woes, while the city began major development plans, including the new stadium.

But a portion of the purchase was in question from the start. A 1940 deed outlined Morris Brown’s obligation to return the 13 acres around the historic Gaines Hall and Herndon Stadium back to Clark Atlanta because the land was no longer being used for educational purposes.

In an October 2017 interview, then-Mayor Kasim Reed told Channel 2 investigative reporter Nicole Carr that the city wasn’t convinced the deed was valid.

“You know there were differing opinions at the time,” Reed said. “It wasn’t as clear that a letter agreement would be binding over all of those years.”

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HU signs 5-year deal with Under Armour

HAMPTON, Virginia -- For the last few years, Hampton University has had a relationship with Under Armour it wanted to take further.

But due to the Pirates’ membership in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, which has a shoe deal with Nike, that couldn’t happen.

When it becomes an official member of the Big South on July 1, HU can make that change. Also on that date, Hampton will become a full-fledged, head-to-toe, partner with Under Armour.

HU announced the five-year arrangement Friday. The Baltimore-based company will provide uniforms and equipment for all 17 of the Pirates’ varsity sports.

“We’ve been working on it for a while,” HU athletic director Eugene Marshall said. “We’ve had a partial relationship with them. Under Armour has been really good to us with lacrosse and women’s soccer (sports the MEAC does not sponsor).

“Once we left the MEAC, we were able to negotiate an excellent multi-year deal that will have us representing Under Armour from head-to-toe for a long time. This allows us to compete at a different level.”

For years, Marshall said, MEAC teams were contracted to wear Russell Athletic apparel and Nike shoes. Recently, the conference began allowing its members to choose its own company for uniforms but remained contracted with Nike for shoes through 2020.

Hampton and Howard chose Under Armour for apparel but, as MEAC members, continued wearing Nike footwear.

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No. 3 Gold Nuggets await next week's announcements

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana remained No. 3 Tuesday in the NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25. It's the final ranking before the national tournament.
     
The Gold Nuggets (17-7) are in the top five for the fifth consecutive poll. It's their 15th all-time top-3 ranking; all occurred during the last six seasons.
     
The top-25 appearance is XULA's 56th in a row.
     
The postseason timeline:
     •  Monday:  NAIA will announce at 3 p.m. CDT the 24 women's teams that qualified for the NAIA National Championships.
     •  Tuesday:  NAIA will announce at 1 p.m. CDT the seeds and bracket for nationals. The top eight seeds will receive first-round byes.
     •  May 13 (Sunday):  XULA will depart for Mobile, Ala., the site of nationals.
     •  May 14 (Monday):  Tournament banquet, which will include the presentation of ITA end-of-season and NAIA Champions of Character awards.
     •  May 15 (Tuesday):  First round of competition at Copeland-Cox Mobile Tennis Center (851 Gaillard Drive, zip code 36608, phone 251-208-5181). Admission is free for every round. Women's matches will start in the morning.
     •  May 16 (Wednesday):  Round of 16. The Gold Nuggets are expected to receive a first-round bye and play their first match on this day.
     •  May 17 (Thursday):  Quarterfinals.
     •  May 18 (Friday):  Semifinals.
     •  May 19 (Saturday):  Championship.
     •  May 22 (Tuesday):  NAIA announces its All-America team.
     •  May 23 (Wednesday):  NAIA announces postseason top 25, and ITA announces its end-of-season singles and doubles rankings.
 

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through April 29)

RANK	PREVIOUS	SCHOOL	RECORD	POINTS
1	1	Keiser (Fla.) (13)	20-2	343
2	2	Georgia Gwinnett	14-2	332
3	3	Xavier (La.)	17-7	321
4	4	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)	12-2	308
5	5	William Carey (Miss.)	11-5	293
6	6	Brenau (Ga.)	16-7	292
7	8	William Woods (Mo.)	16-6	263
8	9	Cardinal Stritch (Wis.)	13-6	258
9	7	SCAD Savannah (Ga.)	11-4	255
10	11	Northwestern Ohio	15-4	252
11	10	Indiana Wesleyan	29-4	241
12	12	LSU-Alexandria (La.)	10-6	226
13	13	San Diego Christian (Calif.)	11-6	208
14	14	Middle Georgia State	11-6	207
15	15	Westmont (Calif.)	9-11	186
16	16	SCAD Atlanta (Ga.)	11-6	182
17	17	Arizona Christian	10-11	164
18	18	Union (Ky.)	15-5	159
19	19	Cumberlands (Ky.)	10-10	141
20	20	Campbellsville (Ky.)	12-7	129
21	21	Loyola (La.)	12-7	126
22	22	Cumberland (Tenn.)	13-10	111
23	23	Reinhardt (Ga.)	12-7	107
24	24	Mobile (Ala.)	11-6	91
25	25	Marian (Ind.)	17-4	76

