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HEAD FOOTBALL COACH DONALD HILL-ELEY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY
MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State University and the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced that the interim tag will be removed from Donald Hill-Eley Thursday afternoon, and he will become the 29th head coach in school history.
"Coach Hill-Eley is a veteran who has already proven his ability to provide the kind of leadership that is needed for the University's football program," said Alabama State University President, Dr. Quinton T. Ross, Jr. "I would like to thank Interim Athletics Director, Jennifer Williams, and the search committee for their due diligence and thoughtful deliberation in sending the recommendation of Donald Hill-Eley as ASU's next head football coach. In making this announcement, the University's leadership is affirming our commitment to the continued success of ASU's athletics program."
Eley was named to the interim role on October 6 after an 0-5 start to the season, and guided the Hornets to five wins in their final six games including a victory in the Magic City Classic over Alabama A&M and pair of wins on opponents' homecoming weekends. He also guided the Hornets to four road wins to close the season, all in conference play.
He joined the program in 2015 after a one-year stint as the wide receivers coach at Norfolk State and has served in the role of Associate Head Coach during that time. The longtime Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) coach spent 13 seasons at Morgan State (2001-13). After his first season as offensive coordinator, Eley spent the final 12 as head coach and was named 2002 MEAC Coach of the Year. His 59 wins rank third all-time in Bears' history, and he turned around a program who had not had a winning season in 23 consecutive seasons by going 7-5 in his first year at the helm.
Eley also spent four seasons at Hampton (1997-2000) as offensive coordinator and pro liaison, helping the Pirates win an HBCU National Championship, two MEAC titles and the 1999 Heritage Bowl.
He spent four seasons in professional football in the Canadian Football League, first with the Baltimore Stallions (1994-95) as receivers coach before two seasons with the Toronto Argonauts as a guest coach (1996-97). Hill was on the staff of three straight Grey Cup championship teams (1995-97) during his time in the CFL.
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Willie Simmons, the Panthers’ coach for the past three season, was offered and has accepted the same position at Florida A&M and is reportedly expected to officially be announced sometime this weekend.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- A source close to Florida A&M's athletic department confirmed to the Tallahassee Democrat the football team's next head coach will be Prairie View A&M head coach Willie Simmons.
Simmons, 37, has been at the helm of Prairie View A&M for the last three seasons and has compiled a 21-11 record with the Panthers. Praised for overseeing strong offenses, Simmons has put together winning seasons in each of his three years as a head coach.
Before being hired at Prairie View, he was the offensive coordinator at Alcorn State. In 2014, Alcorn State won the Southwestern Athletic Conference title and were No. 2 in the FCS in scoring (44 points per game) with Simmons as the team's offensive coordinator.
The Panthers went 6-5 last season. The Panther's were third in the SWAC in scoring offense (30 points per game) and second in total offense (424.2 yards per game).
Simmons was born in Tallahassee and attended James A. Shanks in Quincy.
COACH ERIC DOOLEY COURTESY: GRAMBLING STATE ATHLETICS
GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- When an offense has built the type of product and manufactured the recent results Grambling State’s has the last couple of seasons, naturally other schools in need of a coach will come calling.
As football season has entered the lull before the bowl season officially starting next Saturday with the Celebration Bowl between GSU, the reigning SWAC champions, and North Carolina A&T, the MEAC champs, kicking things off at 11 a.m. for the HBCU national title, the Tigers' offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Eric Dooley has surfaced as a candidate for two SWAC head coaching openings.
Reported by The Pine Bluff Commercial earlier Friday following a Freedom of Information Act request, Dooley was listed as one of 37 applicants for the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff head coaching job. Former coach Monte Coleman was fired from his post Nov. 20 and at the time, UAPB Athletic Director Lonza Hardy Jr. told reporters that he’d like to have his new coach in place before Dec. 14, when the school breaks for the holidays.
Dooley served as offensive coordinator of the Golden Lions under Coleman from 2011-13, playing a part in the team winning the SWAC title during his first season, before joining GSU head coach Broderick Fobbs’ staff in the same position before the 2014 season.
NEW YORK CITY - North Carolina A&T State quarterback Lamar Raynard and South Carolina State linebacker Darius Leonard were named the 2017 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively. The players were named officially at the 60th annual National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame press conference on Tuesday morning in New York City live on ESPN3.
This marks the fourth consecutive year a player from North Carolina A&T State has been named offensive player of the year as Raynard passed for a MEAC-best 2,707 yards and 26 touchdowns en route to a 11-0 regular season mark and a berth in the Celebration Bowl. The redshirt junior from High Point, N.C. leads the MEAC in eight (8) statistical categories and shattered the Aggie record books as he broke the North Carolina A&T State single-season school records for touchdowns responsible, passing, total offense, touchdown passes and completions in a season.
Nationally, Raynard ranks third in passing efficiency and yards per pass attempt while ranking 17th in passing yards and second in total offense en route to a 26-0 record as a starter.
Leonard keeps the defensive player of the year trophy in Orangeburg for the fifth straight year as SC State defenders have won the award every year since 2013. The redshirt senior from Lake View, S.C. currently ranks fourth in the FCS with 113 tackles (11.3 per game) and second in solo tackles (7.3 pg). He also picked off two passes and had seven (7) sacks while finishing his career as the all-time leading tackler in SC State football history with 393 tackles. Leonard had six games in 2017 with 12-plus tackles highlighted by a high of 18 versus Morgan State.
