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ASSISTANT COACH ANDREW BROWN WSSU RAMS MEN'S BASKETBALL
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina --
The Winston-Salem State University men's basketball program is proud to announce that Andrew Brown has joined the coaching staff for the 2015-16 season.
Andrew Brown joins the Rams coaching staff after spending three seasons as the head coach at St Andrew's University in Laurinburg, N.C. He comes to WSSU with a wealth of experience and will be a benefit for the program with his wealth of knowledge and sheer energy.
The Pontiac, Michigan native took over a program that was in transition into the NAIA in 2012 and has continued to build it up by incrementally increasing their win total every season during his time at the school. In the 14-15 season Brown lead the Knights to a 9-14 record and a 6-12 mark in the Appalachian Athletic Conference . St. Andrews's nine wins and six conference wins are the most for the program since 2011. In his first year in 2012, the Knights finished 2-25 overall and 1-15 in the AAC, and in year two they were 5-19 overall and 3-15 in conference. Two St. Andrews players who Brown assisted in the development into 2nd team All-Conference players were sophomore Guard Titus Gary from Fayetteville and senior Guard Aaron Smith from Raleigh. Brown served as an assistant coach for St Andrews in 11-12 season under former head coach and current ESPN 3 commentator Richie Schueler.
Brown gained valuable coaching experience at the D-I level while he was a Graduate Assistant Coach at Mercer University for two seasons (08-09 and 09-10) under Bob Hoffman. He was heavily involved with a variety of administrative duties within the program. He helped with community functions, severed as camp director for Mercer basketball camps, coordinated and participated in educational programs in the Bibb County School District. In addition he assisted with day-to-day office operations under the guidance of the director of basketball operations. In 2009-10 the Mercer Bears team advanced all the way to the title game of the Atlantic Sun Conference championships losing to eventual champion East Tennessee State. The team finished 16-17 overall and was 10-10 in the A-Sun. After the season Brown trained aspiring professional basketball players included three former Mercer Bears, Daniel Emerson (All-Atlantic Sun conference member), James Florence (Mercer's all-time leading scorer and current professional basketball player) and retired professional basketball player EJ Kusnyer (ranked second in the NCAA in 3pt Field Goals made in 2009-10).
In addition Brown was an assistant coach under John Meeks at Wallace Hanceville CC during the 10-11 season. Prior to coaching at Mercer, Brown aided the Bears of Mercer University (Macon, GA) on the court for three seasons by leading his team in scoring at 15.5ppg during his senior campaign. Brown played one season at Owens Community College (Toledo, OH); where he played an instrumental role in his team finishing with a overall record of 28-6 and ranked #4 in the Final poll of National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II.
Andrew Brown had a brief professional career when he played in Germany in the 2nd league division and when he toured overseas to the Czech Republic and Bulgaria with Athletes In Action in 2008.
Brown holds both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Education degree from Mercer University.
COURTESY WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
COACH LESLIE NOBLES BRONCOS FOOTBALL FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY
FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina --Fayetteville State University head football coach Lawrence Kershaw has appointed Leslie Nobles to serve as the running backs coach for the upcoming 2015 season. This will be Nobles second season on the Broncos’ football coaching staff. He joined the staff in 2014 as the volunteer assistant wide receivers coach.
Nobles immediately made his impact felt on the coaching staff last season. In his first season, Nobles’ efforts contributed to Fayetteville State reaching their second consecutive 5-2 record in the CIAA. The Broncos won five of their last six games and competed for the CIAA Southern Division title in the season finale.
Three Broncos’ receiver all reached season-highs for their career under Nobles’ tutelage in 2014. Rising senior Chris Hubert (Apex, NC) amassed 46 catches for 574 receiving yards and five touchdowns. In his senior season, Kasunn Williams (Rocky Mount, NC) recorded 483 receiving yards off a career-high 34 receptions and three TDs. Ricardo White (Monroe, NC) closed out his senior campaign with career-highs in receptions (37), receiving yards (473), and receiving touchdowns (5).
“This opportunity is a dream come true for me,” said Nobles. “Football has been a part of my life since the age of five. I knew when I left the army that coaching is my passion. Opportunities like these don’t come often and I appreciate Coach Kershaw giving me a chance to prove my worth.”
Nobles has aligned with the Broncos football program after spending over 14 years as a United States Army Officer. He brings experience as a leader, proven coach, instructor, and mentor of diverse and intellectually gifted student-athletes.
“I expect our running backs to be leaders for the team; on the field, in the classroom, and in the community,” continued Nobles. Nobles is a graduate of Alabama A&M University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education. He spent four seasons playing wide receiver at Alabama A&M for Coach Kenneth Pettiford. A native of Prichard, AL, Nobles attended Mattie T. Blount High; where he won a 5A State Championship as a captain for Hall of Fame Coach Ben Harris. Nobles obtained a master’s degree in Sports Management from American Military University. He is an active member of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Fellowship of Christians Athletes and St. Luke AME Church (Fayetteville, NC). Nobles’ is also a life member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated. He resides in Fayetteville with his wife, the former Joy Belle. The couple has two children, one daughter (Lauryn) and a son (Leslie Jacob).
“I expect our running backs to be leaders for the team; on the field, in the classroom, and in the community,” continued Nobles.
Nobles is a graduate of Alabama A&M University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education. He spent four seasons playing wide receiver at Alabama A&M for Coach Kenneth Pettiford. A native of Prichard, AL, Nobles attended Mattie T. Blount High; where he won a 5A State Championship as a captain for Hall of Fame Coach Ben Harris.
Nobles obtained a master’s degree in Sports Management from American Military University. He is an active member of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Fellowship of Christians Athletes and St. Luke AME Church (Fayetteville, NC). Nobles’ is also a life member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated.
He resides in Fayetteville with his wife, the former Joy Belle. The couple has two children, one daughter (Lauryn) and a son (Leslie Jacob).
COURTESY FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
DURHAM, North Carolina – Thirteen-year college football coach Carl Funderburk has joined the North Carolina Central University football staff as tight ends coach.
Funderburk replaces Mike McCarthly who accepted a position in the NFL on the Cleveland Browns coaching staff.
A native of Durham, North Carolina, Funderburk's last coaching stop was with the Fayetteville Force of the Southern Indoor Football League as offensive line and defensive line coach during the 2011 season.
He spent the 2010 season in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference as offensive line coach at Savannah State University, and the 2009 campaign as offensive line coach at Winston-Salem State University.
Funderburk coached seven years (2002-08) at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where he served as the offensive line coach and travel coordinator. During his tenure, the Monarchs posted their second-best campaign in program history with an overall record of 8-2 in 2005.
Prior to coaching at Methodist, he spent three seasons (1999-2001) at Bacone College in Muskogee, Oklahoma, where he served as the assistant head coach, special teams coordinator and offensive line coach.
His first college coaching job was working with the offensive line at Kemper Military Junior College in Booneville, Missouri in 1998.
A 1989 graduate of Elon University, Funderburk served his country in the United States Marine Corps as a Corporal and Squad Leader from 1980-1983.
He and his wife Eileen reside in Durham, North Carolina, and are the proud parents of a daughter, Ashley.
Carl Funderburk
At A Glance
Born: March 14, 1963 in Lantana, Florida
Hometown: Durham, North Carolina
Education: Elon University (1989)
Bachelor of Arts in History
Coaching Experience:
Fayetteville (N.C.) Force (Southern Indoor Football League), 2011 (1 season)
Offensive Line/Defensive Line Coach
Savannah State University, 2010 (1 season)
Offensive Line Coach
Winston Salem State University, 2009 (1 season)
Offensive Line Coach
Methodist University, 2002-2008 (7 seasons)
Offensive Line Coach
Bacone College, 1999-2001 (3 seasons)
Offensive Line Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach
Kemper Military Junior College, 1998 (1 season)
Offensive Line Coach
COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
ITTA BENA, Mississippi -- Elaine Derricott has joined the Department of Athletics as the Assistant Track and Field Coach.
Before coming to Mississippi Valley, Derricott served one year as a Graduate Assistant Coach at Eastern Kentucky University. Under her tutelage, she coached six All-Conference athletes and one conference champion in multi-events, jumps and hurdles.
Derricott hails from Richmond, Virginia, attended Radford University, where she became the first pentathlon champion in school history. Her freshman year was explosive; she set the indoor conference pentathlon record en route to be named "Freshman of the Year."
Derricott transferred to Marshall University, where she received her Bachelors Degree in Sports Management and Marketing in 2014. Prior to graduating, she became the first Outdoor Conference Champion in school history. She also received All-Conference honors 13 times; this includes seven top three finishes.
COURTESY MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
JACKSON, Mississippi -- The Jackson State University football team begins year two of the Harold Jackson era in Tigers football. While the Tigers finished with a disappointing 5-7 (3-6) record, JSU finished the 2014 season with a two game winning streak and bright spots on both sides of the ball to build on.
The Offense
Timmy Chang, JSU’s offensive coordinator, enters his second year at the helm of JSU’s fast break, run-and-shoot offense. In the first season running the offense scheme, JSU had moments where it looked like it would set records and other times the offense had struggled to stay on the field. The unit’s inconsistent play was due to a combination – inexperience in the system and injuries along the offensive line.
“It takes a couple years to learn this offense,” said Chang. “As the team got more and more comfortable with the system, we began to play better. We also went through a rough patch on the offensive line. Once those two areas – getting more comfortable in the system and consistency along the line – we played better and that could be seen with us winning the final two games of the season.”
Quarterbacks
Lamontiez Ivy (6-3, 215, Jr.) quietly posted one of the best passing seasons in JSU history. His 64.0 completion percentage not only led the SWAC but was also the best single season performance by a JSU signal caller. Ivy completed 270 of his 420 pass attempts for a league high 3,209 passing yards and 22 touchdowns. Only eight QBs in JSU history have thrown 20 or more touchdowns and only three have passed for 3,000 or more yards (the other two were Robert Kent and Casey Therriault). Following another solid spring, Ivy is poised to lead the Tigers offense into the 2015 season.
Should Ivy falter or go down with injury JSU coaches have two solid QB options in addition to Ivy. Returner Brent Lyles (6-2, 195, R-Fr.) and UNLV transfer Jarin Morikawa (6-0, 190, So.) will both compete for the starting job. Lyles sat out as a redshirt last season and Morikawa did not take the field for UNLV last season.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Jackson State quarterbacks will have a deep talent pool of pass catchers, with a good mix of possession receivers and speedsters who can take the top off of a defense. Daniel Williams (6-3, 200, Jr.) returns as one of the top receivers in FCS play. Last season he became only the seventh Tiger to record 1,000 or more pass receiving yards, while becoming one of the youngest in JSU history to do so - accomplishing the feat as a sophomore. He led the SWAC in receptions with 72 and was second in the league in receiving touchdowns (9) and third in receiving yards (1,004). Williams’ outstanding season saw him being selected as a nominee for the C Spire Conerly Trophy (best collegiate football player in Mississippi). Jairus Moll (5-9, 180, Sr.) finished 2014 as the second leading receiver as he caught 34 passes for 485 yards and six touchdowns. Devin Fosselman (5-11, 190, Sr.) caught 32 passes for 292 yards and a touchdown. DeSean McKenzie (6-3, 190, Sr.) caught 22 passes for 356 yards and three touchdowns. LaCorey Tucker (6-1, 185, Sr.) had 15 receptions for 157 yards and a touchdown. Tight ends Jabari Payton (6-5, 250, Sr.) and Tevin Garrett (6-4, 250, Jr.) also return from last year’s team. Payton caught 12 balls for 120 yards while Garrett saw limited action. Other receivers expected to make significant contributions include Romello Shumake (5-10, 170, So.), Will Golston (6-2, 190, Jr.), Carzell Vickers (6-4, 185, Jr.) and Shaquille Ward (6-3, 185, So.).
Running backs/Full backs
JSU will have a good group in its backfield. Jarius Moore (5-11, 205, Jr.) and Robert Johnson, IV (6-0, 225, So.) return as the leading rushers for the Tigers. Moore rushed for 380 yards and three touchdowns on 77 carries and Johnson had 304 yards and a touchdown on 64 attempts. Each player has the size and speed to run between the tackles to pick up tough yards, or bounce it to the outside and go the distance. Both players are also solid pass catching options out of the backfield. Moore caught 12 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown and Johnson caught 12 passes for 112 yards. This duo should be a potent one-two punch for the Tigers. Rashard Frye (5-9, 175, Fr.) - a quick, shifty speedster, Derrick Wilkerson (5-9, 200, Fr.) – a hard runner with speed, and Alexander Montgomery (5-10, 190, Jr.) – a veteran who can pick up tough yards, all add talent and depth to the JSU back field. Derrian Johnson (5-11, 220, Jr.) who has been utilized as a blocking back will look to get more carries this season. Last season he caught two passes for seven yards.