Dropped from the Top 25: None

Others Receiving Votes: Georgetown (Ky.) 50; Southwestern (Kan.) 46; St. Thomas (Fla.) 27; Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 18; Asbury (Ky.) 17; Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 11; Tennessee Wesleyan 11; Missouri Baptist 9; Huntington (Ind.) 6; Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 6; Midland (Neb.) 4.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Gold Rush No. 4; postseason is just around the corner

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana remained No. 4 Tuesday in the NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25. It's the final ranking before the national tournament.
     
XULA (11-11) extended its streak of consecutive top-25 appearances to 94. That's the longest active streak in NAIA men's tennis. The streak began April 4, 2007.
     
The Gold Rush have not played since April 16. XULA has three victories this season against ranked opponents and four against NCAA Division I members, including Nicholls and Troy.
     
The postseason timeline:
     •  Monday:  NAIA will announce at 3 p.m. CDT the 24 men's teams that qualified for the NAIA National Championships.
     •  Tuesday:  NAIA will announce at 1 p.m. CDT the seeds and bracket for nationals. The top eight seeds will receive first-round byes.
     •  May 13 (Sunday):  XULA will depart for Mobile, Ala., the site of nationals.
     •  May 14 (Monday):  Tournament banquet, which will include the presentation of ITA end-of-season and NAIA Champions of Character awards.
     •  May 15 (Tuesday):  First round of competition at Copeland-Cox Mobile Tennis Center (851 Gaillard Drive, zip code 36608, phone 251-208-5181). Admission is free for every round. Men's matches will start in the afternoon.
     •  May 16 (Wednesday):  Round of 16. The XULA men are expected to receive a first-round bye and play their first match on this day.
     •  May 17 (Thursday):  Quarterfinals.
     •  May 18 (Friday):  Semifinals.
     •  May 19 (Saturday):  Championship.
     •  May 22 (Tuesday):  NAIA announces its All-America team.
     •  May 23 (Wednesday):  NAIA announces postseason top 25, and ITA announces its end-of-season singles and doubles rankings.
 

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through April 29)

RANK	PREVIOUS	SCHOOL)	RECORD	POINTS
1	1	Georgia Gwinnett (14)	23-0	374
2	2	Keiser (Fla.)	15-6	362
3	3	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)	14-0	348
4	4	Xavier (La.)	11-11	335
5	5	William Carey (Miss.)	12-3	329
6	7	Cumberland (Tenn.)	21-2	305
7	6	William Woods (Mo.)	14-6	302
8	8	Mobile (Ala.)	19-2	287
9	9	Cardinal Stritch (Wis.)	14-4	284
10	T10	Arizona Christian	18-7	260
11	T10	Campbellsville (Ky.)	13-6	253
12	12	Northwestern Ohio	13-5	245
13	13	Middle Georgia State	10-4	233
14	14	Reinhardt (Ga.)	16-3	226
15	15	Westmont (Calif.)	8-9	203
16	16	Tennessee Wesleyan	11-4	196
17	18	Union (Ky.)	13-5	175
18	17	San Diego Christian (Calif.)	8-7	172
19	19	Asbury (Ky.)	15-1	153
20	20	Lawrence Tech (Mich.)	20-5	146
21	21	Coastal Georgia	11-7	136
22	22	Indiana Wesleyan	27-8	117
23	23	Point (Ga.)	15-8	103
24	T24	Cumberlands (Ky.)	8-11	102
25	T24	McPherson (Kan.)	14-3	98

Dropped from the Top 25: None

Others Receiving Votes: Texas A&M-Texarkana 56; Loyola (La.) 37; St. Thomas (Fla.) 36; Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 30; Missouri Valley 28; Bethany (Kan.) 22; St. Francis (Ill.) 12; Aquinas (Mich.) 9; Bluefield (Va.) 7; Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) 6.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Cooper named Position Coach at USA Baseball

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling State University head baseball coach James Cooper finally received the news that he had been waiting on for nearly two months as he was named on Wednesday to the United States of America (USA) Baseball National Development Under-16 Team as a position coach.

Cooper was selected by Matthew Blood, a former scout for the St. Louis Cardinals who thought that he fit the coaching description perfectly.

