Bethune-Cookman receives permission to talk to Tennessee State head football coach

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman has received permission to talk to Tennessee State head football coach and former B-CU assistant Rod Reed about its vacant head coaching position, the Tennessean reported.

Reed told the Nashville newspaper that B-CU athletic director Lynn Thompson received permission from Tennessee State athletic director Teresa Phillips to talk to the Tigers’ coach. But Reed declined to say if he planned to speak to Thompson about the position.

Thompson told The News-Journal on Wednesday the Wildcats are “moving rapidly” to find a replacement for Brian Jenkins, who resigned Tuesday to take the head coaching job at Alabama State.

“Within the week, Bethune-Cookman will have a new head coach on board and working,” Thompson said.

Thompson said one of B-CU’s targets is a head coach at another school.

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Mike White introduced as Benedict football coach

COLUMBIA, South Carolina -- By Mike White’s estimate, he has been involved in Albany State athletics since he was a football player at the school in 1975, and his career as player, assistant and head coach spanned most of the next four decades.

That affiliation with the Golden Rams ended Thursday afternoon, when White was introduced as the next coach of the Benedict Tigers.

Speaking in the media area at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium, the former NFL defensive tackle and five-time SIAC coach of the year said he is intent on getting to work and changing the Tigers for the better.

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Muscatine graduate Brooks commits to North Carolina Central

MUSCATINE, Iowa -- Tyler Brooks had no shortage of choices to continue his college football career.

In the end, the Muscatine native and current Iowa Western Community College student chose something that felt like family.

Brooks, who graduated from Muscatine High School in 2013, signed a letter of intent Wednesday to play college football at North Carolina Central, a NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision school. He plans to transfer as early as January, pending the completion of his classes at Iowa Western.

Brooks also received offers from FCS schools Murray State and Bethune-Cookman, in addition to offers from Football Bowl Subdivision schools Louisiana-Monroe and Idaho, but verbally committed to the Eagles on Monday.

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Alcorn State offers scholarship to Pascagoula football player

PASCAGOULA, Mississippi  -- Pascagoula senior linebacker Randy Hogan recently received a scholarship offer from Alcorn State, his first from a four-year school.

Hogan had 90 tackles this season as part of a talented Panthers defense that featured a pair of FBS commitments - defensive tackle Jauan Collins (Southern Miss) and defensive end Keith Joseph Jr. (Mississippi State).

Hogan already had three scholarship offers from Pearl River Community College, Jones Junior College and Southwest CC, but it was a relief to get his first offer from a four-year school.

"It feels great," Hogan said. "Back at the beginning of the season, I had a couple of schools looking at me but they weren't sure how I would do against the pass. They knew I could stop the run. Now schools see I can defend the pass. I can be versatile on both sides of the ball (playing fullback also)."

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Lack of discipline main reason ASU didn't win SWAC under Barlow

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  --  One player is a three-year starter on the offensive line. The other had just three carries last season.

Seniors Damian Love and Rodney Cross are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to playing time, but both say the main reason the Hornets failed to win the SWAC under Reggie Barlow was lack of discipline.

The two believe new head coach Brian Jenkins can bring that ingredient to the Hornets and win a conference title.

"It's really discipline and that's what Coach Jenkins said in his speech," said Love, a Stanhope Elmore graduate who was a 2014 first-team All-SWAC selection. "He's going to bring discipline and we really need that. Once we have discipline, I feel like nobody in the conference, FBS, FCS level; they can't play with us."

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Lady Seahawks give Nuggets their 2nd straight defeat

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida -- Lakeisha Blanson made 4-of-4 free throws in the final seven seconds Thursday to help Northwood (Fla.) preserve a 67-64 women's basketball victory against NAIA No. 19 Xavier University of Louisiana in the Cruzin Classic.

Mallory Burton scored 20 points, Blanson 14, Emily May 11 and Stephanie Granada 10 for the Lady Seahawks (2-4), who never trailed in the final 36 minutes.

Whitney Gathright scored 20 points for the Gold Nuggets (7-6) -- who lost a close game to an NAIA Division II opponent for the second consecutive day in this event -- and Alesha Smith had 12. Vinnie Briggs and Ireyon Keith scored eight points apiece.

Northwood led for the final 16:54 after Granada made 1-of-2 free throws to break a tie at 33. Four times thereafter the Gold Nuggets cut the lead to one point, the last at 65-64 on two Gathright free throws with four seconds remaining.

Blanson made a pair of free throws with seven seconds to play and with three seconds remaining. Xavier missed three free throws in the final 39 seconds.

Xavier led for nearly two of the first four minutes, but never led again after Blanson's 3-pointer gave the Lady Seahawks a 9-7 lead at 16:06. Burton's basket at 10:40 increased the margin to 21-12, and Northwood led 32-27 at halftime.

Northwood shot 47.9 percent from the floor, the best this season by an XU opponent. The Gold Nuggets shot 35.6 percent.

Gatrhright made three of the Gold Nuggets' five 3-pointers and produced career highs of 11 free throws and 14 attempts. Briggs had a career-high-tying five steals. Briggs and Smith grabbed six rebounds apiece, with Smith reaching a career best. Amara Person-Hampton grabbed a career-high-tying five rebounds.

Xavier is 2-6 on the road this season. It was the Gold Nuggets' first-ever meeting with Northwood.

The Gold Nuggets will break for Christmas, then play LSU-Shreveport at 7 p.m. Dec. 29 in the Xavier Holiday Classic at the Convocation Center.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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Florida A&M's Townsend: No new coach by Friday

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- Nelson Townsend, Florida A&M’s interim athletic director, said although the search is going well, he will not name a new head football coach by Friday.

Townsend said Tuesday he wanted to name the Rattlers’ new head coach by Friday. Now he’s looking to hit a Christmas deadline, and said he’ll have candidates in after the weekend.

“We’re in a bit of a holding pattern,” he said.

“The search is moving along ...

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