Offensive Line
The offensive line will be a key piece of the puzzle for the Tigers. Markus Cook (6-3, 285, Jr.), Christian Marshall (6-5, 290, Jr.) and Marcus Murphy (6-4, 305, Jr.) all will compete for starting jobs this season. Newcomers Vincent Hunter (6-4, 325, Jr.), Alem Amores (6-2, 290, Jr.), Zechariah Ray (6-7, 325, Jr.) and Kenneth Taylor (6-4, 335, Jr.) will all add depth to the unit.
Defense
Alonzo Lee, a veteran head coach and defensive coordinator, will lead the JSU defense in 2015. The Tigers will play a 4-3 base defense under Lee. Over his coaching career, Lee consistently produced quality defenses.
Defensive Line
A lack of depth along the defensive line was a weakness for the Tigers last season. Head coach Harold Jackson and his staff addressed that need – bolstering the unit with size and talent. Two of JSU’s more talented and experienced defenders – Teddrick Terrell (6-3, 225, Sr.) and Javancy Jones (6-2, 225, Jr.) return to the defensive line, after playing linebacker in JSU’s 3-4 defense last season. Jones finished last season as the team’s leading tackler with 107 total tackles. He also led the team in tackles for loss (18 for 68 yards) to go along with three sacks, a pass deflection, four QB hurries and a forced fumble. Terrell finished with 27 tackles, three tackles for loss, two pass break ups and a forced fumble. Cornelius Henderson (6-3, 305, Jr.) emerged as a solid run stopper last season as he finished with 50 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. Keontre Anderson (6-4, 230, So.) had a stellar freshman campaign last season. He finished with 36 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, a pass deflection and a forced fumble. Coleman Johnson (6-2, 290, Jr.) missed all of last season due to injuries and the JSU coaching staff is looking for him to return to his 2013 form when he emerged as an outstanding defensive tackle. Frank Carter (6-3, 330, So.) and Lavaka Maile (6-5, 270, Sr.) are two other returners who will look to make significant contributions.
Transfers Vallemond German (6-3, 255, Jr.), Yacoub Hammoudeh (6-5, 300, Jr.), Demaris Peppers (6-3, 387, So.), James Reid (6-3, 280, Jr.), Nijee Smith (6-3, 225, Jr.) and Brandon Wright (6-2, 326, Jr.) will all look to make significant contributions.
Linebackers
The linebackers will be led by Stacy Nobles (6-0, 230, Jr.) and Kwame Bowens (6-0, 220, Jr.). Nobles was the fourth leading tackler on the team with 65. He also had 5.5 tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries. Bowens saw action in seven games and recorded 35 tackles. Shawn Bishop (6-0, 235, So.) Jonathan Burnett (6-4, 220, So.) and Andre’ Lloyd (6-3, 210, So.) all look to have breakout seasons. Other key contributors should include Terry Harper (5-10, 210, So.), Tre Jester (5-11, 211, Jr.), Justin Morgan (6-4, 235, Jr.), Rodney Shorter, II (6-1, 230, So.) and Hector Stanback (6-0, 190, So.).
Secondary
JSU will have a solid secondary in 2015. The unit will be led by Robert Porter (6-0, 188, Sr.) and Brandon Smith (6-1, 200, Sr.) are projected to help lead the unit. Last season Porter recorded 61 tackles and a team high eight pass breakups to go along with an interception (TD). Smith posted 46 tackles, an interception and three pass breakups. Joshua Edet (6-0, 180, Sr.), Jamal Hawkins (6-0, 185, So.), Preston Hughes (6-0, 190, Jr.), Justin Jemison (6-3, 190, Jr.) and Demory Monroe (5-11, 180, So.) will all look to make significant contributions. Transfer Zavian Bingham (5-10, 190, Jr.) will also look to make an impact in the JSU secondary.
Special Teams
The special teams unit will be rock solid once again in 2015. Ryan Deising (5-8, 170, Sr.) returns as one of the best place kickers in the SWAC. Last season he was a perfect 32-32 in PAT kicks and went 18-23 in field goal attempts. Darcy Williamson (5-11, 180, Jr.) is one of the top punters in the SWAC. Last season he recorded 2,274 yards on 57 punts, for a 39.9 yards/punt average. He had five touchbacks, eight fair catches and landed 15 inside the 20-yard line. Christian Jacquemin (5-11, 190, RFr.) did not play last season but has a strong leg. Moll, Frye and Canard Brown (5-11, 180, Jr.) will serve as the main return men for the Tigers.
Schedule
JSU (5-7, 3-6 SWAC) opens the season with three straight road games. The Tigers travel to Murfreesboro, Tenn. to take on Middle Tennessee State from Conference USA on Sept. 5. The following week, JSU travels to Memphis, Tenn. to square off against non-conference rival Tennessee State in the Southern Heritage Classic. On Sept. 19 JSU travels to Baton Rouge, La. to face Southern before a two game home stand.
The Tigers will host Texas Southern for the W.C. Gorden Classic in their home opener on Sept 26. On Oct. 3 JSU will host Grambling State for a second consecutive season. Following their first open week of the season, the Tigers will head to Huntsville, Ala. to face Alabama A&M on Oct. 17.
On Oct. 24 JSU squares off against Arkansas Pine Bluff for the homecoming football game. The following week JSU travels to Itta Bena, Miss. to face Mississippi Valley State. The Tigers welcome Alabama State to Jackson on Nov. 7. JSU’s final open week is set for Nov. 14 and on Nov. 21 JSU travels to Prairie View, Tex. to face Prairie View AA&M. The regular season ends on Nov. 28 when the Alcorn State returns to Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.
COURTESY JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
CENTRAL ISLIP, New York -- East Coast Conference Commissioner, Dr. Robert Dranoff, announced today the addition of women's bowling as the league's 18th championship sport. The ECC will become the seventh NCAA conference to sponsor women's bowling and the second comprised of only Division II institutions.
Six schools will join the conference and compete in the inaugural 2015-16 season. Full-time ECC members, Daemen College (Amherst, N.Y.) and Molloy College (Rockville Centre, N.Y.), will be joined by four associate members, Adelphi University (Garden City, N.Y.), Cheyney University (Cheyney, Pa.), Franklin Pierce University (Rindge, N.H.), and Kutztown University (Kutztown, Pa.).
Adelphi and Kutztown were previously associate members of the Northeast Conference, while Cheyney and Franklin Pierce competed as independents. Daemen and Molloy will field a team for the first time in school history in 2015-16.
"The ECC is excited to be working with these schools and this new conference sport," said Dranoff. "We look forward to having an opportunity to help grow intercollegiate bowling and to create a positive conference championship experience for the women who participate."
The NCAA has sponsored women's bowling as a sport since 2004. Unlike other NCAA sponsored sports, institutions from Division I, II, and III compete together to determine a National Champion.
The ECC is working on plans for a post-season conference championship in March and will have weekly and postseason awards beginning in the Fall of 2015. More information will be available on www.eccsports.org in the coming weeks.
About the ECC
Founded as the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference in 1989 and rechristened the East Coast Conference in July 2006, the ECC was formed to enhance intercollegiate athletic competition among member institutions and to assist them in integrating athletics into their academic program in a fiscally sound way. The ECC is committed to the highest standards of scholarship, sportsmanship, teamwork, and citizenship. Its mission is to promote the total person concept in its student-athletes, which stresses the abilities to excel in academic achievement, athletic competition, and positive character traits. East Coast Conference members include: University of Bridgeport (Bridgeport, Conn.); University of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.); Daemen College (Amherst, N.Y.); Dowling College (Oakdale, N.Y.); LIU Post (Brookville, N.Y.); Mercy College (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.); Molloy College (Rockville Centre, N.Y.); New York Institute of Technology (Old Westbury, N.Y.); Queens College (Flushing, N.Y.); Roberts Wesleyan College (Rochester, N.Y.) and St. Thomas Aquinas College (Sparkill, N.Y.). Associate Members include: Chestnut Hill College (Philadelphia, Pa.), Cheyney University (Cheyney, Pa.), Dominican College (Orangeburg, N.Y.), Franklin Pierce University (Rindge, N.H.), Georgian Court University (Lakewood, N.J.) and Kutztown University.
The ECC sponsors the following championship sports: baseball; men's and women's basketball; women's bowling; men's & women's cross country; men's and women's lacrosse; softball; men's and women's tennis; men's and women's indoor track and field; men's and women's outdoor track and field; men's and women's soccer; and women's volleyball.
The East Coast Conference is a proud member of the NCAA and Division II. Division II is a dynamic and engaging group of colleges, institutions and conferences of varying sizes and educational missions. Division II members encourage and support diversity; value sportsmanship, fairness and equity; and place the highest priority on the overall educational excellence of the student-athlete.
GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- To pay or not to pay — that is the question.
The Power Five college conferences will start to offer full cost-of-attendance athletics scholarships this fall, but other schools also are facing a dilemma on providing extra money to their athletes. Figures vary, but the cost runs from $1,500 to $6,000 per scholarship per school year.
So far, many schools below the Power Five are not biting. There are a bevy of reasons, but one is significant: They don’t know where they’d get the money.
“It makes no sense to me to get into that kind of game,” MEAC commissioner Dennis Thomas said. “It’s just not prudent from my perspective.”
The schools of the MEAC and the Southern Conference, which contain N.C. A&T and UNC-Greensboro, respectively, have no plans to provide full cost of attendance anytime soon.
JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri – Head coach John Moseley announced that five players have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Lincoln men's basketball team in 2015-16.
O'Shai Clark (Topeka, Kan./Mid-America Nazarene) and Jaylon Smith (Memphis, Tenn./Southwestern Community College) will both join the Blue Tigers as juniors with two seasons of eligibility. Chase Morfeld (St. Charles, Mo./St. Charles), Darrius Spencer (Memphis, Tenn./Cordova) and Deionte Wilson (Kansas City, Mo./Park Hill) will each enter as freshmen with four years of eligibility.
"We're excited that these guys have decided to join us as we continue to build the Blue Tiger program," head coach John Moseley said. "We've focused our recruiting efforts on young men that are committed to getting their college degree, they must love to compete, and they must enjoy being in the gym. This group understands the challenge that we face in the MIAA and we'll add a few more pieces this summer to help us as we move forward."
Clark appeared in 26 games for Mid-America Nazarene last season, helping the Pioneers to a 10-8 conference record and a berth in the Heart of America Athletic Conference tournament. Prior to joining Mid-America Nazarene, Clark earned all-freshman honors at Dodge City Community College and was a two-time high school defensive player of the year at Highland Park High.
During Clark's senior season, he led the Scots to an undefeated conference record and helped Highland Park finish as the state Class 4A runner-up. Clark was a Kansas Honor Scholar and was named to the Basketball Recruiting Class of 2013 Honor Roll.
"O'shai is an outstanding defender and has a toughness about himself that we appreciate in our program," Moseley said. "His maturity level, on and off the court, will be a big plus for us as we add younger players to our roster."
Smith averaged 17.3 points and 4.1 rebounds at Southwestern Community College last year, earning first team all-region honors in the process. Smith started 32 games, leading the Spartans to a 23-10 record and a berth in the Region XI semifinals. Smith previously earned all-conference and all-district honors at Sheffield High.
"Jaylon has proven that he can score the basketball at a high level," Moseley said. "He has the ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter but is also willing to attack the rim. He's shown a willingness to rebound the basketball that often goes unnoticed."
Morfeld averaged 15 points and five assists per game while leading St. Charles to the 2015 Class 4 Missouri State Championship. Morfeld scored 20 points in the title game, capping off a senior season in which he earned first team all-conference, all-district and all-state honors. A three-time all-conference and all-district honoree at St. Charles, Morfeld scored over 1,000 points in his high school career and finished as the program's all-time leader in assists and sixth on the all-time points chart.
"Chase had a terrific senior year, culminating with a state championship," Moseley said. "He's a leader that doesn't get caught up in statistics but does whatever he can to help his team win. He's a pass-first point guard that's capable of scoring the ball. His IQ for the game allows him to see things before they develop."
Spencer led Cordova High to 18 wins and a district tournament championship as a senior. Spencer averaged 12 points and six rebounds, and appeared in every game, helping the team advance to the regional semifinals.
"Darrius is an athletic wing that played in a 'platoon' system in high school," Moseley said. "He's a strong, physical player that's most comfortable attacking the basket, but he's also a threat from the perimeter. His length and athleticism should allow him to be a very good defender."
Wilson earned first team all-conference and all-district honors as a junior and was a second team all-conference selection as a senior at Park Hill High. Wilson led Park Hill to a 21-6 record as a senior, averaging 13.5 points per game while shooting .360 from beyond the arc. Wilson was named to the Basehor Linwood and Blue Springs South All-Tournament teams, earning tourney MVP honors for the latter, and was also selected as a William Jewell Holiday Classic All-Star.
"Deionte was the first one in this class to commit to Lincoln," Moseley said. "He's played with really good players at Park Hill and he's proven that he belongs in that same category. He's an athletic off-guard that can score in bunches."
By Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations COURTESY LINCOLN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
ASSISTANT COACH JESSICA KERN FURMAN UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
GREENVILLE, South Carolina -- Furman head women's basketball coach Jackie Carson today announced that Jessica Kern has joined the Paladin staff as an assistant coach.
Kern, who served as head coach at NCAA Division II Lincoln (Pa.) University the last four years, succeeds Julia Huddleston, who recently accepted the head coaching job at Lynn (Fla.) University.
"We're excited to add Jessica to our staff and a coach of her caliber at this point in the year," said Carson in making the announcement. "She knows what it takes to win and will help further develop our winning culture here at Furman. We look forward to her assisting us in helping develop and lead our student-athletes."
Kern is coming off a 2014-15 season that saw her capture Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Coach of the Year honors after leading her squad to a 22-9 record and a share of the CIAA Northern Division title. The 22 wins marked a school record and carried Lincoln to a SSICA KECIAA Tournament championship game appearance, where the Lady Lions fell to Virginia State.
Two years ago she helped guide Lincoln to the program's first win over a Division I opponent, a 94-86 triumph over Morgan State, and later directed her squad from a 16-point second half deficit to beat Winston-Salem State, 64-62, in CIAA Tournament action.
Taking over a Lincoln program in 2011 that had won just three games the previous season, she coached the Lady Lions to seven victories in her first year, 10 triumphs the following year, and to a 12-16 season in 2013-14 before posting the 22-9 mark last season.
Before accepting the head coaching position at Lincoln, she served as an assistant coach and media specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee of Horizon League for the 2010-11 campaign, immediately following a two-year stint (2008-10) as an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Kern attended Penn State University, where she served as a basketball team captain for two years and twice earned All-Big 10 and Academic All-Big honors while also competing in track & field. After graduating in 2002 with a degree in journalism, she began a successful seven-year professional basketball career that would take her to Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Romania, and Poland.
In the off-seasons from 2002-2007 she returned home to Milwaukee, Wisc., to teach at various Milwaukee High Schools and assisted girls basketball and track & field teams. In addition, she established several basketball camps for under-serviced neighborhoods.
In the summer of 2007 she was appointed head coach of the Arkansas Lady Ballers in the Women's Blue Chip Basketball League, a 20-team national semi-pro league. Her up-tempo style helped propel the Ballers to a victory over the Canadian national team, regional championship, and national title.
Kern enjoyed one of the most successful prep careers in Milwaukee City Conference history, earning a combined 11 lettters in basketball, volleyball, and track & field at Washington High School while serving as team captain in each sport for multiple seasons. In basketball she played in four state Final Fours and won a pair of state championships. She claimed 11 individual conference championships in track & field and was a three-time all-conference performance in volleyball
She has a son, Bobby Lee Collins, Jr.
COURTESY FURMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- On Tuesday the OVC announced the first game of the league's eight-game football "Game of the Week" package that will be carried exclusively on ESPN3 this fall.
The first game in the package will feature a match-up between Tennessee State and Jacksonville State on Sept. 19. Kick-off is set for 1 p.m. at Burgess-Snow Field in Jacksonville, Ala.
The first four game matchups will be announced over the next two days via OVC social media outlets as well as OVCSports.com. Two games will be announced each day via the league's Twitter (www.Twitter.com/OVCSports) and Facebook (www.Facebook.com/OVCSports).
The final four games of the package (to be played on October 31, November 7, November 14 and November 21) will be "Wildcard" selections which will be announced roughly 12 days before the contest.
This marks the third-straight season the league has produced the Game of the Week package in conjunction with WebStream Sports.
WebStream Sports, an Indianapolis-based company which is a proven leader in video production, streaming video and content creation. The company, founded in 2006, produces more than 1,000 events annually and has also served as a web streaming consultant for the OVC for the past three years.
Kevin Ingram, host of "The Wake Up Zone" on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville, will handle play-by-play duties while Bob Belvin, on-air talent and contributor at 100.7 FM/AM 540 (ESPN Clarksville), will provide analysis. The duo has worked together each of the past three years in the league's TV package.
The OVC Football Game of the Week package is part of an overall multiyear agreement with ESPN which was announced in October 2013.
ESPN3 is ESPN's live multi-screen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The network is currently available to more than 99 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. The network is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.
All other Conference football games and non-conference home contests (approximately 36 games) will be available on the OVC Digital Network, the League's web streaming platform that produces high-definition webcasts that are available at no cost on any computer, tablet or smart phone.
GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- The 2015 Louisiana Legislature did something that can help Grambling State University, which has been struggling with declining enrollment.
Two new laws, sponsored by Rep. Patrick Jefferson and Sen. Rick Gallot Jr., are aimed at helping increase enrollment at historically black colleges and universities in Louisiana by reducing out-of-state tuition and allowing students to take remedial courses.
“We did a lot of things during this first rendition of the legislative session, none more significant than the possibility of enabling more students to attend Grambling State University, which is awe inspiring,” Jefferson said. “The hope is it will help us to compete with our peer institutions, and it will allow Grambling to do what it has done since the beginning, which is to educate our students.”
HB 129, which goes into effect Aug. 1, will reduce undergraduate tuition and fees for out-of-state students who want to attend Louisiana’s HBCUs, making it easier for these students to afford a four-year university outside of their home state.
Henry has decided to move on after two years and accept the position of Recruiting Coordinator/Assistant Coach at Prairie View A&M University.
“We thank Coach Henry for her time here and wish her much success in the future,” said Director of Athletics Joshua W. Murfree, Jr.
Henry’s record over two seasons was 22-35 and 16-17 in SIAC (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) action. The Lady Wildcats finished with a 9-20 overall record in 2014-15 and went 7-10 in conference play.
COURTESY FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
WALTER STEWART Defensive Ends Coach Florida A&M University Rattlers Alma Mater: Cincinnati '12
Former Cincinnati DL Walter Stewart has join Alex Wood staff as defensive ends coach. Stewart served 2-years as a defensive graduate assistant under Coach Butch Jones at the University of Tennessee.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- It's been a busy summer for first-year Florida A&M head football coach Alex Wood, and he said academics has been the main focus for the team since the end of spring football.