"Once he explained it to me and told me about the opportunity to possibly win gold medal for the USA, I totally accepted it," Cooper said. "I got extremely excited about it. I felt like a little kid at the candy store or a little kid on Christmas Eve getting ready to open all those gifts."

Although Cooper was unsure of how the selection process went for choosing the coaches, he said Blood did mention he had been following Cooper's success over the years, and even mentioned players such as Edwin Drexler, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 38th round in 2015, and Tanner Lee Raiburn, who was selected in the 33rd round to the Boston Red Sox to play for the Gulf Coast League in 2017. Additionally, Marshawn Taylor who won multiple Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) awards last season.

Currently in his ninth season as the head coach at Grambling State University, Cooper, who was will make his USA Baseball coaching debut at the 16U National Team Development Program (NTDP). He started his career at GSU as a player before becoming an assistant coach and then taking over at the helm. As a head coach, he led the Tigers to a SWAC championship in his first year and was selected the conference Coach of the Year twice (2010 and 2017). As a player, he was second team all-conference twice and received first-team All-SWAC honors after his senior campaign. He was selected in 33rd round of the 2004 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Houston Astros.

Joining Cooper, who will be a Stars Position Coach, on this journey will be Scott Berry (Stars Position Coach), Greg Brown (Stripes Position Coach), Rusty Filter (Starts Pitching Coach), Eric Kibler (Field Coordinator), Jayson King (Stripes Manager), Bill Mosiello (Stars Manager), Eric Patterson (Stripes Position Coach), Gregg Ritchie (Hitting Rover) and Ryan Schmidt (Stripes Pitching Coach).

The USA Baseball National Team Development Program offers athletes an opportunity to connect with USA Baseball staff to better prepare for future national team experience. The program includes skill development sessions, off-field education seminars, intrasquad Stars vs. Stripes games and exposure to professional scouts, college recruiters and the 18U National Team staff and task force.

The 2018 16U NTDP will take place August 4-7 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

About USA Baseball
USA Baseball is the national governing body for the sport of baseball in the United States and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee and the World Baseball Softball Confederation. The organization selects and trains the World Baseball Classic, Olympic, Premier12 and Pan Am teams (and all other USA Baseball Professional Teams); the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team; the USA Baseball 18U, 15U and 12U National Teams; and the USA Baseball Women's National Team, all of which participate in various international competitions each year. The organization is responsible for the continued proliferation and health of the sport, and leads a number of amateur initiatives including PLAYBALL and Pitch Smart. USA Baseball also presents the Golden Spikes Award annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country. For more information, please visit the organization's official websites: USABaseball.com, USABaseball.Education, PLAYBALL.org, PitchSmart.org, GoldenSpikesAward.com and USABaseballShop.com.

Follow Grambling State Athletics
For complete coverage of Grambling State athletics, please follow the Tigers on social media at @GSU_Tigers (Twitter), /gramblingstateathletics (Facebook), @gramblingathetics01 (Instagram) or visit the official home of Grambling State Athletics at gsutigers.com.

2018 Celebration Bowl is back on ABC, featuring MEAC and SWAC champs

ATLANTA, Georgia -- The Celebration Bowl, featuring football champions from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), will kick off the 2018 bowl season at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Dec. 15.

“We are proud that once again the Celebration Bowl will kick off the college football bowl season on ABC in Atlanta, Georgia,” said Celebration Bowl executive director John Grant. “Each of the past three years we have presented exciting games that went down to the wire in determining who would claim the coveted Celebration Bowl trophy.”

It’s the fourth consecutive year that the conference champions will play. The MEAC leads the series 2-1, with both wins coming from North Carolina A&T, whose last-minute 21-14 win over Grambling State in 2017 capped the first unbeaten season in MEAC history. Grambling won the SWAC’s first title in 2016 with a 10-9 victory over North Carolina Central.

“I would like to thank ESPN for their vision and dedication to establishing the Celebration Bowl as one of the top collegiate bowl games,” said interim SWAC commissioner Edgar Gantt. “We are excited and look forward to participating in this year’s bowl. Our student-athletes, coaches and fans have enjoyed this first-class event.”

“The exposure for our conference and institutions on a national level is tremendous for our branding,” said MEAC commissioner Dennis E. Thomas. To start the 2018 bowl season is an excellent opportunity for our student-athletes, coaches and institutions as they play on a national platform.”

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Southern University announces interim director of bands after firing last leader

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern University's associate director of bands will step in as the interim director after the former leader of the famed Human Jukebox was fired earlier this week following allegations that he requested kickbacks in exchange for the band performing for public school kids.

