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Paine College continues its shake-up within its sports department. Golf coach Hoover Johnson, who helped rebuild the program after the team was kept from going to the national championship tournament, was let go by the school this week.
Brandon Brown, Paine's vice president for institutional advancement, said Friday that the school does not comment on personnel matters. "I know a lot of folks question the practice the institution takes with its personnel matters," he said. "We're looking to protect the interests of the institution as well as the former employee."
Coach Sean Woods makes sure you get it correct. The Mississippi Valley State basketball team didn't have the luxury of practicing in a high school gym. "Middle school," he said. "A middle school gym."
Heading into tonight's Southwestern Athletic Conference showdown with Jackson State, the Delta Devils have come quite a ways. Their basketball arena floor is no longer a bubbling, waterlogged mess. They no longer practice in that middle school gym. They don't play "home" games at county civic centers any more. And, they aren't thought of as a middle-of-the-pack team.
Picked to finish seventh in the 10-team conference before the season, Valley (7-13) is 6-1 in the league, tied atop the standings with Jackson State (10-9) and Texas Southern (8-10).
Connell Maynor of Winston-Salem State has turned down an offer to be the next football coach at N.C. A&T.
Maynor, who led the Rams to an 8-2 record this past season, had his first interview with A&T officials last week but wasn't offered the job. That all changed on Friday when Rod Broadway, the coach at Grambling State, turned down an offer from A&T. Maynor was asked back to campus at A&T on Friday afternoon and was offered the job.
"They offered it to me and, after considering it, I had to say no," said Maynor, 42, who is a 1995 graduate of N.C. A&T, where he was an All-MEAC quarterback. "The timing just wasn't right and in the best interest of myself and my family, I couldn't take the job."
MONROE, La. - The game which produced the largest on-campus collegiate football crowd in north Louisiana history will feature a second and third installment over the next three years. ULM will host Grambling State on Sept. 10, 2011, and Sept. 7, 2013, in Malone Stadium, ULM Director of Athletics Bobby Staub announced Friday afternoon in a press conference at the Monroe Convention Center.
"We're excited about our two-game series with Grambling State University," Staub said. "Our 2007 contest was an overwhelming success and provided an electric atmosphere for fans of both schools as well our student-athletes."
The first meeting between the two schools drew 30,101 fans to ULM's Malone Stadium on Nov. 20, 2007. The game established a new precedent for Football Bowl Subdivision schools in Louisiana as ULM became the first such institution to play Grambling in football - the Warhawks defeated the Tigers 28-14.
"For our football team and our fan base, this is a wonderful opportunity to renew a series that is significant due to the proximity of the two schools," ULM head coach Todd Berry said. "A lot of our players know guys on their team which always makes the game more interesting. The first time ULM and Grambling played the game had a great atmosphere and we are excited to bring that kind of environment back to Malone Stadium."
Three of ULM's four non-conference games for the upcoming season are now in place. The Warhawks open the season at Florida State on Sept. 3 and travel to Iowa on Sept. 24.
Florida A&M men's track coach Wayne Angel made a bold statement Thursday afternoon about long jumper Leon Hunt. "I think the sky is the limit for him" Angel said. Specifically, Angel was referring to Hunt becoming the Rattlers' first track and field All-American since 2005, winning a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and possibly qualifying for next year's Olympics.
That's lofty, but Hunt gave the first-year FAMU coach reason last weekend to be that optimistic. Hunt jumped 25.5 feet last weekend at the Blue Raider Invitational in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
The jump landed Hunt in the NCAA's national top 15 rankings at No. 11. It was his career best and now Hunt is aiming to clear another foot, which will put him within range of achieving 26 feet and joining the national elites.
Running back Isaac Redman of the Pittsburgh Steelers has traveled from the CIAA to the Super Bowl, a journey not many players make. Redman is the career rushing leader at Bowie State and had championship-game experience in college, playing in a 2005 CIAA title-game loss to N.C. Central. His next title game will be Super Bowl XLV on Feb. 6, against the Green Bay Packers.
Videographer: foxsports
"I would say it's a little bit of a larger stage," joked Coach Damon Wilson of Bowie State, who was an assistant when Redman played there. "But that kid deserves it because he worked his tail off to get where he is, and all of us here at Bowie State couldn't be prouder."
Redman, who ran for 3,300 yards in college, signed with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2009 and spent last season on the practice squad. This season he played in every game as Rashard Mendenhall's backup, rushing for 247 yards on 52 carries (4.8 ypc) and catching nine passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns.
The Southern University football program will have at least one change to its coaching staff this season. Quarterbacks coach Ted White, a former Glen Oaks High School standout, has left Southern to become offensive coordinator at Howard, his alma mater.
“He asked me if I minded that, and I said no,” SU coach Stump Mitchell said. “I would never try to prevent someone from advancing their career.”
Southern’s passing game was hot and cold last season as the Jaguars finished 2-9, posting their worst record in school history. SU ranked fourth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference at 218.5 yards per game, but its completion percentage (47) was eighth in the 10-team league.
