Terminated Grambling coach issues statement

GRAMBLING, Louisiana  --  Former Grambling State University Head Basketball Coach Joseph Price issued a statement in regard to his dismissal from the university on Wednesday morning.

From Joseph Price:

"I feel great about the progress we made with the program over the last two years. When I took the head coach position, Grambling was facing serious NCAA sanctions that required us to focus on the academic eligibility, retention and the team's graduation rate, which in summary is the Academic Progress Rate (APR).

Through strategic recruiting and monitoring the academic progress of our players, my staff and I were able to lead the program out of these sanctions and on a pathway to success in just two years. When you consider the fact that we were working in a limited resource environment, this was equivalent to working a miracle.

The program is now past most of ...

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Former Albany State baseball standouts adjusting to life in independent league

Jacob Campbell, Robby Latner now play in the Pecos League

ROSWELL, New Mexico — Campbell showed up in Roswell, N.M., just over a month ago with a dream.

And even though the first month of his professional baseball career didn’t go exactly as planned, that dream is still very much alive for the former Albany State standout and Westover grad.

Campbell, along with former ASU teammate Robby Latner, signed a professional contract in the independent Pecos League — a non-affiliated pro league that serves as a feeder system for MLB affiliated teams or higher independent leagues — in May and is currently in the middle of his first season with the Roswell Invaders. Latner signed with the Bisbee (Ariz.) Blues and has become one of his team’s most versatile players.

Campbell began the season with a starting job in left field but fell into a slump and is platooning in the outfield as he adjusts to life with a wooden bat, but he is still hopeful for a long-term baseball career.

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Houston Rockets Call Pendarvis Williams To Summer League

HOUSTON, Texas  --  The Houston Rockets have signed Pendarvis Williams to their summer league roster.

The former Norfolk State Spartan, averaged 15.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg and 2.6 apg last season. The 6’6”, 195 lb guard earned many accolades during his college career, which include: being named the MEAC Player of the Year, was also an honorable mention All-American, a conference Player of the Year and finished the season as HBCU Player of the Year.

Williams is an excellent 3-point shooter. His ability to shoot the three ball is his best asset. He shot over 38% from behind the arc in his four-year career at Norfolk State making him a huge asset to his team.

His college coach, Robert Jones, praises Williams for his leadership and work ethic on and off the court.

Jones also compared Williams to Rookie of the Year winner Michael Carter Williams, for reasons related to his size and ball handling skills. Williams has the ability to play either guard position which fits the mold of most NBA guards today.

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Grambling players caught off guard with Price's firing

GRAMBLING, Louisiana  -- The shock value of Joseph Price’s firing still resonated strongly Wednesday, a day after Price was surprisingly given the pink slip as Grambling’s men’s basketball coach.

Several team members were left without words when news hit Tuesday that new Grambling interim president Cynthia Warrick had started to clean house with the reassignment of athletic director Aaron James and the firing of Price.

“We haven’t really talked much about it,” said Grambling guard and Richwood product Remond Brown. “Everybody has just been thinking about it and sad and down about it.”

Price tried to meet with as many players as possible Tuesday to deliver the news, but not everyone was available due to conflicting summer schedules.

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Grambling State head coach Joseph Price relieved of duties

GRAMBLING, Louisiana  -- Considering the fact that the program has put together a record of five wins and 52 losses over the last two years, including an 0-28 mark in 2012-13, it would be an understatement to say that these have been tough times for the Grambling State basketball program. Add in the issues the program faced academically when head coach Joseph Price was hired, resulting in their being ineligible for postseason play last year, and it’s clear that a lot needed to change.

Tuesday it was reported by Sean Isabella of The News-Star that recently hired interim school president Cynthia Warrick has begun making changes, with Price and athletic director Aaron James being relieved of their respective duties as part of the shakeup.

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Athletic director, basketball coach out at Grambling

GRAMBLING, Louisiana --New Grambling interim president Cynthia Warrick didn't take long to leave her mark on the university.

"In her first official day as Grambling's leader, Warrick made significant changes across the board, relieving athletic director Aaron James and men's basketball coach Joseph Price of their duties.

Warrick took over Tuesday, a day after former president Frank Pogue wrapped up his tenure.

"I didn't foresee it coming, but I do understand when you change president's — I've been in the system long enough — a lot of times the president's have the people they want to bring into different positions, and I do understand that," James told The News-Star on Tuesday.

James, who was the athletic director for the past three years, said he received a letter from the president's office Tuesday morning indicating he had been reassigned. James previously served as a kinesiology professor.

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Saint Augustine's University Names Johnson Head Men's Basketball Coach

COACH MARQUS JOHNSON

RALEIGH, North Carolina  --  The Saint Augustine's University athletic department officially named MarQus Johnson as its head men's basketball coach on Tuesday, July 1, 2014.

Johnson was elevated to head coach after two seasons as assistant men's basketball coach at Saint Augustine's University from 2012 to 2014. Prior to returning to SAU, Johnson was head coach of the Cary Invasion, a semi-professional basketball team based in Cary, N.C. Under his guidance, the Invasion was 22-5 in two seasons and won the Continental Basketball League (CBL) regular season and tournament championship. The Invasion was also runner-up in the Tobacco Road Basketball League (TRBL). He was previously an assistant coach at Saint Augustine's University from 2008 to 2010 before heading to the Cary Invasion.

"He has been a faithful assistant under Coach [Lonnie] Blow twice and Coach [Tony] Sheals once," said SAU Athletic Director and legendary Track & Field Head Coach George Williams. "I think it's time to give him his due and see where he can take the program. I have the utmost confidence in his ability to lead."

Johnson is well-known in the Triangle area. A Knightdale, N.C., native, he was an assistant coach at North Carolina Central University and Shaw University in addition to Saint Augustine's University. Johnson has a stellar reputation for developing positive relationships with the student-athletes.

"I am honored and humbled while also being appreciative of the opportunity that Saint Augustine's University [Interim] President Dr. [Everett B.] Ward and Coach Williams have given me," said Johnson. "I will work diligently and with great passion to take this program to new heights. Our goal will be to recruit young men who not only value the opportunity to play collegiate basketball but also have a sense of urgency in every aspect of winning. When I say winning, I mean on the court, in the community and, most importantly, in the classroom."

Johnson was an assistant coach on the SAU men's basketball team which captured its second CIAA championship in school history during the 2009-2010 season. That squad advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament and earned a national top 25 ranking.

Before coming to SAU the first time, Johnson was an assistant coach at North Carolina Central and Shaw. At NCCU, seven of Johnson's recruits earned All-CIAA honors including David Young, who was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2004 NBA Draft. At Shaw, Johnson coached one All-CIAA player.

Johnson was a standout basketball player at NCCU from 1996 to 2000 where he held the title of team captain for three consecutive years. He helped lead the Eagles to three CIAA division titles where he was a prolific three-point shooter. Johnson graduated from NCCU with a B.S. degree in recreational administration in 2000.

As a prep player, Johnson starred at East Wake High School in Wendell, N.C., where he was an all-state basketball performer. He is the school's all-time scoring leader with 1,577 points.

COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

WSSU’s Ross signs to play in Dublin, Ireland

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- Preston Ross III, who played one season of basketball at WSSU, has signed to play for UCD Marion Dublin, a pro team in Dublin, Ireland.

Ross, who transferred to WSSU after three seasons at Western Carolina, helped the Rams reach the CIAA championship game last season. At 6-5 and 220 pounds, Ross powered his way to 16.9 points and 5.8 rebounds a game.

UCD Marion Dublin plays in the top division of the Premier League in Ireland.

Ross, who is from Fayetteville and a graduate of 71st High School, will leave next month to begin training camp. The season will run from October through March.

Ross is the latest former WSSU player to sign to play ...

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Bulldog team begins summer drills with eye on two rings and a positive image for SCSU

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  -- For redshirt freshman quarterback Adrian Kollack, voluntary summer workouts at South Carolina State are not just about strength and conditioning.

They are an opportunity for the Spartanburg native and potential new Bulldog starter to develop camaraderie with the offense he hopes to lead to another Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and beyond.

“(The motivation is) getting something more than a MEAC ring,” Kollack said. “Doing more than getting a MEAC ring ... winning a game in the (Football Championship Subdivision) playoffs and possibly making a run to the FCS title. We want to get two rings instead of one.”

As one of the de facto “coaches,” Kollack also gets to conduct the on-field workouts, which will take place Tuesday and Thursday the next four weeks at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium with more than 60 players in attendance. Other “coaches” are senior defensive lineman Andrew Carter and senior linebacker Justin Hughes.

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FAMU's Varnadore steps up to lead in senior year

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- Right after a group of FAMU football players completed a conditioning drill of running steps inside Bragg Stadium, they gathered in a circle.

 Kicker Chase Varnadore pushed his way close to the center.

The former Florida High standout praised the effort of his teammates under the blazing sun, igniting what resembled the kind of celebration that follows a win.

"I always tell them it's not supposed to be easy," Varnadore said. "If it were easy, everybody would do it."

"During the season when we are down by seven points or 14 points in the third quarter, that's not easy. It's going to be hard to fight your way back into the game, so I feel like this is just preparing us for the season."

While that is the primary intent of the offseason workouts, it certainly is unusual to see a kicker taking charge and establishing himself as a leader.

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Nuggets, Rush will run twice at home during 2014 season

NEW ORLEANS — Two city meets, including the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships, are highlights of the 2014 Xavier University of Louisiana men's and women's cross country schedules.
    
Tenth-year head coach Joseph Moses announced the schedules Tuesday. Both the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets are eight-time defending champions of the GCAC.
    
Xavier will play host to the GCAC Championships on Oct. 18 at City Park, with team and individual champions qualifying automatically for the NAIA National Championships at Lawrence, Kan., on Nov. 22. It will be the first time since 2003 that New Orleans is the site of the GCAC meet.
    
The other City Park meet will be the Xavier Big Easy Opener on Aug. 29. It will be the first time since 2007 that the Rush and Nuggets compete in their home city.
    
For the first time since 2010, XU teams will compete four times in Louisiana. Xavier will run at the LSU Invitational in Baton Rouge on Sept. 20 and the McNeese Cowboy Stampede in Lake Charles on Sept. 27.
    
Xavier's second meet — one of four before the conference meet — will be the Azalea City Classic at Mobile, Ala., on Sept. 12.
    
Xavier returns both 2013 GCAC individual champions, Catherine Fakler and Kwame Jackson. Also back is Jackson's sister Zahri, a GCAC individual champion in 2011 and 2012.


Xavier University of Louisiana
2014 Men's and Women's
Cross Country Schedule

Friday, Aug. 29
XAVIER BIG EASY OPENER, City Park, 5:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 12
Azalea City Classic, Mobile, Ala.

Saturday, Sept. 20
LSU Invitational, Baton Rouge, La.

Saturday, Sept. 27
McNeese Cowboy Stampede, Lake Charles, La.

Saturday, Oct. 18
GCAC CHAMPIONSHIPS, City Park, 8 a.m.

Saturday, Nov. 22
NAIA National Championships, Lawrence, Kan., 10:30 a.m.

Home meets in CAPITAL LETTERS
All times are Central except where noted
Schedules are subject to change

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/xulagold  

XU to open 2014 with 11 of first 13 matches at home

Hannah Lawing

NEW ORLEANS — A slew of early-season home matches is one of the features of the 2014 Xavier University of Louisiana women's volleyball schedule.
     
Second-year coach Hannah Lawing announced Tuesday the schedule, which consists of 23 regular-season contests. Xavier will play a school-record-tying 13 matches at home. Eleven of the Gold Nuggets' first 13 matches will be at home, including a school-record five in a row from Sept. 20-29.
     
The Nuggets' first 13 matches of 2013 were on the road. Two years ago they played 12 of their first 14 on the road, including the first seven.
        
Xavier is the three-time defending Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament champion and is 43-0 the past three seasons against GCAC opponents. Xavier is one of 17 schools to qualify for the NAIA National Championship each of the last three seasons.
     