Kedric Taylor will serve as the interim director while former director Lawrence Jackson will act as a consultant to the band department, according to a news release Friday evening from university spokeswoman Janene Tate.

University officials fired Nathan Haymer as director on Tuesday after an internal investigation into the kickback allegations, which was prompted by a recent lawsuit. Haymer said in a statement that he was disappointed in the decision and denied the allegations.

Southern University fires popular band director, he says he is disappointed with decision.

Taylor participated in the band for the four years he attended Southern University, and he has worked with the band department since 2014, Tate said Friday. As associate director of bands at Southern, he was Cresponsible for music arrangements, band rehearsals and direction of the saxophone and wind ensembles.

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Southern University fires popular band director, he says he is disappointed with decision

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Ending days of limbo for its band director, Southern University on Tuesday fired Nathan Haymer, bringing his leadership of the famed Human Jukebox to an abrupt end.

Haymer broke the news in a statement issued about 4 p.m, and a university spokeswoman soon confirmed it. Haymer’s departure comes after an internal investigation prompted by a recent lawsuit accusing him of requesting a kickback in order for the band to appear at an event for public school children.

“It was my goal to uphold the prestigious legacy of the Human Jukebox by taking the band to greater heights of unprecedented success,” Haymer said in his statement. “I always took pride in being an ambassador for Southern University and at no time did I ever act in a nefarious manner by accepting ‘kickbacks’ as falsely reported by the media.

“Needless to say, I remain disappointed with the University’s decision and will weigh my legal options for further appeal. But at the end of the day, I will always and forever be a Jaguar!”

Haymer’s brother and attorney, Niles Haymer, said his brother received his termination notice about 4 p.m. Tuesday.

A few minutes later, Southern University President Ray Belton sent out his own letter addressed to the “Southern University Community.” He did not say why the university is firing Haymer. Belton allowed that “you may hear varying conversations of the matter," but said Southern will keep focusing on “upholding standards of accountability and transparency.”

“This departure is not an easy one, as Mr. Haymer has been a great asset to our students, band program and overall community,” Belton said.

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12-Year NBA Veteran George Lynch Named Clark Atlanta University Men’s Basketball Head Coach

ATLANTA, Georgia -- George Lynch, a 12-year NBA veteran, coach, former Division I college assistant, and former University of North Carolina star, has been named the new head coach of the Clark Atlanta University Panthers men's basketball team, CAU Athletic Director J Lin Dawson announced Monday.

Lynch takes over for Darrell Walker, who accepted the head coaching position at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock in March.

"I'm very excited to represent Clark Atlanta University in 2018-2019 season," Lynch said. "Coach Darrell Walker has left the program in great shape with some great players. It's an honor to follow him as a head coach with the opportunity to lead the Clark Atlanta basketball team moving forward. I'm looking forward to joining the CAU campus community and being part of a great program."

Lynch spent 12 years playing in the NBA after he was drafted in the first round by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1993. A defensive force, Lynch also was the first rookie since Magic Johnson to score 30 points in a game. He played for four NBA teams during his career (L.A. Lakers, Vancouver Grizzlies, Philadelphia 76ers, and the New Orleans Hornets), playing the NBA Finals with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2001. He was also a second-team All-NBA defensive player that year.

After his playing career, Lynch worked with Southern Methodist University in player training and development and ran a non-profit youth basketball organization in the Dallas area. In 2010, he joined the University of California-Irvine, first as an assistant athletic director for Community Relations and then as a strength coach for the men's and women's basketball programs. He served in the same capacity at SMU from 2012 to 2015 before becoming the school's player development coach in 2015. He has been assistant coach with the Grand Rapid Drive of the NBA's "G" League since 2017.

Lynch, a graduate of the University of North Carolina, helped lead the Tar Heels to the 1993 Atlantic Coast Conference championship, along with the NCAA National Championship where he was the Most Valuable Player of the NCAA East Regional. Lynch, a four-year letterman, was captain of the 1993 team, was on the NCAA's All-Tournament team

"I am excited to enter this new era in men's basketball with George Lynch," Dawson said. "George embodies the attributes that we looked for as a campus community. Our student-athletes will benefit from his experience as a successful player, mentor, strength coach and player developer, and he will be great addition to Clark Atlanta athletics and the entire CAU community."

The Panthers finished 24-6 this past season, narrowly missing out on winning their second-consecutive Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship. The Panthers earned their second consecutive NCAA Division II Men's National Basketball tournament bid and were nationally ranked the entire second half of the season.

CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS