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NEW ORLEANS —Twenty-five student-athletes from Xavier University of Louisiana — including 20 repeat honorees — have been named to the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll for the 2017-18 academic year. The GCAC announced the honorees Tuesday. Criteria for the Commissioner's Honor Roll are sophomore or higher in class standing and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. "Congratulations to our student-athletes who continue to raise the bar when it comes to academic achievement," said XULA Director of Athletics & Recreation Jason Horn. "Our GCAC Commissioner's Honor Roll members are accustomed to meeting challenges in their sports and in the classroom. It is especially gratifying that nearly all of our honorees this year are on the list again." The list of GCAC Commissioner's 530Roll recipients from XULA:
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Three months ago, Kelvin Lawson, chairman of Florida A&M University’s board of trustees, explained to a Board of Governors committee the discovery of $1 million in “unexpected expenses” faced this year by the athletics department.
Since then, FAMU and BOG members have been holding regular meetings about the department’s finances and how the university is closing the gap.
It’s taken big bucks from Rattler supporters and some creative in-house fundraising to make it happen.
During Thursday’s board meeting, Lawson, who also chairs the trustees Special Committee on Athletics, and Wanda Ford, acting vice president/CFO, finance and administration, said the university has secured money to cover the $1.3 million shortfall.
When Audra Smith was let go by Clemson, she didn't know if she would be coaching next season much less at a Division One school. S.C. State offered Smith that opportunity.
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- A self-described country girl from a small town just outside of Macon, Georgia, Audra Smith was interested in what S.C. State had to offer. Once she arrived on campus, she was surprised at how small and intimate the campus was and that aspect was very attractive to her.
On Thursday, Smith was introduced to the S.C. State community as the program's new head women's basketball coach.
Smith comes to Orangeburg from Clemson where she was the head coach for the past five seasons,. Her tenure ended after the Tigers went 11-19 this past season with just one ACC win. In her five
years at Clemson, Smith was 52-99 overall and 9-70 in the ACC.
The Virginia graduate and former teammate of USC's Dawn Staley is hoping her success at S.C. State will be more in line with what she did in her nine years as the head coach at UAB. Smith was 138-138 but in her final three years in Birmingham, Smith was 57-39 which was the best record in any three-year period at UAB in 17 years. Smith says she is looking forward to taking the reigns of a program that was 12-18 last season.
"We know it's going to take some time and we're going to build," she said.
"I feel like this is a program where we can be successful and eventually win championships. I'm not saying we're going to win the MEAC this sesason. But we have an opportunity to be extremely competitive." CONTINUE READING
DSU Head Football Coach Rod Milstead welcomes his new boss (r) Dr. D. Scott Gines, who has been newly named the University’s Athletic Director.
DOVER, Delaware -- Delaware State University announced on Thursday the appointment of Dr. David “Scott” Gines as its new Director of Athletics.
A veteran of more than three decades in collegiate athletics administration and coaching, Gines joins the Hornets after serving since 2013 as Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and Campus Recreation at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, a member of the NCAA Div. II Lone Star Conference. He was the school’s Vice President for Institutional Advancement from July 2009 through December 2012, overseeing the departments of Athletics, Career Services, Alumni, Development, Marketing and Communications. His tenure at TAMUK began as the school’s Director of Athletics from 2007-09.
“In hiring Dr. Scott Gines as the new DSU Director of Athletics, the institution has gained an executive with a diverse and proven background in overseeing intercollegiate sports departments as well as fundraising,” said DSU Interim President Wilma Mishoe. “We have high hopes and expectations for the University’s Athletics Department under his capable leadership.”
Gines said he is honored and gratified for this opportunity to lead, build and advance Delaware State Athletics. “As a Land Grant, flagship HBCU in a capital city, DSU can become a Division I prototype for classroom, community and competitive success,” Gines said. “I am moved by President Mishoe’s passion and vision for DSU. She embraces the value of successful college athletics and how it can positively impact campus and community culture.”