This will be the Nuggets' second season in the Convocation Center, which opened in November 2012 and seats nearly 4,000 for volleyball or basketball. When Xavier opens against Faulkner at 2 p.m. on Aug. 23, it will be the second time in the program's seven seasons that the Nuggets begin their schedule at home.
     
Three days later, on Aug. 26, the Nuggets will play at 7 p.m. at home against Mobile. It will be the first of three matches against 2013 NAIA national tourney qualifiers.
     
Xavier will play its earliest-ever GCAC opener, Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. at home against Edward Waters. The GCAC will have eight members in 2014-15 — Fisk departed after four seasons to join the NAIA's Association of Independent Institutions — and all GCAC teams will play 14 conference matches.
     
First-time opponents will be Wiley — Aug. 30 at Wiley, Sept. 9 at Xavier — and Concordia (Mich.) on Oct. 11 at Xavier.
     
The Nuggets' other matches against 2013 NAIA tourney qualifiers will be Spring Hill at home on Oct. 10 and at Mobile on Oct. 14. Spring Hill this season begins the first year of its candidacy period in NCAA Division II.
     
Xavier will play three road matches in New Orleans: SUNO on Oct. 1 and Dillard on Nov. 6 in the conference and Loyola on Nov. 3.
     
Match times and dates are subject to change.
     
Xavier was 26-8 in 2013, 9-0 at home. The Nuggets have a school-record 13-match home win streak dating to 2012.


2014 Xavier University Women's Volleyball Schedule

Aug. 23:  FAULKNER, 2 p.m.
Aug. 26:  MOBILE, 7 p.m.
Aug. 30:  at Wiley, 11 a.m.
Sept. 5:  • EDWARD WATERS, 6 p.m.
Sept. 9:  WILEY, 4 p.m.
Sept. 15:  • at Tougaloo, 5 p.m.
Sept. 20:  • PHILANDER SMITH, noon
Sept. 22:  • TALLADEGA, 7 p.m.
Sept. 26:  LOYOLA, 6 p.m.
Sept. 27:  • DILLARD, noon
Sept. 29:  • VOORHEES, 7 p.m.
 Oct. 1:  • at SUNO, 7 p.m.
Oct. 10:  SPRING HILL, 6 p.m.
Oct. 11:  CONCORDIA (MICH.), 1 p.m.
 Also Oct. 11 at Xavier: Spring Hill vs. Concordia (Mich.), 11 a.m.
Oct. 14:  at Mobile, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 18:  • TOUGALOO, 1 p.m.
Oct. 20:  • at Talladega, 7 p.m.
Oct. 25:  • at Voorhees, 11 a.m. EDT
Oct. 26:  • at Edward Waters, noon EDT
Oct. 30:  • SUNO, 7 p.m.
Nov. 1:  • at Philander Smith, noon
Nov. 3:  at Loyola, 7 p.m.
Nov. 6:  • at Dillard, 5 p.m.
TBA:  GCAC Tournament
Nov. 22:  NAIA National Championship opening round at campus sites, TBA
Dec. 2-6:  NAIA National Championship final site at Sioux City, Iowa, TBA

Home matches (in CAPITAL LETTERS) will be played at the Convocation Center (capacity 3,937), Xavier University campus, New Orleans
• Gulf Coast Athletic Conference match
TBA — To be announced
All times are Central except where noted


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/xulagold  

HAPPY - Alabama State University

SC State Football Players Participate In Community Blood Drive

Junior defensive end Reggie Owens was one of many Bulldog football players who
participated  in the American Red Cross Blood drive held at O.C. Dawson Stadium.

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  -- The South Carolina State University football program teamed up with the American Red Cross in a community blood drive held Wednesday, June.25 at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

This year's blood drive was held in the conference room of Dawson Stadium with over 60 participants from the community, along with the Bulldog football team.

 "This year was the first year we teamed up with the American Red Cross for a worthy cause in giving blood," said head coach Buddy Pough. "We hope to make this an annual event so we can make more people in the community aware of the importance of donating."

According to event organizers, the blood drive was a huge victory for donating in the African- American Community. Every participant that donated blood or plasma will have the ability to save three lives in the future.