TOWSON, Maryland -- Over its first nine games this season, the Towson men’s basketball team had played on Florida’s Gulf Coast and Northern Ireland’s East Coast. It had won in blowouts and on last-second jumpers, as in Saturday’s Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic final.
But what happened in Belfast — the seventh and eighth wins of the program’s best-ever start in Division I — would be moot if business were not taken care of in Baltimore. The Tigers have been workmanlike under coach Pat Skerry in that respect, having won eight straight games against Baltimore-area teams coming into the “Battle for Greater Baltimore” against Morgan State.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Per multiple sources close to FAMU's athletic program, the athletic department has targeted Prairie View A&M head coach Willie Simmons as the Rattlers' next head football coach.
An announcement could come as soon as Friday, per a source.
At the very least, interim head coach Edwin Pata will not be FAMU's next head coach. Pata on Wednesday informed the team he wasn't being considered to be the Rattlers next head coach.
"These folks really didn’t consider Coach Pata as a head coach... what kinda BS is that?" FAMU cornerback Orlando McKinley tweeted Wednesday night.
Simmons has been the head coach at Prairie View A&M for the past three seasons and has complied 21-11 overall record at the helm. His first season was by far his best. He led the Panthers to an 8-2 overall season with an 8-1 record in the SWAC. CONTINUE READING
ATLANTA, Georgia -- The Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCFHOF) announced today four Finalists for the Black College Football Player of the Year Award. The Award is presented annually to the most outstanding football player from a Historically Black College & University (HBCU) that embodies the rich tradition of athletic excellence and integrity associated with HBCUs. Former North Carolina A&T State University, and current Chicago Bears Running Back, Tarik Cohen was selected as the inaugural recipient of the Award in 2016.
The 2017 Finalists include RB Trenton Cannon (Virginia State University), QB Amir Hall (Bowie State University), QB DeVante Kincade (Grambling State University) and QB Lamar Raynard (North Carolina A&T State University).
The Finalists were chosen by a five-member Selection Committee, which is composed of Black College Football Hall of Fame founders James “Shack” Harris and Doug Williams, longtime SBN Broadcaster and Director of News and Sports for the Power News Radio Network Ty Miller, former USA Today sports writer RoscoeNance, and ESPN College Football Analyst Jay Walker.
“The Black College Football Player of the Year Award showcases the immense talent of our HBCU student-athletes today,” said Doug Williams, BCFHOF Co-Founder and 2011 Inductee. “Each finalist has had an incredible season and we are excited to celebrate their success.”
The winner of the 2017 Black College Football Player of the Year Award will be announced on February 10, 2018 at the Ninth Annual Black College Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Presented by the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta, Georgia. He will be presented with the Deacon Jones Trophy, named in honor of the football legend and inaugural BCFHOF inductee.
“On behalf of the Black College Football Hall of Fame Trustees, we congratulate the Black College Football Player of the Year Finalists,” said James “Shack” Harris, Co-Founder and 2012 Inductee. “These student-athletes represent the very best of HBCU football.”
The Finalists will also be recognized at the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta on December 16th, along with the BCFHOF Class of 2018, which will be televised on ABC.
2017 FINALISTS
TRENTON CANNON
Running Back … Virginia State University … Senior … Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIAA) Offensive Player of the Year … 1stTeam All-CIAA as a running back and kick returner … Led CIAA in rushing yards (1,638), rushing avg. (7.7 YPC) and all-purpose yards (2,686) … Scored 22 total touchdowns (2ndin CIAA) … Named CIAA’s Offensive Back of the Week five times … Became Virginia State's all-time leading rusher … Candidate for The Harlon Hill Award (Division II College Football Player of the Year) … Two-time All-CIAA 1stTeam (2016 and 2017) … Born July 23, 1994.
AMIR HALL
Quarterback … Bowie State University… Junior … Two-time 1st Team All-CIAA … Led conference in passing yards (3,519), passing touchdowns (41) and total offense (3,929) … Also had 406 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns … Owns nearly every quarterback record for Bowie State, including career passing yards (6,974), passing touchdowns (69) and passing efficiency (163.6) … Candidate for The Harlon Hill Award (Division II College Football Player of the Year) … 2016 CIAA Offensive Player of the Year … Born September 26, 1997.
DEVANTE KINCADE
Quarterback … Grambling State University … Senior … Led the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) in passing yards (2,409), efficiency (143.8), completions (184) and total offense (2,649) … Threw 19 touchdowns and just three interceptions … 2016 SWAC Offensive Player of the Year … 2016 1st Team All-SWAC … 2016 Black College Football Player of the Year Finalist … Led Grambling to the SWAC Championship both years as starting quarterback and the 2016 Black College Football National Championship (Celebration Bowl) … Born September 16, 1994.
LAMAR RAYNARD
Quarterback … North Carolina A&T State University … Junior … 1st Team All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) … Led MEAC in passing yards (2,707), efficiency (171.6), completion percentage (65.3%) and touchdowns (26) … Broke school record for passing yards in a season … Also had 168 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns … Finalist the Walter Payton Award for FCS Offensive Player of the Year … Led the Aggies to an undefeated season and the MEAC Championship … 2nd Team All-MEAC in 2016 … Born February 1, 1996.
ABOUT DEACON JONES
David “Deacon” Jones played defensive end for South Carolina State University and Mississippi Valley State University from 1958 to 1960. Blessed with speed, agility, and quickness, the “Deacon” became one of the finest pass rushers in the business. He won unanimous All-NFL honors six straight years from 1965 through 1970 and was selected to eight Pro Bowls. Jones is an inaugural Black College Football Hall of Fame inductee (2010) and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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