Jim Koerner named NCCU's Eagles head baseball coach

DURHAM, N.C. (NCCUEaglePride.com) – With more 10 years of collegiate coaching experience at both the NCAA Division I and III levels, Jim Koerner has been named as the new head baseball coach at North Carolina Central University. Koerner is coming to NCCU from the University at Buffalo, where he helped build the Division I Bulls baseball program as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator since 2005.

“First of all, I’m very excited to be the new head baseball coach here at NCCU,” said Koerner. “NCCU is the complete package for me and my family. The atmosphere and attitude I’ve experienced from the people I have met is exactly what I was looking for. There is a passion for athletics and in this case the baseball program in particular. There is a solid foundation in place with our current players, we are in a great location for college and high school baseball and we play in a gorgeous facility, the Durham Athletic Park.”

His previous stops include a stint at Marshall University from 2003-05 where he also served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the staff, and his first Division I job came at Monmouth University after a three-year head coaching stint at Medaille College in Buffalo, N.Y., where he took a relatively brand-new baseball program and turned it into a winner in a short time. In his final season at Medaille, he improved the Mavericks win total by 15 games, one of the top turnarounds in Division III, and was named the 2003 North East Conference Coach of the Year.

“I am excited about having Coach Koerner as a part of our NCCU athletics program,” said Director of Athletics Dr. Ingrid Wicker-McCree. “We pride ourselves on hiring qualified individuals who have shown passion and dedication to their careers. Coach Koerner has been able to make an indelible mark at each of the institutions he has been associated with in the past and we know that he will do the same here at NCCU.

“Coach Koerner’s career journey includes coach of the year recognition as an NCAA Division III head coach and success as a top recruiter at three NCAA Division I programs, which will definitely bring unique experiences to help take our baseball program to the next level,” said Wicker-McCree. “Most importantly, our students will benefit from his vast knowledge of the game and his great concern for student success.”

New Eagles Head Baseball Coach Jim Koerner
(Photo courtesy MEAC Media Relations)

Passion and enthusiasm are certainly two character traits that Koerner shares when it comes to the game of baseball.

“I love the game,” said Koerner. “I’ve been involved with this game for a long time. I absolutely have a passion for teaching. Nothing gives me more satisfaction then working with a player from the beginning of August and watching that player mature and get better as the year goes along. To me that’s what it’s all about. If every guy on the team can take those steps to improve and get better and has that desire, the whole team will get better and that’s how you achieve your goals.”

Koerner, who earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from St. John Fisher (N.Y.) and a master’s degree in athletic administration from Marshall, truly believes in emphasizing the student portion of student-athlete.

“I personally believe that there is a direct correlation between academic aptitude and a player’s ability to adjust and improve on the field,” said Koerner. “Excellence needs to be established in all parts of life. It’s not just a baseball thing. I don’t want student-athletes that treat excellence as a light switch. It needs to be a constant process in everything we do. That’s what I am going to stress here.”

Koerner has had 19 players move on to the next level and play professional baseball during his collegiate coaching career, and the 2009 and 2010 Bulls broke 27 all-time and single-season offensive records as he was directly in charge of hitting at the University at Buffalo.

Koerner wants to get this message out to the Eagle nation.

“Get excited about NCCU baseball,” said Koerner. “We’re going to do things the right way on and off the field and we’re going to be a lot of fun to watch. I’m especially looking forward to meeting everybody, so when February rolls around make sure to get out to the ballpark and see us in action.”

During his time at UB, the Bulls had four players earn All-Mid-American Conference, honors including the 2011 MAC Player of the Year in Tom Murphy.

Prior to Buffalo when Koerner held the same position with Marshall University, he coached one of his players to All-Conference USA honors and also helped the Thundering Herd to its first post-season appearance in 10 years. During the 2006 season, Marshall was consistently in the top 5 in most offensive categories and had two players finish in the top 10 in batting.

At Monmouth, where Koerner broke into Division I coaching as an assistant, he helped lead the team to its seventh consecutive conference tournament appearance.

Koerner has also been head coach of several U.S. teams that competed in international tournaments, including the Belgium Open and the Chianti (Italy) Baseball Challenge. Out of college in 1998, he was also signed by the Richmond Roosters of the Independent Frontier League.

A native of Hamburg, N.Y., which is a approximately 14 miles south of Buffalo, Koerner and his wife, Kylie, are the proud parents of a son, Sam, and five-month old daughter, Elizabeth.

By Chris Hooks, Assistant Sports Information Director/ Broadcast Media Coordinator
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Stillman Tigers announces 2011 Football schedule

Tuscaloosa, AL- The Stillman Tigers have announced their 2011 football schedule. The Tigers' open the season at home and will finish the season at home. First year head coach Teddy Keaton will lead the Tigers in an eleven game schedule, six home games and five away. The scheduled season will feature one DI-AA, two CIAA schools, and seven SIAC conference games.

Stillman will open the season at home on Sept. 3rd when the Tigers face CIAA defending champions Shaw University. The Tigers will get on the road for a three-game stretch—making a short trip to Birmingham on Sept. 10th to play DI-AA Samford University. Stillman will then travel north to Frankfort, Ken., on Sept. 17th to face Kentucky State University, and then south for another short trip to Tuskegee, Ala., on Sept 24th to faced Tuskegee University.

The Tigers will return home for three games to face Lane College on Oct. 1st, Benedict College on Oct. 8th and Chowan University on Oct. 15th .The Tigers will then return to the road and travel to Fort Valley, Ga., on Oct. 22nd to play Fort Valley State University. The Tigers will return home for a Thursday night match-up against in-state rival Miles College on Oct. 27th. The following week, the Tigers will make their final regular season road trip to play Clark-Atlanta University in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 5th.

All game are listed with central time zone.

9/3/2011 5:00pm Shaw University H
9/10/2011 6:00pm Samford University A
9/17/2011 6:00pm Kentucky State University# A
9/24/2011 1:00pm Tuskegee University A
10/1/2011 5:00pm Lane College H
10/8/2011 5:00pm Benedict College H
10/15/2011 5:00pm Chowan University H
10/22/2011 1:00pm Fort Valley State University# A
10/27/2011 7:00pm Miles College H
11/5/2011 1:30pm Clark Atlanta University A
11/12/2011 1:30pm Concordia College-Selma H
# School is located in the Eastern Time zone
Games in Bold are home games.

By Steven Lockhart, Stillman Athletics
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VISIT: STILLMAN COLLEGE

Coach Marvin Green: Kingmaker for Florida A&M Golf

Tallahassee, Fla. - Ten years ago, Marvin Green was selected by athletic administrators to become Florida A&M's the head golf coach. He has turned the team into a perennial top five team among HBCU's.

Green, a native of Chicago, is a FAMU alumnus that received his bachelor's in business and master's in Sports Administration. Unlike most head coaches, he was not a student athlete while in school. He did not begin playing golf until halfway through his undergrad years.

"I got into golf my junior year of college because I had to take a business sport," Green said. "I fell in love with the challenge. I had always been a basketball or football player growing up but, golf is challenging, it gives you a chance, you against the golf course."

Green stayed rooted in Tallahassee after completing his second degree and became a faculty member, as a physical education instructor. Green was eventually offered the head golf coaching position by the athletic director in 2001.

Marvin E. Green Named Director of Student Activities

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Marvin E. Green Jr. has been named Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) new director for Student Activities. Green will officially begin his new position on July 1.

“I am honored and excited that I can serve my alma mater at this capacity,” Green said. “I am excited about the challenges and look forward to helping to produce that millennial student. We have special students at FAMU who are ready to learn to be productive and it is our responsibility to mold and help them to bring out their creativity.”

Green, who currently serves as the FAMU men’s golf coach, said some of his goals include helping with FAMU’s retention and graduation rates.

“I think FAMU is a special place,” he said. “We are always going to bring in the best and brightest minds. We must find a way to keep our students active outside the classroom, which will help make them better students.”

For nearly 20 years, Green has established a notable career at FAMU in intramural/recreational sports and golf. During that time, he has been instrumental in shaping and developing not only the Department of Campus Recreation, but also the highly successful Men’s Golf Program at the university.

“I am very pleased that Mr. Marvin Green was selected as the director of Student Activities,” said Henry Kirby, “Mr. Green will bring the necessary experience, professionalism, vision, energy and team spirit to the position as well as take the Office of Student Activities to a higher level of performance and excellence.”

A Chicago, Ill. native, Green attended FAMU’s School of Business and Industry (SBI) majoring in business administration. While in college, he was active in several groups and organizations including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); the Upsilon Psi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.; the Pan-Hellenic Council in which he served two terms as president; and FAMU Student Government Association (SGA).

“The fact that I have been around students affairs at FAMU for so long through SGA, Greek life, and campus recreation, I’ve had the opportunity to deal with the different facets of student life,” Green said. “Now is my time to take all those things I’ve learned and give back in a way.”

After completing his master’s degree in sports and leisure management at FAMU, Green worked as an adjunct professor at the university, teaching introductory and intermediate golf courses. In 2001, Green became the head coach for the men’s golf team, a position he has held ever since.

In 2002, he became the first college golf instructor in the country to earn the Golf Teacher/College Golf Coaching Certification from Trahan’s Swing Surgeon Group, Inc.

For the past 10 years, Green has coached the FAMU Women’s Flag Football Team, “Simply Marvelous.” The nationally recognized team has won a total of six National Championships for both the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) and American College Intramural Sports (ACIS). The team’s accomplishments have been documented on CBS Sports for the past three years.

Green serves as president of the National Black Golf Coaches Association and holds memberships in the NIRSA, J.R.E. Lee, Sr. Masonic Lodge No. 422, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., and the FAMU National Alumni Association. He also is a past advisor for the Pan-Hellenic Council and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Green and his wife, Cecka Rose Green, have three children: Marhee, 10, Chaela, 8, and Marvin III (Tre), 5.

Marvin E. Green Jr., president of the National Black
 Golf Coaches Association

FAMU's Green jack of all trades

Marvin Green, coach of the Florida A&M men's golf team, moonlights as coach of a women's flag football team. And recently he was named director of student activities at FAMU, a job he will begin July 1.

Green, who has a penchant for working long hours, admits that all three of his involvements are demanding but coaching two teams and being the head of student activities will take some delegating.

"If it's all about Marvin, that's not what's good for FAMU," Green said. "I think a sign of a good leader is what happens when he is away. So, it's about delegating and knowing how to get some good people to step up when the boss is gone. It gives them a chance to grow."

He says he still intends to continue spending plenty of early morning hours coaching the golf team, then pick up coaching the women's team after his days in the office.

Q&A: FAMU Golf Coach Marvin Green

Today on Wildman’s Corner, I interviewed a coach who works for the school that has the best band in the country. Let me make this perfectly clear, as well: I believe there should be no marching bands during halftime. Call me a hater, but I am just not a band guy.

However, if you haven’t seen the FAMU (Marching 100), you are missing out.

Let me introduce Coach Marvin Green. Green is the head men’s golf coach of the Florida A&M Rattlers:

Question: Golf at Florida A&M, where does it rank among sports at your university?

Answer: Probably at FAMU, it’s No. 18 out of 18. We have a passion for it at Florida A&M University, we have been around for about 50 years, had a great program early on, and I think we still have a good program amongst historically black colleges and universities. Probably every year out 25 to 28 historically black colleges, we are probably one of the top five out of all those teams in the country.

• • •

Q: What are some of the biggest challenges historically black schools face trying to create or develop their schools’ golf programs each year?

A: Our problem typically always comes down to the budget. We’ve had a great situation in Tallahassee because we actually have a lot of support from the local golf courses who give us a place to go out and practice. When you are talking about a full allotment of scholarships, like other schools have all across the country, we don’t necessarily have that. We are right about 2.8 (scholarships) out of three, which can kind of hurt you in recruiting, so when you don’t have that full allotment of scholarships, it doesn’t allow you to go out there and always go after that one guy you are looking for. It’s tough to tell a kid sometimes I can only offer you a part of a scholarship, as opposed to a whole one.

• • •

Q: Being at a historically black school, is it tough to recruit?

A: Not really. I think you try to be open and stay open to all individuals of all nationalities whenever you may be recruiting. Typically, most of the young men who choose to come to our university are going to be African-American, so you want to go out and look at those tournaments and events. We have a lot of young men at our school who you would call a minority who always are looking to come to our school as well. It’s not really that hard to recruit because most guys just want to make sure they can play at a quality facility as well as have a quality-type playing schedule at quality events. The one beautiful thing about playing golf is if you score low, you are going to be recognized, no matter where you are.

• • •
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Bethune Cookman's Mervyl Melendez resigns to take baseball job at Alabama State University

Daytona Beach, Florida -- Longtime Bethune-Cookman Baseball Coach Mervyl Melendez has resigned to accept the head coaching position at Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama, B-CU Director of Athletics Lynn W. Thompson announced late Thursday afternoon.

"Mervyl is pound-for-pound one of the best coaches I have ever been around," said Thompson, "but he is a far greater husband, father, and teacher than that. It has truly been an honor to watch him bloom into a legend, and I wish him well in his search for life's next challenge. We truly hate to see him leave the campus, but he can never leave our family."

Melendez has been part of the Bethune-Cookman program for 19 years, first playing for the Wildcats and earning Black College All-American honors then serving as an assistant for three seasons and finally as head coach for the last 12 seasons, during which time he has taken the B-CU program to legendary heights.


Regarding Hornets new $3.9 million baseball complex: Stacy Danley, Athletic Director, says “It gives us a chance to be our best, to recruit the best and to compete at the highest level so I’m excited about where this program is headed. This is just one of many new projects going on. I hope the people out there understand that Alabama State is trying to raise the bar.”

B-CU's baseball coach leaving

DAYTONA BEACH -- The most successful baseball coach in Bethune-Cookman history is departing. And he's taking his coaching staff with him. Mervyl Melendez resigned from B-CU on Thursday to take the head coach position at Alabama State University in Montgomery, Ala.

The 37-year-old, who guided the Wildcats to 11 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships over 12 seasons, is leaving his alma mater for a struggling program in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. "They really wanted me and my staff to take on the challenge," Melendez said. "It's a program that needs a little TLC, and we're going to give it that TLC."

Jose Vazquez, who had been Melendez's associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at B-CU, assistant coach Drew Clark and pitching coach Matt Crane are going to the Hornets, too. "When somebody wants to buy your whole coaching staff, what a compliment that is to Mervyl and your whole program," said B-CU Athletic Director Lynn Thompson. "Mervyl and I have talked often in the past about how this day would come."

Melendez said Alabama State's five-year contract offer "was too good to refuse'.

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Savannah State University football season tickets on sale now

Savannah, Georgia - Season tickets for the 2011 Savannah State football season are now on sale through the SSU Ticket Office and on the SSU athletics website ssuathletics. Season tickets will be $75 which includes parking as well as a commemorative season ticket pass.

SSU season tickets can be purchased online through ssuathletics.com, over the telephone (912-358-3429) or by visiting the SSU Ticket Office in Tiger Arena.

The Tigers home games will feature Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opponents Howard (Oct. 1), Florida A&M (Oct. 15), Hampton (Oct 29), Norfolk State (Nov. 5) and South Carolina State (Nov. 19).

Under the direction of new head football coach Steve Davenport, Savannah State will kick off the season September 3 in the Macon’s Music City Classic at Henderson Stadium against in-state rival Albany State.

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Goody becomes Gold Nuggets' 3rd newcomer for 2011-12

Jordyn Goody

NEW ORLEANS — Jordyn Goody of Lake Charles, La., and St. Louis Catholic High School has signed a women's tennis scholarship with Xavier University of Louisiana.

Goody and Juliann Baggett were the Division II (Class 4A) state runner-up in girls doubles in May and the Division II-Region II champion in April. Goody helped St. Louis finish second in the team standings at the state tournament and win the regional team championship.