"We just need our guys to do well in the classroom this summer," he said. "There's still a lot of development that needs to happen, but right now we're focused on finishing strong academically in summer school."
Wood – who will return to Tallahassee July 13 — said the academic focus is what the team needs to battle NCAA sanctions due to low APR scores. FAMU football is ineligible for the postseason for the second year in a row, and the team can't hold full spring practices until the sanctions are lifted.
Fall football practice starts Aug. 3 for the Rattlers.
"I knew APR scores were looming and I knew that would be a problem coming in," Wood said.
The Morgan State University graduate was the first African-American men's basketball coach in Atlantic Coast Conference history when Maryland hired him in 1986. Over his tenure at Baltimore’s Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, Wade’s teams won 91.9 percent of its games.
BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Having left an immeasurable mark on high school sports in the area, Bob Wade has retired as Baltimore City Public School System coordinator of athletics..
Wade, 70, began his tenure in 1996, bringing leadership, discipline and success to Baltimore City's athletic program, which had joined the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association three years prior.
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"I feel extremely fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work with all the student-athletes and coaches involved with Baltimore City public schools and also work hand in hand with the MPSSAA," Wade said. "I feel very good that during my tenure we made giant steps toward respectability as far as the state association and we gained a tremendous amount of credibility. I think we've come a long way. I'm happy to see the number of student-athletes being given athletic scholarships to further their education and academic scholarships as well."
In addition to strengthening Baltimore's ties with the MPSSAA, Wade was pivotal in adding softball, girls tennis and badminton programs during his watch to assure compliance with Title IX.
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas -- The Arkansas-Pine Bluff football team is coming back to Little Rock.
At least for one day.
A group of UAPB officials that included Chancellor Laurence B. Alexander, Athletic Director Lonza Hardy and Coach Monte Coleman visited Little Rock on Wednesday to promote the school's football game this fall at War Memorial Stadium.
UAPB will host defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Alcorn State on Oct. 3 in its first visit to War Memorial Stadium since 2012.
"It's been a long time coming," Hardy said. "We didn't just want to play a game, we wanted to play a marquee game. We believe there is no better marquee matchup than the Golden Lions playing against the defending champions of the Southwestern Athletic Conference."
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- Football stars aren't usually found in the offseason.
Stillman College coach Teddy Keaton believes he has found one, and he isn't even on the Tigers' roster.
Former University of Alabama linebacker
Alex Watkins is making a difference at Stillman as the strength and conditioning coach. He was hired a little less than a year ago.
Watkins, from Brownsville, Tenn., was a senior on UA's 2011 national championship team.
“This is his first offseason with our kids,” Keaton said. “You can see a big difference. I saw a big difference during the season with their bodies changing. The things he learned at Alabama, he brought to Stillman.”
Those things aren't just about getting bigger and stronger. Stillman emphasized bulk in the past, but Watkins is working to increase athleticism.
HAMPTON, Virginia -- Hampton basketball senior point guard and 2015 Mid Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player, Deron Powers, has decided to transfer.
"Honestly, I want to play for a better program," Powers, a Williamsburg, Va. native, told The Daily Press of Hampton. "I'm definitely up for anything, and it doesn't have to be at the highest level. There are a lot of good programs I wouldn't mind going to, but I am looking for a higher profile team that needs a point guard."
Powers, considered one of the best point guards in the MEAC and a third team all-conference selection, averaged 10.1 points, 29th best in the conference and fourth best on the Pirates squad, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists, fifth in the league. A former MEAC rookie of the year, Powers played three years for Hampton and is fifth on the school's all-time assist list.
The decision is odd considering that he led the Pirates, a fifth seed, to the MEAC tournament title and then guided them to a win over Manhattan in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Hampton lost to top seed Kentucky in the second round. All three games were nationally televised. Powers joins a list of MEAC standouts who have decided to transfer following the 2014-15 season.
ST. LOUIS, Missouri -- Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) is pleased to announce Hana Haden as its head women’s basketball coach. Haden, 23, comes to Harris-Stowe after serving as an assistant coach at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) during the 2014-15 season. During that season, Haden helped lead the Tritons to an overall record of 14-14; (10-3 home record and 9-9 conference record).
“After a national search of very qualified candidates, Coach Haden emerged as the best fit for our women’s basketball program. I am positive that she will excel here at Harris-Stowe,” said Jamaal Mayo, athletic director, Harris-Stowe State University. “Coach Haden has connections in St. Louis and across the country and I look forward to her attracting quality young women to Harris-Stowe and developing those ladies into champions on and off the basketball court.”
Haden is a 2014 graduate of Western Carolina University, where she earned her bachelor's degree in Communications and served as a team captain for the Catamount women’s basketball team. As a senior she led the team in scoring once and scored in double figures five times; averaging 4.5 points per game and tied in assists with 32.
“I look forward to leading our young ladies on the court, as well as being an inspiration in helping them achieve the ultimate goal of a four year degree.” Haden said. “I see many great things in the future and couldn't be more excited to join the Hornet family during this new era for Harris-Stowe athletics.”
Prior to graduating from Western Carolina, Haden attended the University of Missouri-St. Louis and spent one season at Mineral Area Junior College, where she was named Honorable Mention All-Region. Originally from Springfield, Mo., Haden attended high school at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va.
COURTESY HARRIS-STOWE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
ST. LOUIS, Missouri -- Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) has hired Alfred Williams as its head coach of the Hornet's men's basketball program, the school announced today.
Williams, 31, has served on head coach Dannton Jackson's staff at his alma mater Xavier University of Louisiana for the past six seasons (2009-15). During Williams' tenure as an assistant coach, the Gold Rush were 139-55 with three consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championships (2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14) and five consecutive appearances at the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championships (2011-15).
"We're thrilled to welcome Coach Williams to St. Louis and into the Harris-Stowe State University family," said Harris-Stowe Director of Athletics Jamaal Mayo. "He comes from incredible basketball pedigree and will be an outstanding leader for our men's basketball program and a phenomenal mentor for our student-athletes."
As a player for the Gold Rush, Williams is one of three players in Xavier's storied basketball history to achieve the 800 points, 500 rebounds and 150 assists milestone his career.