African-Americans have played a vital role in the development of the American Red Cross, through pioneering blood plasma research.

The African-American community has been invaluable in this effort, whether it's assisting victims of disaster, teaching health and safety courses or providing strong insightful volunteer leadership.

For more information about how you can donate blood to help save lives, please call or visit your local Red Cross office or www.redcrossblood.org and 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

COURTESY SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

NSU Williams to Play for Houston Rockets Summer League Team

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Former Norfolk State guard Pendarvis Williams will play for the Houston Rockets' summer league team in Las Vegas in mid-July after signing a free agent contract with the Rockets organization after last week's NBA Draft.

Williams, who finished his four-year career with NSU last season, is one of at least nine players who will compete for the Rockets' team in Las Vegas from July 12-21.

It will mark the third year in a row a former NSU player participated in one of the two NBA summer leagues – the other taking place in Orlando. Former Spartan Kyle O'Quinn competed with the Orlando Magic in 2012 and '13 after the Magic selected him in the second round of the 2012 Draft.

Williams, a native of Philadelphia, earned first-team All-NABC District 15 and second-team All-MEAC honors in 2013-14 as a senior with NSU. He also garnered AP All-America honorable mention and participated in the Reese's College All-Star Game before the Final Four.

He averaged career highs of 15.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals last year. He ended his career 15th all-time at NSU with 1,646 points and is only one of two players to tally at least 1,600 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, 100 steals and 50 blocks.

Mike Bello, Asst. SID

COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Former HU's McCorory edges Richards-Ross for women's 400 title

SACRAMENTO, California — Francena McCorory had to wait for the replay to see the best race of her life. The U.S. women's 400-meter champion has a tendency to run with her eyes closed.

Not that it mattered much.

 

McCorory won Saturday in the Sanya Richards-Ross.

U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships, finishing in 49.48 seconds to edge Olympic champion

 

McCorory had her best career time and the fastest in the world this year. She did it despite running three-quarters of the race with her eyes closed, something the sprinter has done since she first took up running as a 12-year-old.

 

That McCorory somehow stays in her lane without bumping into other runners was just as impressive as her winning time.

 

"I know it's weird because I have to go around an oval and turn left, but I really don't feel anyone," McCorory said. "I've run so many 400s I can feel the track. At 300 yards, I was like, 'Yes, I'm almost home.' That's the only time I opened my eyes.

 

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New AD Marshall follows his 'passion' to Hampton University

HAMPTON, Virginia — Eugene Marshall Jr. took the plunge 30 years ago. Farewell IBM and potential long-term security and stock options. Hello college sports administration and thankless hours and inevitable job change.

He's never looked back, and Monday the well-credentialed, supremely grateful Marshall was formally introduced as Hampton University's athletic director.



"Probably not wrapped too tight," he said with a broad smile of leaving IBM. "(But) athletics has always been my life. It's one thing to have a job. It's another thing to have a passion. So for 29 years, I've had a passion, not a job. … That's why I'm here. I love what I'm doing. The hours don't matter, because it's not a 9-to-5 job."

The job at Hampton is particularly difficult, witness its rampant turnover. Marshall is the seventh person to hold the position, full-time or interim, since Dennis Thomas resigned in 2002 after 12 years to become commissioner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

CONTINUE READING

XU's Cassiere to speak at National HBCU Media Summit

ED CASSIERE

NEW ORLEANS — Ed Cassiere, Xavier University of Louisiana's sports information director, will be one of the first-day speakers at the 2014 National HBCU Media Summit, to be held next week at Dillard University in New Orleans.
    
Cassiere — recipient of approximately 70 awards for sports information and sports
    
Cassiere joined XU athletics in July 2006. He publicizes Xavier's nine intercollegiate teams, which compete in the NAIA's Gulf Coast Athletic Conference.
    
The National HBCU Media Summit is presented by the HBCU Digest, the national news resource of record for historically black colleges and universities. The three-day event engages the national HBCU community in media literacy and development and provides best practices in media culture building for HBCU communities from around the nation.

