Coaches poll puts Lincoln University last in CIAA

The Lions, having transitioned to NCAA Division II, will begin their football season Sept. 5.

Lincoln University is projected to become the new cellar dweller of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. In their first season back as full CIAA members, the Lions were picked to finish seventh in the seven-team Northern Division in the conference coaches' preseason poll. They also were picked to finish last overall in the 13-team league.

Fayetteville State was picked to win the conference championship and Southern Division title during Thursday's CIAA Media Day at Virginia State. Bowie State was selected to win the Northern title. In addition to being picked last, Lincoln didn't have a player named to the all-CIAA preseason team that was selected by the conference's coaches and sports information directors.

But . . . "We should definitely be able to compete with the majority of the teams in the conference," said Lincoln coach O.J. Abanishe, whose squad returns 19 starters - 10 defensive and nine offensive - from last season's 3-7 squad. This season has special meaning for the Lions.

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FAMU Rattlers sign five-star tennis prospect

Clark, a Sophomore Business Administration Major was named to the Peach Belt Conference All-Academic team.

Levan Clark had all of the accolades that come with being a five-star tennis player when he was recruited by Florida A&M two years ago. He was ranked No. 10 among all Florida players and No. 65 in the nation among high school recruits. Qualifying to enroll at FAMU was another issue, and as a result Clark spent three semesters at Lander University, a Division II school in Greenwood, S.C.

But a day after signing to transfer to FAMU, Clark said Tuesday it all turned out for the better. "I'm more experienced now," said Clark, a left-hander out of Orlando Olympia High School. "I feel I can contribute a lot to make the team better. "I feel like the more experience we have the better off we're going to be. I feel with my experience in a tight situation I will stay calm and come through to win the match."

He did a lot of that for Lander this past season. In singles matches he went 14-5 and had an identical record in doubles. He was 6-3 in Peach Belt Conference matches.

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Grisby replaces Bailey as football coach at Saint Paul's College

ETTRICK, VA - The CIAA said hello to a new college football season by saying goodbye -- well, in a manner of speaking -- to iconic coach Willard Bailey.

Saint Paul's College, Bailey's employer since 2005, yesterday introduced Kevin Grisby as its interim head coach. Rumors that Bailey and Saint Paul's have parted company have been percolating for three weeks. They were confirmed at the CIAA's preseason kickoff luncheon at Virginia State when Grisby, Bailey's defensive coordinator, was introduced as the Tigers' boss for 2010. Saint Paul's does not have a sports information director, and its athletic department website still lists Bailey, 71, as the Tigers' coach.

Bailey, 228-142-7 in 36 seasons at four schools, is the winningest football coach in CIAA history.

"The past few weeks have been a whirlwind for all of us -- players, coaches, all of us," Grisby said. "All I know is, I'm excited to have the chance to lead the Tigers into 2010. I think the players are feeling the same kind of enthusiasm. I can tell you this: We'll be ready [when Saint Paul's opens against West Virginia Wesleyan] on Aug. 28."

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SAINT PAUL'S COLLEGE 2010 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Date Opponent Location Time
August 28, 2010 West Virginia Wesleyan College Buckhannon, WVA 1:00 pm
September 4, 2010 Bye
September 11, 2010 UNC Pembroke Lawrenceville, VA 1:00 pm
September 18, 2010 Saint Augustine's College Raleigh, NC 1:00 pm
September 25, 2010 Livingstone College Lawrenceville, VA 1:00 pm
October 2, 2010 Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, NC 1:00 pm
October 9, 2010 Bowie State University Roanoke, VA 1:00 pm
October 16, 2010 Chowan University HOMECOMING Lawrenceville, VA 1:00 pm
October 23, 2010 Virginia Union University Richmond, VA 1:00 pm
October 30, 2010 Lincoln University Lincoln University, PA 1:00 pm
November 6, 2010 Virginia State University Lawrenceville, VA 1:00 pm

Games in Bold are Home Games - Times And Locations Subject To Change

Southern's Mitchell eyes options at quarterback

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — As Southern University’s first-year football coach, Stump Mitchell gets plenty of questions. Usually, they’re of the let’s-get-to-know-this-guy variety. What will his program be like? How does he plan to attack a defense? And, naturally, can his team beat Grambling in four months? But as training camp draws near — the Jaguars are 13 days away from their first practice, but who’s counting? — Mitchell often is hit with one of the old preseason favorites.

Who will be the starting quarterback? Speaking at the Southwestern Athletic Conference media day Tuesday, Mitchell said he thinks he has the answer. But he’s not about to call the race when the gates haven’t opened yet. “I think it will be (Jeremiah) McGinty, but I don’t know,” Mitchell said. “Whoever plays quarterback, we’re going to win. That’s the bottom line.” The Jaguars head to training camp without a proven quarterback for the first time since 2007, when then-sophomore Bryant Lee edged Warren Matthews for the starting job.

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Baker finds satisfaction as college (TSU) hoops coach

HARTFORD, CT — Vin Baker has earned millions and lost millions. An NBA lottery pick and four-time all-star, he’s been at the pinnacle of his sport; an admitted alcoholic who squandered away potential, he’s also been at the bottom. With such a wealth of experience, both good and bad, to convey to younger players, it was somewhat of a natural progression for Baker to make his first foray into coaching this past winter.

The former University of Hartford star was a student assistant for the Texas Southern University men’s basketball team, which plays in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Working alongside fellow former NBA all-star Nick Van Exel, Baker thoroughly enjoyed moving over to the coaching side of things. “I loved it,” he said Wednesday night, prior to playing for the Simoniz All-Stars in a Greater Hartford Pro-Am league game.

“It’s a transition, but I loved it, just working with the kids (on) understanding the game. I was there with Van Exel. To be on the floor with him, (teach) things that I know about the game, trying to get their IQ up on the game is fun. And, obviously, being around the kids is great, too.”

With help from Baker, Texas Southern – an historically African-American school located in Houston – had a successful season. The Tigers went 17-15 overall and 11-7 in the SWAC, falling to Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the conference championship game and just missing out on an automatic NCAA tournament bid.

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Phillips, Broncos 'up to the challenge'

As Fayetteville State coach Kenny Phillips heads to today's CIAA football media day in Petersburg, Va., he has no idea where his Broncos will be picked to finish. But as the defending conference champions, Phillips isn't shy about announcing his preference. "I hope we're picked to win it again," he said. "You always want to be picked to win it. You want everybody shooting for you."

Despite losing a horde of key playmakers who made last season's conference title run possible, thus making a bid to repeat a major challenge, Phillips insists his philosophy is pretty simple. "I'm the kind of guy where I want to be the one on top that everyone is trying to come get," he said. "I don't want to be the guy on the bottom struggling to get to the top. I've been there and done that. Trust me, it's not as much fun." A year ago at media day, Phillips had a brash message for his fellow CIAA coaches.

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Citrus Bowl begins artificial turf installation

ORLANDO, FL -- The organization that runs the Citrus Bowl and its bowl games has ensured that the field conditions that marred last year's games will not happen again.

Florida Citrus Sports says installation of an artificial turf surface is underway, and the new field will be ready for the MEAC/SWAC Challenge between Southern and Delaware State on Sept. 5.

“We have been staging major events in the stadium for over 60 years where the athlete experience is of premium importance,” said Florida Citrus Sports CEO Steve Hogan in a news release. “Hosting a large number of events in short time windows have challenged the ability to provide optimum field conditions and paint schemes needed for national television. With this improvement, we are very excited about our ability to provide one of the safest, most technologically-advanced playing surfaces in the industry to our customer.”

Heavy rain and cold temperatures following last December's eight high school football championships at the stadium did not allow a new grass field to set properly before the Champs Sports Bowl and Capital One Bowl, making for a messy and dangerous situation. Miami Hurricanes running back Graig Cooper suffered a knee injury that he and his coaching staff blamed on the poor field conditions. Cooper's status for the 2010 season is still up in the air as he rehabs the injury.



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