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BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Monte Coleman was reminded during an interview Friday that he is now the dean of Southwestern Athletic Conference football coaches.
Coleman has been at Arkansas-Pine Bluff since 2003 and has served as its head coach since 2008, making him the longest-tenured head coach in a conference that regularly sees changes among its leaders.
"That's a hard pill," said Coleman, noting that UAPB has won one SWAC title in his seven seasons. "When I came in my first year as head coach, I'm expecting to win the SWAC [the first year]."
Coleman won the conference title in 2012 -- the school's first outright conference title -- but the Golden Lions aren't expected to deliver another this season.
A poll of league coaches and sports information directors picked UAPB to finish ...
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Six Jackson State football players earned All-SWAC honors at the end of the 2014 season, and the Tigers will begin the 2015 season with the same amount of honorees as six players garnered spots on the 2015 Preseason All-SWAC team.
Offensive lineman Markus Cook, wide receiver Daniel Williams and kicker Ryan Deising were named first-team all conference, while LaMontiez Ivy was named second-team All-SWAC.
No JSU defensive players were put on the first team, but defensive end Javancy Jones was and defensive back Robert Porter were put on the second team.
Jason Perry Murray COURTESY GENESEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE ATHLETICS
BATAVIA, New York -- Jason Perry Murray recently signed a Letter of Intent to join the Fisk University Bulldogs (Nashville, Tenn.) men's basketball program beginning this fall.
The 6' 9 center from Harlem set the school record for career blocks with 117, topping the previous mark by eight. Perry Murray started in 36 out of the 49 career games he played at GCC and averaged 7.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
Fisk is a Division I Independent and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The Bulldogs are coached by Larry Glover.
Jason Perry Murray
The Murray File:
Height: 6'9"
Hometown: Harlem, NY
High School: Believe Academy
2014-2015: Recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in win against Columbus State Community College ... Had 10 points at home against St. John Fisher College (JV) ... Scored a career/season-high 18 points and had 15 rebounds and four blocks in road win at Elmira College (JV) ... Finished with 13 points in win against Cuyahoga Community College ... Collected 12 rebounds and scored 10 points to help beat the Community College of Rhode Island ... Grabbed 19 rebounds and scored nine points in win against Columbus State Community College ... Was named the Cougar Holiday Class Tournament MVP ... Just missed a triple-double, scoring 12 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking nine shots in win against the College of Southern Maryland ... Finished the first semester with a double-double (14 points and 13 rebounds) against Planet Athlete Academy.
2013-2014: Scored two points in first career game at Genesee in win vs. Jefferson Community College ... Made first career start and scored two points vs. St. John Fisher JV ... Collected 10 rebounds and scored eight points in win vs. Houghton College JV ... Recorded first career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds in road win vs. Lakeland Community College ... Grabbed eight rebounds and scored four points in win over Davis College ... Came off the bench to grab four rebounds and score two points in win vs. Community College of Rhode Island ... Collected nine rebounds and scored eight points in win over Cayuga Community College ... Scored 13 points and grabbed eight boards on the road at Niagara County Community College ... Recorded eight points and five blocks at Monroe Community College ... Played 42 minutes and scored 11 points in overtime game vs. Erie Community College ... Had 10 points and nine rebounds in win over Jamestown Community College ... Scored 13 points on 6-7 shooting and collected nine boards vs. Herkimer County Community College ... Was 6-6 from the field and 2-2 from the free-throw line, scoring 14 points in road win at Mercyhurst North East ... Recorded 10 points and seven rebounds at Jamestown Community College ... Scored 12 points and grabbed 10 boards in Region III Opening-round vs. Jamestown Community College ... Put together second straight double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds in Region III Semi-finals vs. Erie Community College.
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State University sophomore bowler Marcela Sánchez will represent El Salvador, her home country, in the 2015 Pan American Games. The Pan Am Games are the world’s third largest international multi-sport Games; they are only surpassed in size and scope by the Olympic Summer Games and the Asian Games. This year’s games are held in Toronto, Canada on July 10-26. The bowling portion will begin on July 22.
Sánchez sat down with JSUTIGERS.com to discuss the upcoming competition.
Q: How does it feel to be selected to represent your country in the Pan Am games?
A: It means the world to me. Being able to represent my country El Salvador in a tournament of this magnitude, puts a lot of responsibility on me. But it is a responsibility that I’m proud to take.
Q: When did you first find out that you had been selected?
A: I bowled the tryouts two months ago and after bowling 35 games on different lane conditions I placed second.
Q: What about this opportunity most excites you?
A: I'm excited about the event in general. This is a really big tournament where I'll (face) the top bowlers of all America, including bowlers who currently are participating in professional leagues. So besides taking this challenge, it is also an honor to be competing against all these people.
Q: How do you plan on representing Jackson State while competing?
A: Unfortunately I'm not allowed to use other (apparel) than the El Salvador's official uniform at a tournament of this magnitude and formality. Everything will resume when people ask me about the changes I've had since I have improved a lot in the last year thanks to the weekly practices and Coach Boykins.
Q: What does such an accomplishment mean to you and the rest of your JSU bowling family?
A: I have participated on international tournaments before but this is a very important one so it pushes me further on my bowling career. I have no doubt it will give me more experience and maturity which I expect to sow in the JSU bowling family in the future.
Q: What does bowling 300 game during practice before such an event do for your confidence?
A: The 300 game was completely unexpected but really satisfactory. I believe it is an achievment every bowler is constantly trying to reach. I don't want to be overconfident because I know that was just a game but I showed myself what I'm capable to do.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish during the Pan Am Games?
A: My main goal is to classify individually in the first 20 positions. I'm really looking forward to win a medal in doubles with my teammate. Even though it's a really tough competition I believe I have to set myself high goals in order to obtain the best results.
COURTESY JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Seven Southern Jaguars earned 2015 Preseason All Southwestern Athletic Conference honors Friday as the league unveiled its preseason teams and predicted order of finish at the 2015 SWAC Media Day held at the Birmingham Marriot.
Members of the 2015 All-SWAC teams were selected by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors. Fifty-one players were named to this year’s preseason teams as a result of receiving 2014 All SWAC honors. In the event that a player was named to the first team during the post season, and does not return, the second team player for that position was elevated to the first team. Players were ranked in their position based on the number of votes received.
Running back and Baton Rouge native Lenard Tillery, along with wide receiver Willie Quinn and sophomore defensive back Danny Johnson received First Team All-SWAC honors after landing a spot on last season's team. Offensive lineman Anthony Mosley, who was named to the 2013 All-SWAC second team, earned Southern's final spot on the first team.
Senior defensive lineman Gabe Echols returns to the 2015 All-SWAC second team and is joined by newcomers center Terrell Lee and safety and Evangel Christian product Dionte McDuffy. Quinn earned a spot on the All-SWAC second team as a return specialist for the second consecutive year.
After earning First Team All SWAC and being named conference player of the year at the end of last season, Alcorn State quarterback John Gibbs was voted on as the SWAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. For the second straight year, Alabama State linebacker Kourtney Berry was tabbed as SWAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Gibbs led the Braves to an eastern division title and the team’s first berth to the conference championship game. He completed 169-of-294 passes for a total of 2,482 yards and 21 touchdowns. Gibbs also ran for a career-high 1,006 yards on the ground and another 12 scores last season.
Gibbs, a Houston, Texas native, is joined on the preseason first-team offense with running back Johnta’ Hebert (Praire View), wide receivers Daniel Williams (Jackson State), tight end Jordan Payne (Alcorn State), along with offensive linemen Marcus Cook (Jackson State), Damian Love (Alabama State), Glen Haisley (Prairie View) and Jylan Ware (Alabama State).
Berry led the SWAC in total tackles during his first two years grabbing over 100 tackles, including a SWAC-high 128 last season. He is a two-time First Team All-SWAC performer and has been named to several pre-and post-season honors
Others to join Berry include: defensive linemen Anthony Lanier (Alabama A&M), Darien Moody (Alcorn State), Demarcus Berry (Arkansas Pine Bluff), and Devohn Reed (Prairie View), linebackers Damon Watkins (Alcorn State), Willie Duncan Arkansas Pine Bluff), with defensive backs, Damond Jackson (Prairie View), Warren Gatewood (Alcorn State) and Kevin Rucker (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) rounding out the voting.
On special teams, kicker Ryan Deising (Jackson State), punter Kory Carter (Texas Southern) and return specialist Johnta’ Hebert (Prairie View) were all tabbed as first team selections.
For the predicted order of finish in both divisions, the defending champion Alcorn State Braves totaled 95 votes including 10 first place votes to become the preseason favorite out of the East Division. Jackson State followed with 83 points, Alabama A&M gathered 66 points, with Alabama State (50) and Mississippi Valley State (31) closing the division’s preseason ranking.
In the West Division, Grambling State totaled 93 points with eight first-place votes. Southern received 91 points followed by Prairie View (72), Texas Southern (40) and Arkansas Pine Bluff (34).
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: John Gibbs Jr. (QB) – Alcorn State
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Kourtney Berry (LB) - Alabama State
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Grambling was picked to finish last in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Western Division a year ago.
But at SWAC Media Day on Friday, the Tigers were picked first in the West.
The preseason predictions don’t mean a whole lot, but they are the latest example of how far Grambling’s football program has come in one year since coach Broderick Fobbs was hired in the wake of a disastrous 2013 season.
The Tigers went 1-11 that season while enduring two in-season coaching changes and a players boycott of one game. But last season, they and Southern both sported 7-1 conference records going into the Bayou Classic, where the Jaguars prevailed 52-45 to win the West
The preseason vote Friday was about as close as last season’s regular-season finale. Grambling received 93 points and Southern 91.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Alabama A&M coach James Spady sarcastically thanked his athletic director for scheduling an early-season game with Cincinnati. But the Bulldogs aren’t the only school playing up this season. Southern has games at Louisiana Tech and Georgia, Alcorn State travels to Georgia Tech and Grambling goes all the way out west for a game at California, a reprise of its globetrotting ways under Eddie Robinson.
2. FROM WORST TO PREDICTED FIRST
Two years ago, Grambling’s football program was in utter disarray, from the firing of then-coach Doug Williams to players boycotting the interim coach and their dilapidated facilities. Two years later, Grambling was the choice Friday to finish first in the SWAC West by a narrow vote over two-time division champion Southern. Even for a program with as rich a history as Grambling, it’s a remarkable story.
Charlotte, North Carolina (7/14/15) – Former Johnson C. Smith University standout Danielle Williams took gold in the women's 100 meter hurdles while current athlete Tovea Jenkins placed fifth in the 400m run at competition at the World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea.
Jenkins, a native of St. James, Jamaica, qualified for the finals by posting a time of 53.92 in the preliminary races. She would then run a 53.43 in the semifinals to finish in fifth place. Justine Palframan of South Africa won gold with a 51.27 with Poland's Malgorzata Holub taking silver (51.93) and China's Huizhen Yang claiming bronze (51.98).
Williams, a 2014 JCSU graduate, advanced to the finals after a time of 13.08 in the preliminary race. She would then claim the gold medal for Jamaica with a 12.78 in the finals. Joining Williams on the medal stand were Russia's Nina Morozova (12.83) with the silver medal and Australia's Michelle Jenneke (12.94) with bronze.
Williams will continue her season, competing at the IAAF World Championships on August 22-30 in Beijing, China.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The Southwestern Athletic Conference released its 2015 SWAC Preseason Teams with quarterback John Gibbs Jr. (Alcorn State), and linebacker Kourtney Berry (Alabama State) headlining the annual announcement.
It was released during the 2015 SWAC Football Media Day after ballots were completed by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors. Fifty-one players were named to this year’s preseason teams as a result of receiving 2014 All SWAC honors. In the event that a player was named to the first team during the post season, and does not return, the second team player for that position was elevated to the first team. Players were ranked in their position based on the number of votes received.
After earning First Team All SWAC and being named conference player of the year at the end of last season, Gibbs was voted on as the SWAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. For the second straight year, Berry was tabbed as SWAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Gibbs led the Braves to an eastern division title and the team’s first berth to the conference championship game. He completed 169-of-294 passes for a total of 2,482 yards and 21 touchdowns. Gibbs also ran for a career-high 1,006 yards on the ground and another 12 scores last season.
Gibbs, a Houston, Texas native, is joined on the preseason first-team offense with running backs Lenard Tillery (Southern) and Johnta’ Hebert (Praire View), wide receivers Daniel Williams (Jackson State) and Willie Quinn (Southern), tight end Jordan Payne (Alcorn State), along with offensive linemen Marcus Cook (Jackson State), Damian Love (Alabama State), Glen Haisley (Prairie View), Anthony Mosley (Southern) and Jylan Ware (Alabama State).
Berry led the SWAC in total tackles during his first two years grabbing over 100 tackles, including a SWAC-high 128 last season. He is a two-time First Team All-SWAC performer and has been named to several pre-and post-season honors
Others to join Berry include: defensive linemen Anthony Lanier (Alabama A&M), Darien Moody (Alcorn State), Demarcus Berry (Arkansas Pine Bluff), and Devohn Reed (Prairie View), linebackers Damon Watkins (Alcorn State), Willie Duncan Arkansas Pine Bluff), with defensive backs Danny Johnson (Southern), Damond Jackson (Prairie View), Warren Gatewood (Alcorn State) and Kevin Rucker (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) rounding out the voting.
For special teams, kicker Ryan Deising (Jackson State), punter Cory Carter (Texas Southern) and return specialist Johnta’ Hebert (Prairie View) were all tabbed as first team selections.
For the predicted order of finish in both divisions, the defending champion Alcorn State Braves totaled 95 votes including 10 first place votes to become the preseason favorite out of the East Division. Jackson State followed with 83 points, Alabama A&M gathered 66 points, with Alabama State (50) and Mississippi Valley State (31) closing the division’s preseason ranking.
In the West Division, Grambling State totaled 93 points with eight first-place votes. Southern received 91 points followed by Prairie View (72), Texas Southern (40) and Arkansas Pine Bluff (34).
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: John Gibbs Jr. (QB) – Alcorn State Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Kourtney Berry (LB) - Alabama State
2015 Preseason All SWAC Football Team First Team All SWAC Offense
QB – John Gibbs Jr
Alcorn State
RB – Lenard Tillery
Southern
RB – Johnta’ Hebert
Prairie View
OL – Marcus Cook
Jackson State
OL - Damian Love
Alabama State
OL – Glen Haisley
Prairie View
OL - Anthony Mosley
Southern
OL – Jylan Ware
Alabama State
WR – Daniel Williams
Jackson State
WR – Willie Quinn
Southern
TE – Jordan Payne
Alcorn State
First Team All SWAC Defense
DL - Anthony Lanier
Alabama A&M
DL – Darien Moody
Alcorn State
DL – Demarcus Berry
Arkansas Pine Bluff
DL – Devohn Reed
Prairie View
LB – Damon Watkins
Alcorn State
LB – Willie Duncan
Arkansas Pine Bluff
LB – Kourtney Berry
Alabama State
DB – Danny Johnson
Southern
DB – Damond Jackson
Prairie View
DB - Warren Gatewood
Alcorn State
DB- Kevin Rucker
Arkansas Pine Bluff
SPECIAL TEAMS – FIRST TEAM
Kicker Ryan Deising –Jackson State
Punter Cory Carter – Texas Southern
Return Specialist Johnta’ Hebert -Prairie View Second Team All SWAC Offense
QB – Johnathan Williams
Grambling State
QB – La Montiez Ivy
Jackson State
RB – Brian Handley
Arkansas Pine Bluff
RB – Arron Baker
Alcorn State
OL – Sean Brown
Mississippi Valley State
OL- Terrell Lee
Southern
OL – Jordan Johnson
Prairie View
OL – Glenn Jackson
Texas Southern
OL - Courtney Brown
Alabama A&M
WR – DeMario Bell
Alabama State
WR – Willie Young
Arkansas Pine Bluff
TE – Natron Brooks
Mississippi Valley State
Second Team All SWAC Defense
DL – Javonte Williams
Grambling State
DL – Jamison Goins
Grambling State
DL – Amir Bloom
Texas Southern
DL – Gabe Echols
Southern
LB – Daerius Washington
Alabama State
LB – Henry Taylor
Grambling State
LB – Javancy Jones
Jackson State
DB – Anthony Williams Jr.
Alcorn State
DB – Robert Porter
Jackson State
DB – Dionte McDuffy
Southern
DB – Charles Moore
Mississippi Valley State
SPECIAL TEAMS – SECOND TEAM
Kicker – Haiden McCraney – Alcorn State
Punter - Haiden McCraney – Alcorn State
Return Specialist Willie Quinn – Southern 2015 Predicted Order of Finish
EAST
Alcorn State 95
Jackson State 83
Alabama A&M 66
Alabama State 50
Mississippi Valley State 31
West
Grambling State 93
Southern 91
Prairie View 72
Texas Southern 40
Arkansas Pine Bluff 34
CANTON, Ohio -- Former WVSU football standout Talir Satterfield-Rowe and his Team USA teammates will be playing for the gold Saturday night in the championship game of the International Federation of American Football World Championship being held in Canton, Ohio.
Satterfield-Rowe rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown in Wednesday night's win over France. Team USA previously defeated Japan and Mexico to earn a spot in the 7 p.m. Saturday title game which will be telecast live on ESPN 3.
Also representing the Yellow Jackets with Team USA is WVSU assistant coach Isaiah Jackson who is serving as linebackers coach during the event.
Former Boise State and Colorado Head Coach Dan Hawkins leads the team.
"It's been awesome," Jackson said. "I've learned a lot from him, not just football but organizationally."
He says running backs coach Darian Hagan, a two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up, has been very happy with Satterfield-Rowe.
"He's doing a great job," Jackson said. "He's right in there alongside the other running backs."
The other three backs hail from Texas Tech, Mississippi State, and Iowa State.
Most of the squad is composed of players who just graduated from college or have been out a year or two and are looking to sign a free agent deal with an NFL team or elsewhere and continue playing.
"There's a few guys that are a little older," Jackson said. "It's unbelievable the talent here."
This is the second time he has worked with the international game. Jackson spent a couple of weeks in France two years ago coahing the national team's defensive line.
Working with Coach Hawkins and tthe rest of the staff was easier than usual this time around.
"Our whole defensive staff is made up of guys I either coached or coached with," Jackson said, at Sioux Falls.
The Team USA defense has allowed just 24 points in three games.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The intimacy of SWAC Media Day does not allow for distance to smooth out any awkwardness, which is why Jackson State's Harold Jackson and Mississippi Valley State's Rick Comegy spent 35 minutes Friday sitting next to each other on a stage inside a Marriott banquet room.
Their respective schools' tables were also placed caddy-corner to each other, which meant the two could have watched the other talk about the Tigers and Delta Devils all morning long. They were fine, shaking hands and appearing to be at least cordial. But it's still a bit odd since we're only into Year 2 of this weirdness, in which Jackson State fired Comegy, hired Jackson and then watched as the perennially-struggling Valley program brought Comegy to Itta Bena.
It was a heck of a hire: Comegy had a 55-35 record in eight years at Jackson State, winning four West division championships and the entire SWAC in 2007. And while MVSU won only two games in 2014, one of them was against Jackson State. Jackson said he believes JSU fans are not ...
W. FRANKLIN EVANS, Ph.D. Interim President SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- Following several hours in closed session on Thursday, South Carolina State University board Chair Charlie Way announced that Dr. W. Franklin Evans is being promoted from acting president to interim president.
The board did not vote in open session but Way announced that “as of today, the board has declared that Dr. Evans is no longer acting president, but is now the interim president of South Carolina State University.”
Way said the board made the decision in closed session.
“The only thing that occurred in executive session was discussion, but the only action that was taken – that took place in the executive session – was that we as the board have nowWW decided to elevate Dr. Evans from acting president to interim president of South Carolina State University,” he said.
Bill Rogers, executive director of the S.C. Press Association, said that under the S.C. Freedom of Information Act, such decisions must be made in open session.
HEMPSTEAD, Texas — A trooper who pulled over and later arrested a woman found dead in her jail cell was put on desk duty Friday for violating procedures, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
Sandra Bland, 28, was arrested July 10, and after spending the weekend in the Waller County jail, she was found hanged in her cell Monday. Harris County's medical examiner said the death was a suicide, but Bland's family disputes the finding.
The FBI has joined the Texas Rangers in investigating the circumstances surrounding her death.
In arresting Bland, the unidentified trooper "violated the department's procedures regarding traffic stops and the department's courtesy policy," state public safety officials said Friday.
Bland had been pulled over in Prairie View, Texas, and previously state public safety officials had said she became argumentative and uncooperative so she was arrested on a charge of assaulting a public servant.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Alabama State interim athletic director Melvin Hines looked to clear the swirling air of speculation Friday about the school's football program.
At SWAC Media Day, Hines said the ASU football team is not under NCAA investigation.
"What's the date," Hines said while looking at his watch. "July 17th, 12:16 p.m., at this time, Alabama State football program is not under NCAA investigation."
Last week, the Montgomery Advertiser reported two ASU officials revealed under oath in depositions as part of former football coach Reggie Barlow's wrong termination lawsuit against ASU said the football program was under investigation for NCAA violations.
The Houston native led the Braves to an eastern division title and the team's first championship in the divisonal era. Gibbs is also joined by Tightend Jordan Payne, Defensive linemen Darien Moody, Linebacker Damon Watkins, and Defensive Back Warren Gatewood all earned spots on the 2015 SWAC Preseason first team.
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Alcorn State added three more on the Second Team All SWAC. Running Back Arron Baker, Defensive Back Anthony William Jr., and Haiden McCraney was named to both second team punter and kicker.
ASU received 10 first place votes and a total of 95 points to become the preseason favorite of the Eastern Divison. Jackson State followed with 83 points, AAMU 66 points, Alabama State (50), MVSU (31) to close out the Eastern Division preseason rankings. In the Western Division GSU are preseason favorites, they garnered 8 first place votes and 93 points, followed by Southern (91), PVAMU (72), TSU (40), and UAPB (34).
COURTESY ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- One of Milton Overton Jr.’s first moves as Florida A&M’s new athletic director will be to implement software he hopes will help get FAMU’s student-athletes on the right track.
GradesFirst, part of the nationwide Education Advisory Board, monitors the progress of student-athletes and provides updates to both professors and the athletic department. Many schools use the software to improve university-wide retention rates.
Overton said he plans to implement the system before the first day of school.
It’s the same software Florida State has used since 2011 to monitor its student-athletes, according to FSU officials.
Mario Moore, the managing director for GradesFirst, said the software first became available in 2006.
“We help the majority of Division I athletic departments with their academic services,” Moore said.
ATLANTA, Georgia - Multiple sources tell us that a former Jackson State University football player is at the center of a tragic case out of Georgia.
Sources say that the girlfriend of Buster Barnett, kidnapped his wife, shot and killed her, then committed suicide Thursday.
Barnett is originally from Macon, MS and played college football at JSU before going to the NFL and playing for the Buffalo Bills for 4 years. We're told his wife, 58-year-old Sandra Barnett, is originally from Mississippi, also.
According to NBC affiliate in Atlanta, WXIA, it all began Wednesday afternoon when neighbors of the Barnetts said they spotted a black Dodge Durango outside of the home. The neighbors became suspicious because a lock had recently been placed on the gate to the backyard after believing that someone had tampered with the latch.
In order for a team to make the All-Academic squad, each player’s G.P.A. is factored in and must average at least 3.5 (4.0 scale) or above. The Rattler squad met that criteria and was selected an ITA All-Academic squad.
The individual players had to have an average of 3.5 (4.0 scale). Carlos Augustin Waitman, Courage Okungbowa, Jason Ulacio, Joel Ovonlen-Jones and Karlyn Small all made the All-Academic squad as individuals.
Head coach, Carl Goodman, Ph.D, takes pride in the academic success of his student-athletes. No slouch himself, he is an Assistant Dean in the FAMU School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. In addition, he was named FAMU’s Advanced Teacher of the Year for 2014-2015. He hold no lesser academic expectations of his teams, but is especially prideful in the accomplishments of this year’s squad.
“They are a bright bunch of guys. We’re very, very excited about these guys. They are truly scholar-athletes. They are able to handle both sides. They go hard in practice and find time and energy to go to their rooms or library to study. It’s rare to see a whole team like that. And then the next day they’re back at the tennis court again,” Goodman said.
FAMU Director of Athletics, Milton Overton Jr., uses academics as his first priority in FAMU Athletics. “The FAMU tennis team is a prime example of where we want our teams to achieve academically. Our first tier to building champions is academics. Without strong academics, on-court successes are marginalized. In building champions, we want our athletes to be well-rounded in the classroom, in competition and in life,” Overton said. “I applaud Dr. Goodman and the academic pace he is setting with the men’s tennis team,” Overton concluded.
Goodman echoed that sentiment. “It’s good to know that when they finish their careers on the court, they have bright futures in the corporate world or private industry. Three of our players are in the FAMU School of Business and Industry, one is in pharmacy and another in computer science. Neither of them took an easy route, but challenging ones that could result in success after college,” Goodman concluded.
COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
RICHARD WATKINS HEAD GOLF COACH MEN'S AND WOMEN'S GOLF N.C. A&T AGGIES
GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- Richard Watkins has been named the first-ever men’s and women’s varsity golf coach at North Carolina A&T State University as announced by director of athletics Earl Hilton on Thursday. Watkins will start the women’s program in the fall of 2016. The men’s program will begin the following autumn.
“Richard Watkins has always been on my short list of candidates for Golf Coach here at A&T,” said A&T athletics director, Earl M. Hilton III. “He is precisely what we need in order to get two new golf programs off the ground. Coach Watkins is a fixture in the Greensboro golfing community. He has a tremendous passion for the game and for student-athletes. He has decades of experience in teaching the game, and he’s a proven winner. I could not be more pleased to add him to our coaching staff.”
For Watkins and many longtime supporters of A&T athletics, an Aggies golf program has been a long-awaited wish come true. When Watkins arrived at A&T in 1976 to pursue a master’s degree in physical education, legendary men’s basketball coach Cal Irvin and Dr. Otis Tillman, Sr., an A&T graduate, convinced Watkins to become the golf coach of an A&T club team.
Even though a varsity team never materialized, Watkins served as a golf instructor over a span of nearly 40 years, but never lost hope that A&T would one day start a golf program.
“I’m excited,” said Watkins about becoming the Aggies coach. “I know others are excited too. A lot of people have wanted a golf program here for years. Anytime any of the past (A&T) athletics directors wanted information on what it would take to start a program, I was more than willing to help, so I’m looking forward to building a winner. I want to thank (Chancellor Harold L. Martin), athletics director Earl Hilton and the rest of the athletic administration for having the forethought to bring this program into fruition.”
Watkins has been a part of the pro shop staff at Gillespie Park Golf Course in Greensboro for the past 20 years. His responsibilities included course maintenance and private and group golf instruction. He has also served as a golf instructor for the Multicultural Golf Association of America clinics and the TYGR Paws clinics. He has also worked at the Oak Hollow Golf Course (High Point) and was a volunteer assistant golf coach at Page High School under head coach Debbie Jones.
In 1992, Watkins returned to A&T to become an instructor in the physical education department now known as human performance and leisure studies, a position he still holds. From 1993-96, he was the head baseball coach for the Aggies, helping the Aggies win the ‘93 MEAC championship.
Before returning to Aggieland, he was a physical education instructor, head baseball and volleyball coach and supervisor of physical education student teachers at Texas College (Tyler, Texas) from 1982-92. His Texas College baseball teams won six straight Interregional Athletic Conference baseball championships from 1986-91 and he was named coach of the year in each of those seasons. Texas College also made the NAIA District Baseball Playoffs six times during his tenure. He was volleyball coach of the year in 1985 and from 1987-91.
Watkins is a 1976 graduate of High Point College, where he earned a B.S., degree in physical education and became the first African American to play on the golf team. He earned his master’s degree at A&T in 1977. He has also had further study at Middle Tennessee State University.
COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
Documents from the last FAMU Board of Trustees meeting show the athletic program’s deficit at the end of June would be $8.956 million, about $1.4 million more than at the end of July last year.
The issues are legion, and many of them wer e documented in the budget overview from the June 9 meeting.
Here are some of the points: •There have been four athletic directors and three head football coaches in the past 12 months.
•For an approximately two-week overlapping period, the university had two entire football coaching staffs; this resulted in an additional $55,000.
•FAMU had to pay terminal leave for the ADs, coaches and other staff who were relieved of their duties. This totaled an additional $512,000.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Alabama State was picked to finish fourth in the SWAC East Division as it was announced today at SWAC Media Day at the Birmingham Marriott.
The order was finish is determined by votes from the conference's 10 head coaches. ASU was picked to finish first in the division the last two seasons.
Defending conference champion Alcorn State finished first in the voting to win the East Division with 95 votes that included all 10 first-place votes. Jackson State (83), Alabama A&M (66), Alabama State (50) and Mississippi Valley State (31) rounded out of the East Division predictions.
Grambling State edged Southern in the voting to win the West Division as it tallied 93 points with eight first-place votes. Southern received 91 points, followed by Prairie View (72), Texas Southern (40) and Arkansas Pine Bluff (34).
ASU junior linebacker Kourtney Berry was voted SWAC...
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- If the preseason SWAC football poll is any indication, the Bayou Classic will again settle who wins the SWAC West. Despite placing no players on the All-SWAC preseason first team, Grambling is the pick to win the West division of the league in a vote of league coaches and sports information directors.
Southern University, the two-time defending West champ, was selected second. The Jaguars defeated Grambling, 52-45, to claim the West title in 2014 in last year's Bayou Classic at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Southern lost to Alcorn State, 38-24, in the SWAC Championship the following week.
Alcorn State was picked to win the SWAC East division.
The Jaguars finished 2014 9-4 overall, 8-1 in the SWAC. Southern won seven straight games before falling to Alcorn State in the title contest.
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- It's been 2 years since an unarmed FAMU football player was killed by a police officer in Charlotte, North Carolina. Now, that officer charged with involuntary manslaughter, will face a judge in the coming week.
Jury selection begins Monday, July 20th for the shooting of Jonathan Ferrell and the city of Charlotte is pulling out all the stops. The city has requested more jurors and even hired an attorney to control the trial's publicity. The officer involved, Officer Randall Kerrick with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, is accused of shooting Ferrell.
The former FAMU student crashed his car in a Charlotte neighborhood and sought out help from nearby homes. According to court documents, Officer Kerrick was 1 of 3 officers that responded to the reports, but the only officer to draw his weapon. Kerrick is accused of shooting Ferrell 10 times in the chest and arms after Ferrell tried to approach the officers for help.
After a series of lawsuits and appeals, Kerrick will go on trial for voluntary manslaughter. Jury summons went out more than a month ago and more than 300 jurors are expected to show up Monday.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Jackson State has one of the brightest stars in the SWAC, LaMontiez Ivy, as its quarterback.
Ivy, who earned preseason second-team all-conference honors, is a talent, but he's the only proven one the Tigers currently have at the quarterback position.
The unit's depth took a hit last month when redshirt freshman Brent Lyles was in a car accident back in his home state of Indiana. At SWAC Media Day on Friday, JSU coach Harold Jackson officially declared Lyles done for the season after the accident resulted in hip surgery.
That leaves Ivy and UNLV transfer Jarin Morikawa as the only two healthy quarterbacks on the roster.
GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Not even two years removed from a 1-10 season and a player boycott that brought national media attention, Grambling is back in the conversation as one of the top teams in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Grambling was picked Friday as the preseason favorite to win the SWAC West Division as voted on by the league’s 10 coaches and sports information directors at the annual SWAC Media Day in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Tigers earned eight first-place votes and 93 total points to edge out defending SWAC West champion Southern, which came in at a close second with 91 total points.
The SWAC picked Grambling to finish last in the West in 2014, but the Tigers put together their best year since 2011 as Broderick Fobbs earned a 7-5 record in his first season as coach. CONTINUE READING
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Monte Coleman was reminded during an interview Friday that he is now the dean of Southwestern Athletic Conference football coaches.