Former AD, coach weigh in on FAMU athletic cuts

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  Florida A&M University Athletic Director Kellen Winslow is facing tough times that call for making difficult decisions in reducing costs in the department, a former FAMU football coach and athletic director said Monday.

But, at the same time, former Athletic Director Ken Riley and former head football coach Joe Taylor weren't sure that the recent firing of an assistant football coach and the suspension of two sports will make much of a dent in the $7-million deficit that Winslow must address.

"It's tough times and I do think some changes are going to have to be made," said Riley, who coached the Rattlers football team from 1986 to 1993 and later was athletic director from 1994 to 2003, during a telephone interview with the Democrat.

"Some people are going to have to make sacrifices and then you've going to have to evaluate all the way to the top. You're going to have to make some bold moves but you kind of have to do it slowly.

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Former Hylton hoops standout chooses Alabama State

BEL AIR, Maryland  --  Chidozie Omile, a 2012 Hylton High School graduate, has committed to Division I Alabama State for men's basketball.

Omile played this season for Harford Community College (Md).  He was an all-Maryland JUCO Honorable Mention selection after averaging 20.9 points along with 5.9 rebounds a game.
                                                       
Omile scored 40 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in Harford's regular-season opener.

The 6-foot-5, 220-pound guard/forward spent his freshman year at Division II Lander University where he averaged 4.0 points and 1.8 rebounds a game in 25 games.

Alabama State, which plays in the SWAC, went 19-13 this season and lost in the first round of the CIT.

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SU Director of Bands Lawrence Jackson takes final bows on a 38-year musical career

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- Drawers are empty and memories are sealed in boxes.

The Southern University Human Jukebox Marching Band’s performance in last year’s Super Bowl? A photo is somewhere in the stack, as well as photos of Director of Bands Lawrence Jackson with late director and mentor Isaac Greggs, who recommended Jackson for the job.

Now it’s time for Jackson to say goodbye. After 38 years of band directing, eight of them as Southern’s director of bands, Jackson, 60, will officially retire on July 1.

Jackson removes yet another stack of folders from his desk drawer in his office in the Tourgee A. DeBose Music Building on campus. All are a part of his record at the university, where Jackson was able to achieve so much with so little.

His retirement, he says to set the record straight, wasn’t based on how much he was getting paid or how much was allotted to the band in the university budget.

CONTINUE READING 

The Struggles of Historically Black Colleges and Universities: What must they do to survive?

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY INCOMPARABLE MARCHING 100 BAND

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Elizabeth City State University faced a brief existential crisis last month when North Carolina lawmakers toyed with the idea of closing the historically black institution. The lawmakers backed off, but the episode was just one in a series of challenges facing the country’s 40 public historically black four-year colleges and universities.

Enrollment declines, cuts to government financial aid, leadership controversies and heightened oversight are working together to threaten some HBCUs in new ways and perhaps even jeopardize their existence, according to people who study, work with, and have led HBCUs. Some private black colleges, like other tuition-dependent private institutions, are also struggling, but public HBCUs are being tugged at by a variety of forces, old and new.

Some of the problems are, of course, historic. Public black colleges were created as part of segregated higher education systems, were starved for resources for much of their history, and generally lack the academic facilities, faculty salary pools, and other features found at top public universities. In an era when state leaders are talking about degree completion and speeding up graduation times, many public HBCUs remain proud of historic missions that include taking chances on students who went to poor high schools and who may face long odds.

When Tiffany Jones, an analyst at the Southern Education Foundation, visited one public HBCU to talk about the effects of performance funding on the university, officials there told her that it was “because of race that they were being targeted by the state system of higher education and their history of limited resources had provided them with limited ammunition to fight back.”

CONTINUE READING

Southern awaits fate from NCAA

PHOTO COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- All Southern University can do now is wait to hear its fate from the NCAA.

Jaguars officials appeared before the NCAA Committee on Academic Performance on Wednesday in Indianapolis, making a case to have lifted a ban on all its teams from competing in the NCAA postseason.

The hearing ended at mid-day and it’s unclear just how long it will be before a decision is made. Southern Athletic Director William Broussard texted that he and the Jaguars’ eight-person delegation to the hearing “are embargoed (from commenting) for 21 days or until a decision is rendered.”