Goody was a regional champion for St. Louis in singles as a sophomore and junior and in doubles with Maggie Laborde as a freshman. Goody and Laborde reached the Division III (Class 3A) semifinals in 2008 and helped St. Louis win the team championship.

A right-hander, Goody was 10th in Louisiana in the final USTA girls 18 singles rankings of 2010 and qualified for Southern Closed tournaments in each of the five age groups. She will be a biology/pre-medical major at Xavier.

Also signed with Xavier for next season is Amanda Materre of Richmond, Texas. Also eligible for the Gold Nuggets next season will be Kourtney Howell of Cypress, Texas, who enrolled at XU in January after transferring from Navy.

Xavier competes in the NAIA's Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. The Gold Nuggets qualified for the NAIA National Championship five of the last seven seasons and won first-round dual matches at nationals all five times.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Outstanding season pays dividends for JCSU Shermaine Williams

New York, NY – Johnson C. Smith University senior women's track and field student-athlete Shermaine Williams has earned a $1,000 donation towards the women's athletic fund for her nomination as the Collegiate Women Sports Awards 2010-11 Division II Athlete of the Year. The American Honda Motor Company will make the donation, which is scheduled to arrive in the fall of 2011.

Williams has been stellar in her senior year during the indoor and outdoor season. She recently won the 100m Hurdles national title (12.95) at the 2011 NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Her time tied a meet record, which she set in 2009. Williams ran the anchor leg of the 4x100m relay team that placed second (44.79) at the national outdoor championships. With the help of Williams' points, JCSU finished 4th in the nation at the outdoor championships (highest finish in school history).

At the CIAA Indoor Championships, Williams won the title in the 60m Hurdles, 60m Dash, and 200m Dash. She earned CIAA Indoor MVP. Williams placed 5th in the 200m and 3rd in the 60m H at the 2011 NCAA DII Indoor Championships (All-American honors). At the CIAA Outdoor Championships, Williams earned Outdoor MVP after capturing the 100m H and 4x100m relay crowns.

Williams was named 2010-11 Pettis Norman Student-Athlete of the Year and the Coca-Cola Academic Award winner this season at the JCSU Annual Athletics Awards Ceremony. She was also one of five Golden Bull women named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track& Field Team. Instrumental component in the JCSU Women's Outdoor Track & Field team winning their 1st CIAA Championship in school history.

Williams has served as a counselor for the NCAA DII Track & Field Outdoor Championships Youth Clinic. She also stopped by the Charlotte Flight's (local youth track club) meet to speak to children (ages 6-14) on the importance of education and preparation in order to be successful. The JCSU Women's Track & Field Team appeared at the meet after winning the CIAA Outdoor Track Championships.

“Your student-athlete was judged the very best in her sport over all her peers in her division,” said Collegiate Women Sports Awards spokesperson Tora Grossman. “This speaks highly of your program and your administration and The Collegiate Women Sports Awards congratulate Johnson C. Smith University and honor Shermaine for that selection.”

Shermaine Williams, NCAA Division II National Champion
JCSU Lady Bulls

Now in its 35th year, The Collegiate Women Sports Awards program annually recognizes the accomplishments of female athletes in NCAA-member colleges with a variety of prestigious awards.

American Honda Motor Co., Inc., sponsor of the program, celebrates each nominee by donating $5,000 to each Honda Sports Award recipient school and $1,000 to each nominee school. The Collegiate Women Sports Awards program is governed by a Board of Directors and Executive Committee. The Board of Directors includes individuals from NCAA institutions, members of the media, organizational representatives and a former Cup recipient.

After nation-wide balloting among NCAA Division II member schools, another athlete was voted the athlete of the year. All nominees appear now and for the future on the Collegiate Women Sports Awards website www.collegiatewomensportsawards.com. The winner will be announced later this week on that site. The winner of the Division II Athlete of the Year will be presented her award at a press conference June 27 in New York.

By Lamont Hinson, Sports Information Director
VISIT: JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY
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