"I believe we have a great opportunity to do some amazing things at Harris-Stowe and we'll be working hard to get a little better every day," said Williams. "I look forward to sharing my passion for the game and bringing a thrilling and fun style of basketball to Hornet Nation, exciting the student-body and the entire St. Louis community."
Williams is a native of Greenville, S.C. and a 2008 graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. After graduation, Williams returned to South Carolina to work with his brother Eric Williams. Eric is the founder and CEO of Fundamentals IV Success, Inc., a non-profit community agency that offers educational, personal and athletic assistance to basketball student-athletes.
Williams' other brother, Shammond was a four-year letterman at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and helped lead the Tar Heels to three NCAA Final Four appearances. Shammond went on to play 13 years professionally, which includes seven in the NBA. Currently Shammond is coaching college basketball in New Orleans as an assistant at Tulane.
COURTESY HARRIS-STOWE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
NATCHITOCHES, Louisiana — Otis Washington deflected praise Saturday during his Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame acceptance speech.
"It was never, ever, ever about me," said Washington, a 1961 Xavier University of Louisiana graduate and a Selma, Ala., native. "I just went along for the ride. And boy, what a ride."
Washington coached St. Augustine High School of New Orleans to Class 4A state football championships in 1975, 1978 and 1979 and a 4A runner-up berth in 1971. He left St. Aug after the 1979 season and was an assistant coach at LSU for one season, then head coach at Southern University from 1981-86. He also was an assistant coach at Tulane and director of the New Orleans Police Athletic League.
"Otis Washington brought discipline, character, excellence and leadership to St. Aug's football program," said former St. Aug athletics director Emmett Moten, Washington's presenter. "And he brought a can-do, never-say-can't attitude."
Washington thanked many who helped him achieve the honor, including his wife of 48 years, Linda, also an XU graduate.
"She has endured untold numbers of Sunday film sessions at our home and many evenings alone as I prepared for each week's upcoming game," Washington said. "She has endured taunts and barbs from boorish fans and through it all remains my greatest support, my rock. She has served as a surrogate mother to literally dozens of young men. I can't imagine having accomplished any of this without her. I could not possibly end without thanking her."
Washington, who starred in football and baseball as a Xavier student, also is a member of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Hall of Fame (inducted 1994), the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame (2012) and the New Orleans High School Sports Hall of Fame.
Also inducted Saturday were football's Leonard Smith, Kevin Faulk, Jake Delhomme and Pat Collins, softball's Yvette Girouard, horse racing's Frank Brothers and and basketball's Avery Johnson, a St. Aug graduate. A sellout crowd of 831 was in attendance for dinner and inductions at the Natchitoches Events Center. There are nearly 400 members in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, including recipients of the Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award and the Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism. The first induction class was in 1959.
"There's not a nicer, classier guy in this room tonight than Otis Washington," Collins said.
HEAD COACH ALFRED WILLIAMS MEN'S BASKETBALL HARRIS-STOWE STATE UNIVERSITY
NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana, an educator of future college head coaches for nearly 70 years, added another to its list Wednesday when Harris-Stowe State University hired Alfred Williams to lead its men's basketball program.
Williams, 31, was a Xavier men's basketball assistant coach the past six seasons (2009-15) and served a vital role in one of the most successful periods in Gold Rush history. Williams also played three seasons for the Gold Rush (2004-05, 2006-07 and 2007-08).
Harris-Stowe is in St. Louis and a member of the NAIA Division I American Midwest Conference. Like Xavier, it is a historically black university.
"I am definitely looking forward to the opportunity and the challenge," said Williams, whose final day at Xavier was June 22. "I have spent 10 years (at Xavier) with coach (Dannton) Jackson. I have seen just about everything I could see and learn from him. The amount of preparation we did with coach Jackson will help me at Harris-Stowe. I give thanks to the Xavier family for all the support I got here."
Williams succeeds Phillip Hunt, who coached the Hornets for six seasons. Harris-Stowe was 6-24 overall this past season and 5-17 (tied for 10th place) in the American Midwest.
"I'm going to take what I learned here at Xavier and take it to Harris-Stowe with a new energy, a new mentality," Williams said. "We'll be working hard at it every day."
During Williams' tenure as an assistant coach, the Gold Rush were 139-55 with three consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championships (2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14) and a school-record five consecutive appearances at the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship (2011-15). Xavier's 121 victories from 2010-11 through 2014-15 are the second-winningest five years in the program history, topped only by the Gold Rush's 126 victories from 1936-37 through 1940-41.
"I am proud of Alfred," said Jackson, who has a Gold Rush-record 273 victories in 12 seasons. "Harris-Stowe is getting a very good basketball coach and a very good young man who will care for the university and take care of their student-athletes. From a leadership standpoint, he is prepared."
As a 6-foot-4 forward he averaged 8.4 points and 5.8 rebounds in 97 career games and helped Xavier earn a share of the 2006-07 GCAC regular-season championship and qualify for the NAIA national tourney in 2005, 2007 and 2008. He was All-GCAC his senior year when he averaged 11.4 points and a team-leading seven rebounds per game.
Williams is one of three Gold Rush players with 800 points, 500 rebounds and 150 assists in a career. Williams shot 41.1 percent from 3-point range in his career to rank fourth in Xavier history. His blocked shot and ensuing tiebreaking basket with seven seconds remaining lifted Xavier to an 82-79 victory over third-seeded Georgetown (Ky.) in the opening round of the 2007 NAIA nationals at Kansas City, Mo. — the first opening-round victory for the Rush since 1973.
After receiving his bachelor of science degree from Xavier in 2008 and before returning to the university, Williams worked in his native Greenville, S.C., with his brother Eric for Fundamentals 4 Success, a non-profit community agency which offers educational, personal and athletic assistance to basketball student-athletes.
Another brother, Shammond Williams, is the University of North Carolina's career leader in 3-point field goals made and is second in career free-throw percentage. Shammond played 13 years professionally — seven in the NBA — and coaches college basketball in New Orleans, too. Shammond in 2014-15 completed his second season as an assistant at Tulane.
Xavier was 24-10 in 2014-15, finished second in the GCAC regular season and tournament and ranked 21st in the postseason poll. The Gold Rush have the NAIA's longest active streak of top-25 appearances, 50.
Xavier hopes to replace Williams as soon as possible. "There are enormous shoes to be filled here," Jackson said, "but we are really happy for Alfred."