He directed all questions to NCAA spokesperson Michelle Hosick, who wouldn’t speculate on when a decision would be forthcoming. On Tuesday, Hosick responded to an email by saying APR data for all Southern teams will be made public “later this summer.”

CONTINUE READING

Delaware Lawmakers Honor DSU Softball, Baseball Teams

DOVER, Delaware  --  The successful 2014 Delaware State University softball and baseball seasons were applauded by state lawmakers during Wednesday’s General Assembly session at Legislative Hall.

The Hornet softball and baseball teams were presented resolutions in the House of Representatives and State Senate in honor of winning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Northern Division championships this season.

The resolutions were sponsored by Representative Donald Blakey and Senator Brian Bushweller in their respective chambers.

The DSU softball team was 35-17 overall (15-3 MEAC) and finished third in the MEAC Tournament during the 2014 season. Head coach Janice Savage was named MEAC Coach-of-the-Year, while outfielder Nicole Gazzola (so.), catcher Sandy Hawthorne (so.)  and outfielder Jessica Madrid (so.) were selected to the All-MEAC First Team. In addition, pitcher Tara Tursellino (fr.) was named MEAC Rookie-of-the-Year and to the All-MEAC Second Team.

The Hornet baseball team captured its third straight MEAC North title this season with a 17-7 league record (30-16 overall).

Four players - outfielder Aarron Nardone (sr.), catcher Mike Alexander (sr.), shortstop DJ Miller (sr.); and pitcher Matt McClain - were named to the 2014 All-MEAC First Team.

Delaware State was tops among all NCAA Division I baseball teams in batting average (.336) and on-base percentage (.435) during the 2014 season.  





COURTESY DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Former Bison Nicholas Askew Hired As Swimming & Diving Coach

PHOTO COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

WASHINGTON, D.C.  -- Howard University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Louis "Skip" Perkins has tabbed former Bison dual-sport star Nicholas Askew ('01) to be the next Head Coach of the school's Swimming & Diving programs.

Askew, a native of Kinston, NC, was a member of the Howard Swimming & Diving and Tennis teams from 1996-2001. He served as a team captain on the swim team, set several records  and was named team Most Valuable Player four times – three in swimming and one in tennis. He graduated from Howard with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology

This will be Askew's third role in his Howard career, having also served as an assistant under current tennis head coach Larry Strickland.

"We are glad to welcome Coach Askew back to Howard and to have him take over our Swimming & Diving program here at Howard," said Perkins. "Nic has a passion for the school, first-hand knowledge of the program and the coaching background necessary to help make our student-athletes successful."

Nic is married to the former Christie Davis and the couple resides in Washington, DC.

Q&A WITH COACH NIC

What made you want to pursue the head coach position here at Howard?
NA: The same reasons I chose to attend Howard as a student-athlete. Howard is among the few HBCUs that have a swimming & diving program, all while providing superior educational opportunities.  As a student-athlete, I recognized that I was a part of a rich legacy and now I have the privilege to coach and mentor a new line of student-athletes to continue the growth of that legacy. I knew I could not pass up that opportunity then or now.

What is your vision for the program and our student-athletes moving forward?
NA: Our program can be a strong competitor in our conference and beyond.  Each student-athlete will have the opportunity to give their best and be a part of the history of those that came before them.  We currently have some excellent swimmers who are proud to represent Howard.  Moving forward we will need to improve our depth, individual, and team performances.

What do you bring to the program that will make it successful?
NA: I've been "in their fins", so to speak.  I know what it's like to train, compete, and be successful. It's not complicated, but it does require hard work, dedication, and sacrifice.  My deep respect not only for the University and the Swimming and Diving program but also for each student-athlete will undoubtedly result in many successes to come.

Any other comments you'd like to share with the Howard community?
NA: I consider it an honor to be back at "The Mecca".  I am eager to work with our student-athletes and help them achieve great heights in and out of the pool.  I am also excited to reengage our alumni in the support of our program. With their additional help, Howard Swimming and Diving can be stronger than ever before.

COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS