Tuskegee, North Carolina A&T in preseason football rankings

TUSKEGEE,Alabama -- With just 66 days before the college football season opens across the country, preseason polls are beginning to be released by several national publications. Tuskegee, fresh off a quarterfinal appearance in the 2015 NCAA Division II playoffs, its second straight playoff appearance, has made an appearance in two publications that have been released in the last month.

The Golden Tigers, 10-3 a season ago, are ranked 13th in The Sporting News Football Annual preseason NCAA Div. II poll. They are the second-highest rated team from region, behind West Georgia who is ranked third in the preseason poll and the only HBCU team in the Preseason Top 25. The Golden Tigers are ranked one spot ahead of North Alabama – who they defeated in the second round of the playoffs – and two spots ahead of the first round opponent from a season ago, Catawba.

North Carolina A&T, who finished in a three-way tie with North Carolina Central and Bethune-Cookman for the 2015 MEAC title and defeated SWAC champion Alcorn State in the inaugural Celebration Bowl, is the only HBCU team in the preseason FCS poll. The Aggies are ranked 22nd nationally. The Sporting News also released its preseason Div. II and FCS All-American teams. Johnson C. Smith junior defensive back Carlo Thomas, who led the nation in interceptions, and Tuskegee junior safety Jonah McCutcheon earned first team Div. II honors.

CONTINUE READING

JCSU Athletics Celebrates the Retirement of Head Tennis Coach James Cuthbertson

JCSU Athletics Celebrates the Career of Head Tennis Coach James Cuthbertson at Retirement Reception

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – Friends of the Johnson C. Smith University tennis programs gathered on Tuesday afternoon, June 28^th to celebrate the career of longtime tennis coach James Cuthbertson at a retirement reception held at JCSU's Faculty House. Cuthbertson will retire effective July 29, 2016.

Cuthbertson has led the JCSU tennis programs for the past 18 years, compiling a 245-212 record at the helm of the men's team and a 164-207 mark as the women's head coach. Under Cuthbertson's guidance, JCSU won six consecutive CIAA men's titles from 1999-2004.

"Coach Cuthbertson has been a constant for JCSU and is well known around the area for his love of the game and his coaching ability," said JCSU athletic director Stephen Joyner, Sr. "We wish him well in his retirement."

In addition to his coaching duties, Cuthbertson has served JCSU in several roles, including the disability services coordinator and as sports information director.

COURTESY JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

SIAC to host Football Media Day in Montgomery

To purchase tickets, CLICK HERE

ATLANTA – The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) will host the annual Football Media Day on Wednesday, July 20 at the Doubletree by Hilton Montgomery Downtown (120 Madison Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36104). Head football coaches and two student-athletes from each team will be available to offer an up close and personal look on the upcoming 2016 football season.

This year the SIAC will have a limited number of tickets available to the public for the press luncheon portion of the Media Day. Tickets can be purchased by calling Taunita Stephenson at (404) 221-1041 or stephenson@thesiac.com. Tickets are $40 per seat or $300 per table (10 persons) and must be purchased by Friday, July 15.

Media members may obtain a credential for the luncheon and/or one-on-one interviews by completing an application found on www.thesiac.com. One-on-one interviews will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m. in the Martin Luther King Jr. Ballroom.

COURTESY THE SIAC MEDIA RELATIONS

Southern's A.W. Mumford Stadium unveils new field turf

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- A welcomed, new addition awaits the Southern University football program and their passionate fanbase when they enter A.W. Mumford Stadium on Sept. 17 for the 2016 home opener against Alabama State.

Construction to install a new state-of-the-art synthetic playing surface is nearing the final phase ahead of the project's July 18 scheduled completion date. The new field turf is a part of several University initiatives which will be highlighted during the Million Dollar March kickoff event Wednesday, June 29 at 11 a.m. in the A.W. Mumford Fieldhouse. The event, hosted by the Southern University System Foundation, is reserved for all Foundation donors and corporate sponsors.

“The installation of a turf field aligns with the University’s aim to shape a standard of excellence in our athletic endeavors," said SU System President Dr. Ray L. Belton. "We are pleased to bring the project to fruition with the support of the Southern University System Foundation and the longstanding contributions of the Baton Rouge Coca-Cola Bottling Company.

We are also grateful for the partnerships with SMG and UBU Sports, Incorporated that allows us to achieve this much-needed improvement to A.W. Mumford Stadium.”

The Southern University System Foundation (SUSF) partnered with the Southern University Athletics Department for the installation of the NFL-grade synthetic turf field at A.W. Mumford Stadium. The project was made possible by a joint venture between Baton Rouge Coca-Cola Bottling Company, the Southern University System Foundation, SMG (Louisiana Superdome Management Company) and UBU Sports, Incorporated.

"Southern University and SU Athletics remains committed to providing our student-athletes with a first-rate college experience," said Roman Banks, SU Interim Athletics Director. "Through the support of the Southern University System Foundation, the installation of this state-of-the-art playing surface at A.W. Mumford Stadium addresses any player safety and gameday logistic concerns while offering our coaching staff a powerful recruiting tool which also reasserts the SU athletic brand."

UBU Sports, Incorporated, located in Downers Grove, Illinois, is a leading brand of indoor and outdoor synthetic turf surfaces for use in a variety of sporting events, including football, baseball, field hockey, soccer, rugby and lacrosse. Teams that currently play on UBU, Incorporated fields include the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes Benz Superdome, the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium, the New York Giants and New York Jets at Met Life Stadium, the University of Houston at TDECU Stadium, Tulane Green Wave - which host Southern on Sept. 10 - at Yulman Stadium, and the Houston Texans practice fields.

2016 Season Tickets are on sale now at the SU Ticket Office located in the service entrance of the F.G. Clark Activity Center. Fans are encouraged to contact the ticket office at 225-771-3171 for more details.

COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Poore’s contract at West Virginia State extended to 2022

Bryan Poore

INSTITUTE, West Virginia -- West Virginia State men’s basketball coach Bryan Poore, already the program’s career leader in wins, will get a couple more years to extend that lead.

WVSU agreed in January to extend Poore’s contract to the 2021-22 academic year. He had four years left on his previous deal.

“Coach Poore has demonstrated he can win championships at State,” WVSU athletic director Nate Burton said. “We have high expectations and our alumni base and fans have high expectations for our men’s basketball program, and those are in large part because of what we’ve been able to achieve under Coach Poore’s leadership.

“And I felt it was important for our student-athletes to know he was locked in and will be here for their next four years,” he added.

The extended contract will pay him $76,695.26 annually, according to a copy of the deal WVSU provided to the Gazette-Mail. That includes an ongoing appointment to the College of Professional Studies, where he is an instructor.

Poore, in November, broke Mark Cardwell’s career wins record at State by winning his 289th game as the Yellow Jackets’ head coach. The Yellow Jackets’ coach since 1999, Poore finished the season with 293 wins at State after a 6-22 campaign. He has 305 career wins, including a 12-win season at the University of Charleston in 1996-97.

CONTINUE READING

Xavier welcomes back Alfred Williams as head coach

ALFRED WILLIAMS

NEW ORLEANS — Former Xavier University of Louisiana student-athlete and assistant coach Alfred Williams, who engineered one of the best turnarounds in NAIA Division I men's basketball this past season at Harris-Stowe State University, is returning home to become head coach at his alma mater.
     
XU Director of Athletics & Recreation Jason Horn announced the hiring of Williams Tuesday. He replaces Dannton Jackson, who left Xavier in April after 13 seasons as head coach to become an assistant at NCAA Division I's University of Alabama at Birmingham.
     
The new head coach will meet with news media, the XU community and fans July 5 at 1:30 p.m. in Xavier's Convocation Center, 7900 Stroelitz St. (zip 70125).
     
"I'm super-excited about the opportunity to become the next head men's basketball coach at Xavier," said Williams, who played for the Gold Rush from 2004-08 and served as an assistant coach from 2009-15. "Xavier has been near and dear to my heart ever since I stepped on campus in 2004. The rich tradition is second to none. I am looking forward to continue building on the foundations of the past while growing toward the future. We will work day in and day out to build a program that mirrors toughness, grit, hustle and passion in everything that we do. I'm looking forward to the challenge and continuing to build for greatness both on the court and in the classroom."
     