Xavier's legacy of educating head coaches dates to the 1940s, when Leonidas Epps joined Clark College of Atlanta and eventually won SIAC men's championships in football, basketball, golf and track and field. Other college head coaches Xavier produced include Marino Casem, Doug Porter and Otis Washington — all football hall-of-famers — and Jackson, Dale Valdery and Bernard Griffith in basketball. Former Jackson players now coaching include Landon Bussie at Prairie View A&M (women's basketball assistant) and Shaun Dumas (boys basketball head coach) at Crescent City Christian High School in Metairie, La. Ryan DeRousselle, Nick Haywood and Devin Andrew were Gold Rush assistants this past season. In addition, John Ashaolu is director of athletics and student programs at Community College of Beaver County in Monaca, Pa.
XU assistants under Jackson still coaching include Kim Lewis, entering his fifth season as an assistant at the University of Richmond, and Jason Flanigan, entering his 11th season as head coach at Holmes Community College in Goodman, Mississippi.
THE SECRET GAME
Scott Ellsworth
ISBN: 9780316244619
ISBN-10: 0316244619
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Publication Date: March 10th, 2015
Pages: 400
Amazon Books: Kindle: $12.99; Hardcover: $19.47; Audible: $20.95 or Free
Coach John B. McLendon North Carolina Central University (Photo Courtesy: NCCU Eagles Athletics)
DURHAM, North Carolina -- At 11 a.m. on a Sunday in March of 1944, two of the best college basketball teams in the United States did something unthinkable.
They played each other.
No cameras, no cheerleaders, no screaming fans greeted the players as they took position on the court. In fact, the gym had been locked in an effort to keep spectators out. The reason for the secrecy was simple. The Duke Medical School team was white. The North Carolina College (North Carolina Central University, today) team was black. And in 1944, the color line in Durham, N.C., ran right through the basketball court. Crossing that line was not just an act of defiance — it was against the law.
This extraordinary contest — one of the first times in basketball history that a black team squared off against a white team at the college level — constitutes the focal point of Scott Ellsworth's compelling history, "The Secret Game: A Wartime Story of Courage, Change, and Basketball's Lost Triumph." But the book is about far more than a single game. It's about the evolution of a sport, the tortured legacy of race and repression, and about how basketball, which for decades had served as an instrument to defend segregation, became a tool to undermine it.
Ellsworth, a former Portland resident, combines an irresistible narrative with outsized characters, particularly the North Carolina Central coach, John McLendon, who came of age in the Great Depression, as basketball fever was sweeping across the Midwest. Too poor to afford a ball, McLendon and his friends tossed rocks and socks through a playground hoop. His stepmother forbid him to have anything to do with the game unless he read the bible for an hour every day and swore off coffee, soda, snuff, cigarettes, and alcohol.
LYNN W. THOMPSON VICE PRESIDENT FOR INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS Photo Courtesy: Bethune-Cookman University Athletics
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman University Director of Athletics Lynn W. Thompson has been elevated to the position of Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics, announced Tuesday, June 30, by B-CU President Dr. Edison O. Jackson. Thompson’s duties as Vice President will begin July 1, and he will continue to lead the 17-sport Division I program.
Thompson, a native of Daytona Beach, Florida and 1980 graduate of Bethune-Cookman College, has served as Director of Athletics at Bethune-Cookman since 1991, recently completing his 24th year at the helm in Daytona Beach. Currently, B-CU has a total of 17 intercollegiate sports, all of them competing on the Division I level of athletics.
“We are so proud of the accomplishments of Wildcats Athletics under the direction of Lynn W. Thompson,” said Dr. Jackson. “Under his leadership, Bethune-Cookman Athletics has become a championship program across the board with impressive academic performances of the student-athletes, conference championships and NCAA postseason bids in several of our sports. More importantly, his integrity, leadership and creative vision for branding Wildcats Athletics has opened doors for the entire university, and we are pleased to have him join the senior leadership and university cabinet as we further the mission of our institution.”
During Thompson’s tenure at Bethune-Cookman, he has served in several Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) leadership roles. On the national level, he became the first African-American to chair the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee, and also served as a member of the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee, the NCAA I-AA Football (now Football Championship Subdivision) Committee and the NCAA Football Issues Committees. Thompson has vast experience in creating policy for intercollegiate athletics on a national level. He has also served as chairman of the MEAC Basketball and Baseball Tournaments, and has been selected five times as an NCAA Peer Reviewer for the athletics certification process.
“Thompson is known across the nation as an outstanding athletic administrator who is highly respected and sought after,” continued Dr. Jackson. “We are extremely happy to have him remain as the leader of our program for years to come.”
During his tenure overseeing a sports program that is known throughout the nation, Thompson has directed the Wildcats to a total of 64 championships, beginning with 44 MEAC championships, including a dynasty of 12 baseball titles in the past 15 years; a run of five consecutive softball titles from 2000-2004 – as well as three addition consecutive titles from 2010-12. B-CU Football has won a total of six MEAC titles, including at least a share of the last three consecutive from 2012-14.
“I am humbled by the opportunity to join with Dr. Jackson and his cabinet to push forward the agenda of Bethune-Cookman University,” commented Thompson. “Dr. Jackson clearly understands the impact that a successful athletic program can have on the entire university, and I look forward to assisting in implementing his vision.”
B-CU’s golf programs for women and men have won a total of 20 PGA National Minority Golf Championship (13 women, 7 men) titles, featuring an international roster from all around the world. The men’s program won the inaugural 2014 MEAC Golf Championship, earning the school’s first-ever team bid to the NCAA Regionals in Raleigh, North Carolina. B-CU track & field has trained an indoor/outdoor NCAA hurdling champion, and were represented by the Wildcats’ first ever Olympian in the 2012 London Olympic Games. In 2015, B-CU Men’s Track & Field swept the indoor and outdoor MEAC crowns, while defending the outdoor title from a season ago.
Away from the athletic fields, Thompson is heavily involved in the B-CU Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), where his office is constantly open for prayer and consultation with all students. He served as a staff pastor at Calvary Christian Center in Ormond Beach, Florida, for over 10 years in addition to leading the men’s ministry.
A veteran television and radio producer and personality, Thomp
son has utilized his experience in the media with the development of B-CU’s CatEye Network which produces and distributes programs on television, live streaming of Wildcats athletic events, and he also serves as executive producer of the various B-CU coach’s television shows and the CatEye Radio Network. In addition to his duties as Director of Athletics, he was recently named as chair of the advisory committee for the university’s acquisition and management team of WELE 1380 The Cat radio station located in Ormond Beach, Florida.