During his recent tenure overseeing TAMUK athletics, the Javelinas posted their most successful six-year period of department-wide competitive success. The highlights include 28 NCAA post-season appearances, eight national top 10 finishes, four Lone Star Conference Championships, one national runner-up, two team national championships, a College World Series appearance, a Live United Bowl victory, and 25 NCAA Division II individual national champions.
Also, Gines spearheaded the development of TAMUK’s comprehensive gender equity plan and launched women’s golf, tennis, and beach volleyball, while nearly doubling women’s student-athlete participation during his tenure.
Through a series of initiatives, annual athletics operational revenues increased by over $3.6 million, Javelina football consistently ranked in the national top 10 in average per-game attendance, department benchmarks were set for Division II community engagement, and TAMUK was awarded the bid to host the 2019 and 2020 NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field National Championships.
Gines also helped Texas A&M University-Kingsville generate $12 million for new facility construction and upgrades, increased scholarship budgets by nearly $1 million, elevated salaries, expanded staffing, and raised recruiting budgets.
Recognized for his work in strategic and financial planning, Gines has served on numerous collegiate athletics boards and commissions, including the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) oversight (Council of Athletic Administrators) and legislative committees, NCAA Div. II Northeast Regional Advisory Committee (Football), NCAA II/D2ADA Women and Minorities Program and NCAA Research Committee.
In addition, he chaired the Lone Star Conference (LSC) Expansion Committee and led the Lone Star Conference Strategic Plan Review (2016-2021). Gines served as director of athletics at NAIA Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D., from 2000-05 and at Fairmont State (W.V.) from 2005-07.
Gines began his career in college athletics in 1983 as an assistant baseball coach at the University of Virginia, and in 1987 he became one of the nation’s youngest Division I head coaches. In 2000, he concluded a 17-year Division I coaching career highlighted by the development of 31 professional baseball selections, four major league players, and nine Academic All-America honorees. He was the all-time wins leader at Radford University and Virginia Military Institute following his stints there.
A 1983 VMI distinguished graduate and military scholar, Gines holds a M.Ed. from the University of Virginia and an Ed.D. in Leadership from the University of St. Thomas (Minn.). He is a fellow of the Higher Education Management Institute (Vanderbilt University), a graduate of the Sport Management Institute Executive Program (Universities of Michigan and Texas), and he completed the Transformational Leadership Program at the Universities of Adelaide and Texas.
Gines will assume his new position at Delaware State in mid-July. He will oversee the DSU Department of Athletics, which includes 18 intercollegiate sports – basketball, bowling, cross country, equestrian, golf, indoor and outdoor track & field, lacrosse, soccer, softball and tennis for women; and baseball, cross country, basketball, football, indoor and outdoor track & field for men. DSU is a member of the Division I Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
Gines succeeds interim Athletics Director Mary Hill, who has served in the post since last November.
DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- Former Clemson women’s basketball coach Audra Smith will become the seventh head coach of the South Carolina State women’s basketball program.
S.C. State has scheduled a media event for Thursday to formally introduce Smith.
Smith comes to S.C. State after spending five years as the head coach at Clemson.
Smith will succeed Doug Robertson Jr., who was ousted as SCSU women’s basketball coach in March after 10 years leading the Lady Bulldogs. Robertson was hired in 2008 and his teams went 112-175 overall and 61-99 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
The Lady Bulldogs went 12-18 in 2017-18, concluding the season in the second round of the MEAC tournament with a loss to eventual champion North Carolina A&T. A highlight of the year was a first-round tournament win over North Carolina Central, a game in which the Lady Bulldogs scored 76 points.
JACKSON, Mississippi -- As Ashley Robinson embarks on his new job as vice president and director of athletics at Jackson State, it's as good a time as any to take a look at the top three challenges he will face, as well as the opportunities meeting those challenges might provide.
Coaches' contracts
The most pressing matter is Tony Hughes' contract. Hughes has a record of 6-16 entering the third and final year of his contract and the longevity of the athletic program as a whole could hinge on what happens next with its biggest revenue producer.
Robinson's predecessor Wheeler Brown gave Hughes a vote of confidence in November, before Jackson State finished the season by winning three of its final four games, including a 10-7 upset of rival Alcorn State in the final game of the season. Brown hired Hughes from Mississippi State, which was considered a coup for JSU.
Men's basketball, JSU's second-biggest revenue-producing sport, is in the same boat with Wayne Brent entering his third and final year on his contract.
"I'm a big believer that you can't properly evaluate your coaches and your programs unless you give them the resources they need to be successful," Robinson said Tuesday.
DETROIT, Michigan -- Texas Southern's Mike Davis isn’t the new head basketball coach at the Detroit Mercy.
Not yet, at least.
Multiple sources with knowledge of the situation told the Free Press on Wednesday the hire has not been made official, despite a news release by Texas Southern University saying Davis was leaving the program and the university's athletic director telling local media the former Indiana coach was taking the job at UDM.
Detroit Mercy athletic director Robert Vowels said in a text message to the Free Press that reports of Davis being hired were "erroneous" and he hadn’t yet named a coach. Vowels wouldn’t address whether Davis had been in for an interview, though two sources familiar with the situation said Davis was in Detroit on Monday.
A source familiar with Davis' thinking told the Free Press that media reports of him taking the job were premature. Texas Southern's board of regents are in the process of trying to keep Davis on campus with a better financial package, the source said.
The source also said Davis will likely leave the program and take the job at UDM if he doesn't receive the compensation he's looking for. If TSU comes up with the money, he's likely to stay. CONTINUE READING
HOUSTON, Texas -- It appears Detroit Mercy, finally, has found its next men's basketball coach.
Mike Davis, head coach at Texas Southern, has informed administration officials there he intends to leave for Detroit Mercy, a Texas Southern athletics official told a Houston TV station on Tuesday night.
Dr. Charles McClelland, vice president of intercollegiate athletics at Texas Southern, told Houston TV reporter Mark Berman that Davis informed him of his decision Tuesday afternoon.
"He's done a tremendous job at Texas Southern University," McClelland told Berman, sports director for Fox 26 (KRIV). "We owe him a great debt of gratitude for all that he's done. I know he's going to do well there. It's going to be a huge loss for Texas Southern.
"From our perspective it's a sad day, but also a happy day for Coach Davis and his family."
.@TXSOTigers VP/athletics Dr. Charles McClelland says Mike Davis has informed Texas Southern that he's leaving the Tigers to become the new basketball coach at Detroit Mercy (@DetroitMBB): "It's going to be a huge loss for Texas Southern."
HOUSTON -- Mike Davis is moving on to the next challenge.
Davis, who led Texas Southern to its first ever NCAA Tournament win in March, informed the school Tuesday that he plans to step down and take the head coaching job at Detroit Mercy.
"We owe him a great debt of gratitude for all that he's done," said Dr. Charles McClelland, TSU's vice president for intercollegiate athletics.
A national search will begin immediately for a new coach.
Davis led the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament four times in the last five years, including this past season when TSU beat North Carolina Central 64-46 in the First Four for the school's first victory in eight appearances.
After being knocked out of the tournament with a loss to No. 1 seed Xavier, Davis said TSU was "where I'm supposed to be as a coach."
Jackson native Ashley Robinson has racked up a number of athletic championships throughout his career. He’s also been instrumental in building academic successes and completing athletic facilities and renovations.
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Dr. William B. Bynum Jr., president of Jackson State University, has named Ashley Robinson as JSU’s new vice president and director of athletics. He will begin on July 1.
“We are excited to welcome Ashley to the team at Jackson State,” said Dr. Bynum. “This is a great day in the history of JSU and athletics. Ashley’s breadth of experience with compliance, fundraising and building championship programs are the qualities that made him my first choice. We are looking forward to the success he will bring to our athletic program.”
“This is truly a dream come true,” said Robinson. “It is an honor to be selected to lead this program, but more importantly, I’m elated to have the opportunity to give back to my community. I would like to thank Dr. Bynum for his confidence in me to lead at JSU. I have accomplished a lot over the course of my career. It is definitely a little bit sweeter to accomplish those things at home. I look forward to building on tradition as we blaze new trails at Jackson State University.”
Robinson, a native of Jackson, Miss., who was a basketball star at Murrah High School, spent the previous five years at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), where he was named director of athletics in June 2013. He was promoted to vice president and director of athletics in November 2016.
Robinson’s tenure was marked by championships in competition, academic success and the completion of athletic facilities and renovations.
This past spring, a trio of PVAMU teams ended Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championship droughts. In mid-April, men’s golf won the SWAC Championship for the first time in 40 years. In early May, men’s track won the SWAC Championship for the first time in 10 years. Less than a week later, softball won its first SWAC Championship in 20 years, with all three teams competing in NCAA Regional Tournaments. The championships were among six titles won by Panther teams during Robinson’s tenure.
In the May 2018 NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) report, all 18 Prairie View A&M athletics teams are above the NCAA mandated multi-year score of 930, with seven of those teams posting perfect scores of 1,000. All 18 teams are, again, postseason eligible in the upcoming 2018-19 athletic year.
Throughout his storied career at PVAMU, he brought numerous facilities upgrades, including Tankersley Field baseball facility, as the multi-year project included the installation of a new high-definition message board, grandstand and press box.
A new athletics administration building in the north end zone at Panther Stadium at Blackshear Field, which is a three-story complex serving as the new home for PVAMU Athletics. It features an academic lab, administration and coaches offices, a weight room, athletic training room and rehab and classrooms for academic support and team meetings.
The new outdoor track-and-field stadium opened in world-class fashion in July 2016 when Panther Athletics and PVAMU hosted the final training camp on American soil for the United States Olympic Track and Field team prior to competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
In September 2016, the new Panther Stadium hosted its first football game, as PVAMU defeated archrival Texas Southern in the annual Labor Day Classic before a sold-out crowd and national television audience on ESPNU. All eight games in the new facility have been televised live either on television or online in the past two years.
In October 2016, the new PVAMU Soccer Complex opened on campus, and hosted the SWAC Championship in November. In January 2017, the resurfacing of the courts at PVAMU Tennis was completed. In March 2017, renovations to the PVAMU Softball Complex were completed as new dugouts, bleachers and a press box were installed. March also saw the return of the historic PV Relays Track and Field meet, hosted in the new Outdoor Track and Field Stadium.
The new facilities have allowed Prairie View A&M to host the SWAC Soccer Championship (2016-18), the SWAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship meet (2018-20), and a host of high school football playoff games and local soccer tournaments in the past two years.
Always with the goal of improving the student-athlete experience, Robinson implemented the Athletic Director’s Club, with membership increasing annually. Season tickets sales have increased yearly. He has also created and expanded corporate partnerships for the department, broadening the brand exposure and reach of PVAMU Athletics.
In January 2017, the new PVAMU Sports Network online portal debuted to showcase Panther Athletics’ contests with new audio and video platforms and improved live stats, as well as a weekly radio show to provide an in-house platform to promote athletics and create additional sponsorship inventory for the department. This past year for the first time ever, PVAMU football, volleyball, soccer, women’s basketball, men’s basketball, outdoor track, softball and baseball games were video streamed online in the same season.
A former student-athlete, he was a four-year letterman in basketball and is the single-season and career record-holder in assists after playing point guard for Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU). An MVSU Athletics Hall of Fame inductee in 2011, Robinson also was named MVSU Athlete of the Year in 2002, receiving the President’s Scholar Award in that same year.
Robinson left Mississippi Valley to begin a career in athletic administration as an academic coordinator at Delaware State University in Dover. Robinson helped implement a comprehensive academic support system for the department’s 300 student-athletes and was the department’s liaison to DSU’s faculty, campus academic offices and support services. He also assisted with the CHAMPS / Life Skills and Student-Athlete Advisory (SAAC) Board.
After eight months in Delaware, Robinson received the opportunity to return home as assistant compliance director at Jackson State. His duties included assisting the compliance director in eligibility, student-athlete certification and reinstatement, and enforcing the compliance bylaws of the NCAA, the SWAC and Jackson State.
He continued to advance up the compliance ranks by returning to Mississippi Valley State as the athletic department’s compliance director in August 2007.