Williams was head coach for one season at Harris-Stowe in St. Louis, where he led the Hornets in a 7 1/2-game improvement from the previous year and victories against a pair of NCAA Division II opponents. Harris-Stowe lost 84-83 in double-overtime Jan. 28 at American Midwest Conference champion Columbia (Mo.), a 29-game winner, after losing there by 46 points the previous season.
     
During his previous Xavier tenures, Williams was a member of three teams as a player and five teams as an assistant coach that qualified for the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship and won or shared four Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament regular-season championships. The Gold Rush averaged 23.3 victories during his three playing seasons and 23.2 victories during his six seasons as assistant coach.
     
Xavier won three consecutive GCAC regular-season championships from 2011-14, and its 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. Williams was a 6-foot-4 forward at Xavier, was All-GCAC his senior year and is one of three Gold Rush players with 800 points, 500 rebounds and 150 assists in a career.
     
"After a comprehensive national search which attracted many outstanding candidates, we are excited to welcome back Alfred Williams," Horn said. "We are confident that AJ (Williams' nickname) will continue the Xavier tradition of excellence and lead the Gold Rush to even greater national prominence while graduating our student-athletes."
     
Williams, 32 and a native of Greenville, S.C., received his bachelor of science degree from Xavier in 2008.
     
Xavier was 21-13 in 2015-16 and qualified for NAIA's national tournament for a school-record sixth consecutive year. The Gold Rush were runner-up in the GCAC Tournament each of the past two seasons. Xavier's 31 seasons of 20 or more victories are the most in the history of Louisiana men's college basketball.

What They're Saying About Alfred Williams

Grady Brewer, Morehouse College Head Coach
     "Xavier University has picked an extremely talented young basketball coach in Alfred Williams. He has paid his dues and he has an incredible love for his alma mater. It's a win-win situation for all parties involved."

Larry Cordaro, Louisiana State University at Alexandria Head Coach
     "Alfred Williams is an outstanding young coach who is a great fit for Xavier. He has the coaching characteristics to keep the Gold Rush competing at a high level. AJ has an eye for talent and really cares about people. All he needed was head coaching experience which he went out and got. I'm really happy for AJ and look forward to seeing him back in Louisiana."

Mike Davis, Texas Southern University Head Coach
     "Alfred Williams is a really good basketball coach and has a bright future."

Michael Huger, Bowling Green State University Head Coach
     "Alfred Williams is one of the best young coaches in our business. He has a great basketball mind. AJ is also a people person which he will use to do a great job with his student-athletes. I wish him all the best."

Casey Long, Virginia Commonwealth University Assistant Coach
     "Alfred Williams is an unbelievable coach and God-fearing person. He really cares about developing players to be the best student-athletes they can be. He is truly appreciative of any opportunity, and he will be a great coach at Xavier."

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

Norfolk State - Richmond Game to be Televised on Comcast

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Norfolk State's first road football game of the year, at the University of Richmond on Saturday, Sept. 10, will be televised by Comcast SportsNet and will kick off at 6 p.m. at Robins Stadium, UR announced.

The game will be broadcast on either CSN or CSN Mid-Atlantic, marking the first of at least three televised Spartan football games this fall. Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic is available on approximately 25 cable providers throughout Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, as well as parts of Delaware, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and West Virginia. It is also available nationwide on satellite via DirecTV. The channel reaches more than 4.7 million households in the Mid-Atlantic region.

NSU and Richmond are meeting for the first time ever on the gridiron this fall. The Spiders advanced to the Division I FCS semifinals last year.

In addition to the game at Richmond, it was announced earlier this month that NSU will appear on the ESPN family of networks a minimum of two times as part of the MEAC's yearly TV package. NSU's game at North Carolina A&T will be broadcast live on ESPNU and ESPN3 on Thursday, Oct. 6. The Spartans' home game with Bethune-Cookman on Saturday, Oct. 22 will air live on ESPN3 and tape-delayed on ESPNU (air time TBA). A conference matchup to be determined on Nov. 19 will also be shown on ESPNU, and the Celebration Bowl, pitting the champions from the MEAC and SWAC against one another, will be broadcast on ABC on Dec. 17.

Officials from William & Mary also announced recently that the Spartans' game against the Tribe in Williamsburg will kick off at 6 p.m. on Sept. 17, meaning gCe times for all 11 regular-season NSU football games are now set. To view NSU's complete 2016 NSU football schedule, click here.

Matt Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications
COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS