Livingstone College promotes Williams to head football coach

Coach Daryl Williams

SALISBURY, North Carolina  --  Livingstone has promoted football offensive coordinator Daryl Williams to head coach.

Williams replaces Elvin James, who was fired after three seasons and a 3-28 record, including 2-8 in 2012.

“I felt it was imperative we make a coaching change to turn around our football program,” Livingstone Athletics Director Andre Springs said in a statement. “We appreciate the work coach James did during his tenure; however, we need to be much more competitive on the gridiron than we have been in recent years. Coach Williams has a solid background in coaching, including stints at Texas Southern University and Alabama State University. We feel he’s the right man to get Livingstone’s football program on the right track at this time.”

Williams was associate head coach and quarterback coach at Texas Southern from 2007-2011. During the 2010 season, Texas Southern won the SWAC championship.
 

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Jackson State riding five-game win streak into Saturday's SWAC title game

JACKSON, Mississippi  --  Jackson State coach Rick Comegy isn't making any excuses for the way his team started the season.

The Tigers dropped four of their first six games this season, giving up an average of 34 points per contest. In the final of those losses, a 34--24 defeat at Arkansas-Pine Bluff on October 6^th, they allowed 21 points in the second quarter alone.

But none of that matters anymore.

That game was the last one JSU dropped. Since then, it's reeled off five-straight victories, including wins at Alabama State, against Mississippi Valley State, at Grambling State, against Alabama A&M and at Alcorn State to find themselves to earn a Southwestern Athletic Conference eastern division crown.

The Tigers (7-4) will travel to Birmingham for Saturday's conference title game in a rematch against the last team that beat them. Kickoff is scheduled for noon at Legion Field and the game will be aired live on ESPNU.




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Odums, Jenkins among six head coach semi-finalists

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Southern University has narrowed its search for the future head football coach to six semi-finalists, athletics director Dr. William Broussard announced Monday.
The finalist pool includes coaches with an average of 18 years of NCAA coaching experience, includes 4 former or current head coaches who have won or appeared in multiple black college national championships and bowl games, extensive experience recruiting Louisiana prep student-athletes, and all 6 coaches have HBCU coaching experience.

Among the six candidates vying to fill Southern's coaching vacancy are Alabama State special teams coordinator John M. Hendrick, current Bethune-Cookman head coach Brian Jenkins, current SU interim coach Dawson Odums, Nevada offensive line coach James Spady, and two other finalists who wish to remain unidentified due to their respective seasons not yet coming to an end.

Broussard is scheduled to conduct a 30-minute phone interview with each of the candidates this week before condensing the six semi-finalists to as many as three who will potentially make on-campus visits.

Hendrick, a former Tulane assistant head coach and LSU tight ends coach, presently serves as the special teams coordinator and defensive ends coach at Alabama State. The University of Pittsburgh graduate helped produce two All-Conference USA defensive lineman while at Tulane from 2011-12 and was a member of Bill Synder's Kansas State coaching staff in 1991-92 that helped turnaround the worst program in college football history. Hendrick also served as Southern's offensive line coach in 1986.

Jenkins is widely considered a rising star in Division I coaching ranks after producing a 28-7 record at Bethune Cookman College which includes two MEAC championships and two FCS playoff appearances. In his first season as the Wildcats head coach, Jenkins led Bethune Cookman to the school's first-ever HBCU national championship and was named the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Region 2 Coach of the Year. Jenkins also spent seven years as the special teams coordinator and running backs coach at Louisiana-Lafayette from 2002-2009.

Odums' previous title of defensive coordinator changed to interim head coach two games into Southern's 2012 season. The North Carolina native and N.C. Central graduate proceeded to lead the Jaguars to a 4-5 finish after an 0-2 start, claiming signature wins over Jackson State, Florida A&M and Grambling. Odums arrived at Southern in 2011 after a 3-year stint at N.C. A&T where he served as the Aggies' co-defensive coordinator in 2010 and defensive line coach in 2009. Odums also served as the interim head coach at Clark Atlanta during the 2004 season and head coach in 2005.

Spady spent several seasons at some of black college football's elite programs before becoming the offensive tackles and tight ends coach at the University of Nevada, where the Wolfpack finished ranked #2 in FBS in total offense in 2010 and are currently in the Top 10 in several categories in 2012. Spady served as Grambling's offensive coordinator from 2007-2009 helping the Tigers win a SWAC title after an 11-2 record in 2008. Spady, who played four years as a center at Texas-El Paso, also helped win conference titles at N.C. Central in 2006, South Carolina State in 2004 and UTEP in 2000, while adding HBCU national championships in 2006 (NCCU) and 2008 (Grambling) to his resume.

Broussard expects to present his choice for Southern's next head coach at a Dec. 14 Board of Supervisors meeting on the Baton Rouge campus.


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Dwight Floyd WEEKLY COMMENTARY: FAMU Interviews Potential Band Director

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  There is perhaps not a greater time in the history of Florida A&M than now, where the University finds itself in such a fragile position. The FAMU Board of Trustees must identify and approve a new university president.

Almost as important are applicants to be selected for the head football coaching position, Special Assistant to the President for Anti-Hazing, and director of bands. After identifying the top four candidates for the director of bands, the selection committee recently invited them to tour FAMU, work with selected band members and talk about the job.

Previous band directors
 P.A. Van Weller, 1892–1898
 Nathaniel C. Adderly, 1910–1918
 Leander A. Kirksey, 1930–1945
 Dr. William P. Foster, 1945–1998
 Dr. Julian E. White, 1998–2012



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Tennessee State Women's hoops prepares for Montana State

GAMEDAY

The Tennessee State University women's basketball team will conclude its three-game road stint at Montana State on Monday, Dec. 3. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. in Worthington Arena.

THE LADY TIGERS AT A GLANCE
The Lady Tigers (3-4) had won two straight before dropping its most recent game to Montana, 71-48, at the 32nd annual Lady Griz Classic. The Lady Tigers went 1-1 at the tournament after defeating Idaho in the first game. Simone Hopes and Kesi Hess were named to the All-Tournament team for TSU.

As a team, TSU is averaging 53.7 points per outing while shooting 33.9 percent from the field and 22.0 percent from beyond the arc. TSU is currently shooting only 67.2 percent from the free-throw line while committing an average of 17.9 turnovers per game.

TSU averages 38.0 rebounds, 9.0 assists and 9.9 steals per game.

LAST TIME OUT

Tennessee State suffered a 71-48 loss to Montana at the Lady Griz Classic Saturday night. TSU was outrebounded, 41-29, and got outscored, 37-22, in the second half. Simone Hopes was the lone Lady Tiger to post double-figures in scoring with 13 points to go with six rebounds. Kesi Hess followed with eight points and five steals. Hopes and Kesi Hess were named to the All-Tournament team.

ABOUT MONTANA STATE

Montana State is coming off a 71-65 win over Utah State on Saturday. The Bobcats had won three straight before falling to Southern Methodist, 71-70. The Big Sky member bounced back from the loss to SMU by defeating UM-Western and Utah State for consecutive victories.

In the win over Utah State, Kallie Durham paced the Bobcats with 18 points while Ashley Brumwell (14), Rachel Semansky (13) and Jackie Elliot (11) also scored in double-digits.

As a team, Montana State averages 68.5 ppg behind a .421 shooting percentage. The Bobcats are only shooting, .247 from three-point range and average 19.2 turnovers per game.

Durham leads the team in scoring with 14.5 ppg while Semasky follows with 13.3 ppg and 6.3 rpg.

TSU vs. MONTANA STATE

Tennessee State and Montana State will meet for the first time in the two programs' history.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

TSU will have a nearly a two week break before hosting Cleveland State on Dec. 16 in the Gentry Center.

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Volusia County basketball rivals Stetson, Bethune-Cookman face off

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  — Both Stetson coach Casey Alexander and Bethune-Cookman coach Gravelle Craig say the geographical rivalry between their teams is good for both basketball programs.

But pride and bragging rights will take a back seat at 7 p.m. Monday when the Wildcats host the Hatters at Moore Gymnasium.

The coaches are more concerned with getting their teams straightened out for their upcoming conference schedules. While Stetson (2-3) is coming off its worst loss of the season — a 92-56 whipping at Virginia Commonwealth on Wednesday — B-CU (2-6) has lost three straight.

 

“We're starting over in a way,'' Alexander said. “We're not supposed to go to VCU and win, but you want to execute at a higher level and compete.''

Center Adam Pegg was held to one point before fouling out against the Rams, lowering his season average to 14.0 points per game. Leading scorer Aaron Graham (16.3 ppg) missed the game with a bruised foot and has been day-to-day since.

 

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St. Joseph's Men's Basketball Travels To Coppin State on Tuesday

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania  -  Saint Joseph's (4-2) will look to get back on the winning track when it visits Coppin State (1-6) on Tuesday evening. Game time at the Physical Education Complex in Baltimore is 7:30 p.m.

The game will be broadcast on SportsRadio 610 WIP with Matt Martucci and Joe Lunardi calling the action. Audio streaming of the game will be available on SJUHawks.com free of charge.

LISTEN LIVE

Fans can also access the broadcast on their mobile devices by going to IRadioPhilly.com.



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