In July 2008, he was named SWAC’s assistant commissioner for compliance. In this position, he supervised a NCAA Division I Collegiate Conference Compliance and Academic Service department, the National Letter of Intent program, and liaison between the conference and the NCAA for rules, interpretations, and appeals.
His next position was as assistant vice president of athletic compliance and academic advising at Prairie View A&M in 2010. During his first tenure at PVAMU, the athletic department prospered academically under his watch as they won the 2011 and 2012 SWAC All-Academic Awards while also receiving Public Recognition from the NCAA for the women’s golf teams APR score.
Robinson was named athletic director at Mississippi Valley State in 2012, where he spent nine months leading Delta Devil Athletics before returning to PVAMU in the same capacity.
Robinson currently serves as chair of SWAC’s Athletic Directors Committee and will begin his tenure as 3rdvice president of the Football Championship Subdivision Advisory Committee later this summer. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and the Mo Williams Foundation.
Robinson received a bachelor’s degree from MVSU and master’s degree at the United States Sports Academy.
Robinson is married to Farmhaven, Miss., native Carlevia Danielle Robinson, who received her bachelor’s degree from Tougaloo College and master’s degree from Jackson State University. The couple had their first child, daughter Paisley Abrielle, in July 2016.
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO -- he 2018 Preseason Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) announced the Round One matchups this afternoon for the 25th edition of the 16-team tournament. The Morgan State Lady Bears will visit the University of Hartford Hawks in the opener on Friday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. The bracket announcement follows last month's announcement by Triple Crown Sports of the 16-team field. Hartford will be making its third appearance in the event, while this will be the first time the Lady Bears' program will participate in the preseason tournament. Morgan State is also the only Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in this year's field. A win by the Lady Bears and they would advance to a Round 2 contest on Nov. 11 against the winner between Stephen F. Austin and Miami. Should Morgan State drop the opener to Hartford, it would fall into the consolation bracket where it would play two more games at a single site to be determined following the Round One contests. This year's 16-team field represents 15 conferences with both Nicholls and Stephen F. Austin playing in the Southland Conference.
The field features 10 teams that won 19-plus games, nine teams that advanced to postseason play and a national champion during the 2017-18 season.
Three schools (Marquette, Miami, Nicholls) reached the NCAA Tournament, five (Delaware, New Mexico, Northern Iowa, Stephen F. Austin, Texas State) advanced to the WNIT, while Yale captured the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) title, becoming the first Ivy League team to win a national postseason women's basketball tournament. Since its creation in 1994, as a preseason counterpart to the then National Women's Invitational Tournament the MEAC has been represented six previous times. Morgan State becomes the fifth MEAC school to be invited, joining two-time participants, Hampton (2005, 2010) and North Carolina A&T (2009, 2013), along with Delaware State (2007) and Howard (2011). In 2005 Hampton became the first MEAC team to play in the event. The 2007 tournament shifted from single elimination to a three-game event with Delaware State representing the conference. Davis, who was the head coach of that 2007 Delaware State team, would guide the Hornets to three very competitive contests, falling to State rival the University of Delaware by seven in the opener, before losing to East Tennessee State in overtime by three points in Round 1 of the Consolation. Delaware State's second consolation game would be one to remember, as the Hornets would defeat a ranked Princeton team, 63-62 in overtime, becoming the first MEAC team to win a game in the Preseason WNIT. About Morgan Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 100 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu. About The WNIT The Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) is a women's college national basketball tournament with a preseason and postseason version played every year. It is operated in a similar fashion to the men's college National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and NIT Season Tip-Off. Unlike the NIT, the women's tournament is not run by the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), but is an independent National Championship. Triple Crown Sports, a company based in Fort Collins, Colorado that specializes in the promotion of amateur sporting events,[1] created the WNIT in 1994 as a preseason counterpart to the then-current National Women's Invitational Tournament (NWIT). After the NWIT folded in 1996, Triple Crown Sports resurrected the postseason version in 1998 under the NWIT name, but changed the following season to the current name.
BRAINBRIDGE. Georgia -- School may be out, but signings are still going strong.
Monday in Bainbridge, track standout Jaylyn Scott signed with Florida A&M University. Scott had quite the high school career, winning the 300-meter hurdles at State this year. Scott will run the hurdles and 400 meters at FAMU.
He said to have the support of his family and friends at his signing was everything.
"It feels good. I know they're proud of me and it feels good to have them watching," he said. "It's close to the hometown and I have a good relationship with the coaches. I'm ready to run in the MEAC!"
At State, His coaches said it was his best performance of the year. Jaylyn Scott came to Carrollton, Georgia hoping for a state championship. He left with the trophy and his name forever immortalized in Bainbridge sports history.
Scott ran the 300-meter hurdles in a time of 37.29, the second fastest time ever recorded by a Bainbridge hurdler at an event. The record is still held by Tavaris Washington in 2005 with a time of 36.21.
Hurdler coach Patrick Clark said this performance was Scott’s best of the year. “He was focused and did a great job clearing the hurdles without any errors,” Clark said. Scott finished more than a second faster than the second place hurdler. CONTINUE READING
LOS ANGELES, California -- Former NMSU guard Zach Lofton was one of six players who took part in a pre-draft workout for the Los Angeles Lakers Monday at the UCLA Health Training Center. Lofton was a member of the WAC First Team last season - the only season in which he played for NMSU. He transferred to NMSU after being named the SWAC Player of the Year following his 2016-17 campaign at Texas Southern.
The Lakers currently own the 25th pick in the first round and also have a second round pick (47th overall) at their disposal.
Lofton, who led the Aggies in scoring last season (20.1 ppg), was joined by five other former college players hoping to impress the Lakers.
In addition to Lofton, the Lakers auditioned the following players Monday: Matt Farrell (Guard, Notre Dame), Justin Johnson (Forward, Western Kentucky), Daxter Miles Jr. (Guard, West Virginia), Tyler Nelson (Guard, Fairfield), and Marcus Derrickson (Forward, Georgetown).
IRVING, Texas -- The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today the names on the 2019 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, including 76 players and six coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 100 players and 32 coaches from the divisional ranks.
“It’s an enormous honor to just be on the ballot when you think that more than 5.26 million people have played college football and only 997 players have been inducted,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “The Hall’s requirement of being a First-Team All-American creates a much smaller pool of about 1,500 individuals who are even eligible. Being in today’s elite group means an individual is truly among the greatest to have ever played the game, and those actually elected to the Class will be part of a momentous year as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of college football in 2019.”
The ballot was emailed today to the more than 12,000 NFF members and current Hall of Famers whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to the NFF’s Honors Courts, which will deliberate and select the class. The FBS Honors Court, chaired by NFF Board Member and College Football Hall of Famer Archie Griffin from Ohio State, and the Divisional Honors Court, chaired by former Marshall head coach, longtime athletics director and NFF Board Member Jack Lengyel, include an elite and geographically diverse pool of athletic administrators, Hall of Famers and members of the media.
“Having a ballot and a voice in the selection of the inductees is one of the most cherished NFF member benefits,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, a 1989 Hall of Fame inductee from Mississippi. “There is no group more knowledgeable or passionate about college football than our membership, and the tradition of the ballot helps us engage them in the lofty responsibility of selecting those who have reached the pinnacle of achievement in our sport.”
The announcement of the 2019 Class will be made Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, in Santa Clara, Calif. The city is serving as the host for the CFP National Championship, which will be played later that day at Levi’s Stadium. Some of the electees will be on site during the announcement to represent the class and share their thoughts on being elected. The Jan. 7 announcement will be televised live, and specific viewing information will be available as the date draws near. Several of the electees will also participate in the pregame festivities and the coin toss before the championship game.
“We cannot thank CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock and his staff enough for the opportunity to continue the tradition of announcing our Hall of Fame Class in conjunction with the National Championship,” said Hatchell. “Our presence at the title game has significantly raised the profile of the announcement, allowing us to shine a much brighter light on the accomplishments of our game’s greatest legends.”
The 2019 class will officially be inducted during the 62nd NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 10, 2019, at the New York Hilton Midtown. The inductees will be permanently enshrined at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta later that December and honored on the field during the 15th Annual National Hall of Fame Salute during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. They will also be honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2019 season.
The criteria for Hall of Fame consideration include:
• First and foremost, a player must have received First-Team All-America recognition by a selector organization that is recognized by the NCAA and utilized to comprise their consensus All-America teams.
• A player becomes eligible for consideration by the Foundation’s Honors Courts 10 full seasons after his final year of intercollegiate football played.
• While each nominee’s football achievements in college are of prime consideration, his post-football record as a citizen is also weighed. He must have proven himself worthy as a citizen, carrying the ideals of football forward into his relations with his community and his fellow man, with love of his country. Consideration may also be given for academic honors and whether the candidate earned a college degree.
• Players must have played their last year of intercollegiate football within the last 50 years.* For example, to be eligible for the 2019 ballot, the player must have played his last year in 1969 or thereafter. In addition, players who are playing professionally and coaches who are coaching on the professional level are not eligible until after they retire.
• A coach becomes eligible three full seasons after retirement or immediately following retirement provided he is at least 70 years of age. Active coaches become eligible at 75 years of age. He must have been a head coach for a minimum of 10 years and coached at least 100 games with a .600 winning percentage.
*Players who do not comply with the 50-year rule may still be eligible for consideration by the Football Bowl Subdivision and Divisional Veterans Committees.
Once nominated for consideration, all player candidates are submitted to one of eight District Screening Committees, depending on their school’s geographic location, which conducts a vote to determine who will appear on the ballot and represent their respective districts. Each year, approximately 15 candidates, who are not selected for the Hall of Fame, will be named automatic holdovers and will bypass the district screening process and automatically appear on the ballot the following year. Additionally, the Veterans Committee may make recommendations to the Honors Court for exceptions that allow for the induction of players who played more than 50 years ago.
Of the 5.26 million individuals who have played college football since Princeton first battled Rutgers on Nov. 6, 1869, only 997 players have earned induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, or less than two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%) of those who have played the game during the past 149 years. From the coaching ranks, 217 individuals have achieved Hall of Fame distinction.
The 2019 voting deadline is June 22. If you would like to become a member and receive this year’s ballot, please contact NFF Director of Membership Ron Dilatush at rdilatush@footballfoundation.com.
A list of candidates and capsule bios are provided on the following pages. You may also click herefor a pdf of the candidate names and capsule bios. -
2019 DIVISIONAL PLAYER CANDIDATE CAPSULE BIOS
Steve McNair, Alcorn State-Quarterback-1994 First Team All-American and the all-time passing leader (14,496) in the FCS…Finished third in 1994 Heisman Trophy voting and the only four-time SWAC Offensive Player of the Year in league history…1994 Walter Payton Award winner who led Braves to two SWAC titles and two NCAA playoff appearances.
Ashley Ambrose, Mississippi Valley State-Defensive Back-1991 First Team All-American and First Team All-SWAC selection…Named SWAC Defensive Back and Return Specialist of the Year in 1991…Led nation in punt returns during senior campaign.
Vincent Brown, Mississippi Valley State-Linebacker-1987 First Team All-American, leading the NCAA in tackles in 1986 and 1987…Set NCAA All-Divisions record with 570 career tackles…Two-time All-SWAC selection who led MVSU in tackles his last three seasons.
Parnell Dickinson, Mississippi Valley State-Quarterback-1975 First Team All-American and Pittsburgh Courier National Player of the Year…Four-time All-SWAC selection and conference Player of the Year as a senior…Finished career as SWAC’s all-time leader in total offense (7,442 yards).
William Dillon, Virginia Union-Free Safety-Three-time First Team All-America selection (1980-82)…Tallied 16 interceptions in 1983…1983 Black College Player of the Year…Two-time First Team All-Conference selection and Player of the Year (1981-82).
Bob Gaddis, Mississippi Valley State-Wide Receiver-1974 First Team All-American and Pittsburgh Courier National Receiver of the Year…Named 1970 NAIA Freshman of the Year en route to twice leading the NAIA in yards per catch (1971-72)…Three-time All-SWAC selection led conference in yards per catch all four years.
Tyrone Poole, Fort Valley State (Ga.)-Defensive Back-First Team All-America selection in 1994…Two-time Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Defensive Player of the Year (1993-94) who led FVSU to two conference titles…Recorded 44 pass breakups and 17 interceptions, returning four for TDs.
2019 DIVISIONAL COACH CANDIDATE CAPSULE BIOS
Rudy Hubbard-Florida A&M (1974-85)-Captured back-to-back national championships, 1977 and 1978, including the inaugural NCAA Division I-AA National Title in 1978…Led A&M to back-to-back SIAC championships.
Eddie Hurt-Virginia Lynchburg (1925-28), Morgan State (1930-59)-Led Morgan State to six Black College National Championship and 14 CIAA titles…Posted 11 undefeated seasons, including the 1943 team that did not allow a score from a single opponent…From 1932-39, led Bears to 54-game streak without a loss.
Joe Taylor-Howard (1983), Virginia Union (1984-91), Hampton (1992-07), Florida A&M (2008-12)-Winningest coach in Hampton history (74%), leading Pirates to four Black College National Championships…Led teams to 10 conference titles and 10 playoff appearances throughout career…Four-time MEAC Coach of the Year.
Dwight Reed-Lincoln (Mo.) (1949-71)-Teams won three conference titles…Coached 93 All-Americans in four sports…The football stadium at Lincoln University was named for him.
Gideon Smith-Hampton (1921-40)-Led Pirates to 1922 Black College National Championship… Recorded four CIAA titles and two unbeaten seasons in career…Longest tenured coach in Hampton history, boasting the second-most wins all-time at the school. THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
"It was my goal to make it in the NFL, I was destined for it. But I think the only way you have an opportunity is that you have to work for it. I think of Mississippi Valley State as a platform and I think it just showed me how you had to work to be successful."
JERRY RICE, MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE
"Every article in America was written about 'The First Black Quarterback,' 'Washington's Black Quarterback,' 'The Way of the Black Quarterback.' I didn't go to the Super Bowl as a black quarterback, I went to the Super Bowl as the Redskins' quarterback, who just happened to be black. At the same time, I understood the pride, the dignity and the history of what was about to happen."
DOUG WILLIAMS, GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY
"I do some extreme things, but I know that no other punter in the league is doing. And that's my goal because I just want to stand out. I want to be the best at what I do. Fort Valley State taught me to work real hard. If you decided to keep moving from every situation that was hard, you would never learn, you would never grow. I don't like taking the easy way out."
Vice President and Director of Athletics Photo Courtesy: PVAMU Athletics
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State will soon announce Jackson native Ashley Robinson as its next athletic director, according to two sources with knowledge of the hire.
The university has called a press conference for 11 a.m. Tuesday, where it is expected to introduce Robinson, who recently completed his fifth year as director of athletics for Prairie View A&M.
JSU spokesperson Maxine Greenleaf said university president Andrew Bynum has no comment at this time.
Robinson will replace Wheeler Brown, who was relieved of his duties in December. Bynum, along with members of his administrative team, has been running the department in the interim.
Robinson's resume indicates he's been a fast-riser. It includes one previous stop at JSU, where he served as assistant compliance director for the 2007 academic year before going to his alma mater, Mississippi Valley State.
TUSKEGEE, Alabama -- Former Tuskegee University and NFL defensive back Frank Walker will host the annual Frank Forty-One Camp Tuesday June. 12. Registration starts at 8:00 a.m. from Cleve Abbott Memorial Stadium with camp beginning at 9:00 a.m. ending at 3:30 p.m.
Walker's camp, which is free for those between the ages of 5-18 features several campers that are sent through fundamental drills with former pro and college players. Each camper will receive a free T-shirt and a meal.
A graduate of Booker T. Washington High School in Tuskegee (Ala.), Walker was drafted by the New York Giants in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He finished his career at TU with 92 tackles, two sacks and six interceptions. Walker has also been a member of the Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys. TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
NEW ORLEANS —Twenty-five student-athletes from Xavier University of Louisiana — including 20 repeat honorees — have been named to the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll for the 2017-18 academic year.
