Southern University fires football coach Pete Richardson

BREAKING SPORTS NEWS: Southern fires football coach Pete Richardson

BATON ROUGE – Southern University has fired Head Football Coach Pete Richardson. Athletic Director Greg LaFleur said Richardson was notified at 3 p.m. that after 17 years in the post his services were no longer needed. “We’re concerned about the direction of the football program,” LaFleur said. “It’s time to go in a different direction.”

Southern ended the 2009 season with a 6-5 record but lost perhaps the biggest game of the season – the Bayou Classic in New Orleans – to Grambling 31-13. The Jaguars also dropped its final game to Texas Southern 30-25, giving up a touchdown with 16 seconds remaining. “No one game did it,” LaFleur said. “You have to look at it as a whole.”

Southern U fires football coach

BATON ROUGE, La. - Pete Richardson, the football coach at Southern University for 17 years, has been fired. Southern's Athletic Director Greg LaFleur announced the move on Monday. Lafleur says offensive line coach Damon Nivens will serve as interim coach until a replacement is named. Known as the "Dean of the SWAC,'' Richardson had a 134-62 record in his 17 years at Southern. That included four, 11-win seasons and one 12-win season.

Southern fires football coach Pete Richardson

The run for Pete Richardson "On the Bluff" in Baton Rouge has come to an end. The man known as Coach Pete was fired as head football coach at Southern University. In his 17 seasons at the school, Richardson led the Jaguars to a 105-38 record, second only to legendary A.W. Mumford. He coached the Jags to 5 SWAC championships and one black college national championship.

In 2009, the Jaguars finished up at 6-5, losing their last two contests to Grambling in the Bayou Classic and Texas Southern on the road. Southern was 3-5 this season in the SWAC. The listless finish to the season as well as questionable management style regarding timeouts in the finale versus Texas Southern sealed the deal. Richardson had one year remaining on his contract.

Keys: SU football at crossroads

How’s that for a crummy way to finish off a football season? Saturday afternoon at Delmar Stadium, in a not-so-grand finale before a tiny crowd (attendance was listed at 10,769, but the actual crowd could have practically fit inside a Dodge Neon), Southern played well enough for 58 minutes to defeat Texas Southern. But those pesky last two minutes were a doozy.

The result was a 30-25 loss that seemed to trump all others in shock value. Saturday’s game wasn’t so crushing because the Jaguars lost. It was how they lost. Those final two minutes were peppered with confusion on the sideline and poor execution on the field. TSU took advantage, scoring the game-winning touchdown with 16 seconds left.

READ MORE, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

READ RELATED ARTICLES:
Fans react to firing of Pete Richardson
Richardson had impact
Richardson fired
Season brings mostly disappointing results for area teams

Grambling State 46, Wisconsin 79

Wisconsin 79, Grambling St. 46

MADISON, Wis. - Trevon Hughes had 13 of his 20 points in the second half and added seven rebounds and four assists to lead Wisconsin to a 79-46 victory over Grambling State on Saturday. It was the senior point guard's second straight strong performance, and the Badgers (6-1) didn't show any drop off after winning consecutive games against then-No. 21 Maryland last week and No. 6 Duke on Wednesday night. Even with his team up 74-37, Hughes was still working, diving into press row and landing awkwardly with 3:56 remaining. He came back out with a bandage on his upper right arm. Donald Qualls scored 15 points for Grambling State (1-4), which had problems just getting to the game after 16 hours of travel on a Friday full of delays. The Tigers' only lead came at 4-3 and was quickly erased on a 17-2 run by Wisconsin that was capped by Jordan Taylor's layup just over seven minutes into the game.

No let-down for Badger hoops as they crush Grambling

MADISON - Trevon Hughes scored 20 points and took down seven rebounds, leading Wisconsin to a 79-46 rout of Grambling State at the Kohl Center. Hughes scored 13 of his points in the second half. He also had four assists. The Badgers are 6-1. The Tigers only led the game once at 4-3, but Wisconsin promptly went on a 17-2 run and never was threatened again. The Saturday win, coupled with defeats of top-25 teams Maryland and Duke, means Wisconsin could be ranked when the poll comes out this week.
It was a chore to simply make it to the game for Grambling. The Louisiana school's plane had mechanical problems, meaning the traveling party had to split up. They didn't make it to Madison until after 11 Friday night. They had left Shreveport 16 hours earlier.

READ MORE, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

Bethune Cookman 58, Florida A&M 57

FAMU men lose MEAC opener

DAYTONA BEACH — Two minutes and 53 seconds were still on the clock when FAMU men's coach Eugene Harris dipped into his pocket for his play card. He yelled his decision across the court at the Ocean Center. Brandon Bryant delivered. Swish. A 3-pointer that tied the ballgame against Bethune-Cookman University at 55-all. The Rattlers would tie it again at 57, then seconds later find out how costly the simplest of mistakes could be. This one was as basic as calling a timeout left FAMU with a 58-57 loss. The problem was that the Rattlers didn't have one to spare with four seconds left when Larry Jackson signaled for the break with FAMU in possession of the ball. That resulted in a technical foul that sent C.J. Reed to the line, where he nailed the deciding shot for the victory in the MEAC opener for both teams.

B-CU edges FAMU

DAYTONA BEACH -- After C.J. Reed's short jumper rimmed out with four seconds left, the Bethune-Cookman sophomore heard Florida A&M's Larry Jackson call timeout. Then he looked over at the Wildcats' bench and saw the coaches standing and yelling, "They don't have any. They don't have any." FAMU indeed did not have any timeouts remaining and were called for a technical foul, which allowed the Wildcats to win the game on the foul line. Reed missed his first free throw but hit his second to lift B-CU to a 58-57 victory Saturday before 2,328 fans at the Ocean Center. "It was just one of those things," FAMU coach Eugene Harris said. "In our (previous) timeout we told them we have no more timeouts. All we had to do was hold the ball, and we'd go to overtime. It was just a mental mistake."

B-CU star Demetria Frank hits 9 of 9 from the line, and scored 14 points and had 14 rebounds in loss to Lady Rattlers.

Wildcats women fall short

DAYTONA BEACH -- Euneshia Proctor spearheaded a defense that helped Bethune-Cookman rally from a 15-point deficit with a chance to tie Florida A&M in the final seconds.
But she won't remember her three steals in the final three minutes or her team-high 15 points. What she'll picture over and over in her mind is the one missed free throw.Proctor was fouled while taking a 3-pointer with 5 seconds remaining and the Wildcats down 63-60. She missed the first of her three free throws and FAMU held on for a 65-62 victory Saturday at the Ocean Center. "I have to make them," said Proctor, who did hit the final two. "I've been struggling at the line. I just have to work harder."

Rattlers women edge past B-CU

DAYTONA BEACH — LeDawn Gibson and Vanessa Inge renewed acquaintances with a long embrace just before the tip at the Ocean Center. The respect they have for each other was clearly obvious. On the court, though, it was a different story Saturday afternoon. Inge's Bethune-Cookman Wildcats showed no love for Gibson and her FAMU Rattlers, playing stubborn before falling short at the free-throw line to give the Rattlers a 65-62 victory. The Rattlers played without leading scorer Deidra Jones who watched in street clothes. She injured her knee last week against UF, but the extent of the injury still hasn't been determined.

READ MORE, CLICK BLOG TITLES.

Texas Southern 30, Southern 25

Texas Southern University Coach Johnnie Cole ends second season with 6-5, 5-2 SWAC record.

A bitter way to end it all

HOUSTON — At the shocking, bitter 30-25 loss, Southern left tackle Chris Browne slammed his helmet so hard on the plastic turf that the inner pads came loose and flew in three directions. Minutes later, receivers coach Eric Dooley took a knee, led his group in prayer and rose with tears in his eyes. So did star wideout Juamorris Stewart. All four of Southern’s starting defensive backs stood in place, looking around at nothing in particular, stunned over what they’d seen Saturday. On a cold, clear afternoon inside the rickety Delmar Stadium, the Jaguars had nearly sewn up a victory over Texas Southern in the season finale, only to watch it fall apart.

In the fourth quarter, SU took the lead; botched a two-point conversion; missed a field goal; then rebounded to block a TSU field-goal attempt with 1:23 remaining — seemingly clinching a win. Finally, the Jaguars gave the ball back to TSU one more time. The Tigers were all too happy to take it. Arvell Nelson threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Joe Anderson with 16 seconds left, securing a nearly impossible 30-25 win over Southern that left players, coaches and fans in a haze.

Photos: Texas Southern 30, Southern 25

Richardson: 'I think I'll be back'

HOUSTON — Saturday afternoon, in the cold air at Delmar Stadium, Southern football coach Pete Richardson had only a brief postgame huddle with his team. He told his players to concentrate on their academics, to get ready for the offseason strength-and-conditioning program, and to start preparing for next year. For Richardson, and for the Jaguars, this disappointing season was over. SU’s last-minute 30-25 loss to Texas Southern clinched a second straight year in which the Jaguars finished 6-5. Until late October, they had hoped for a berth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game. Instead, thanks to Saturday’s loss, they finished fourth in the Western Division.

House makes mark with interceptions

HOUSTON — One of the nicest surprises of Southern’s season had one of his finest games in the season finale. Free safety Jason House, who moved from wide receiver during training camp, finished his first season with 10 interceptions, the most in the Football Championship Subdivision. House and Coastal Carolina’s Josh Norman started the weekend in a first-place tie for the national lead, though Norman’s season had already ended. House picked off two passes against Texas Southern. The first one came during the second quarter, when House stepped in front of an Arvell Nelson pass at the TSU 40-yard line, then weaved down the sideline and broke a tackle near the goal line for his first touchdown of the season.

TSU WR Anderson gets redemption

HOUSTON — As the final minute ticked away from the Delmar Stadium scoreboard Saturday night, Texas Southern sophomore receiver Joe Anderson thought he had missed out on his last opportunity. With his team trailing 25-23, Anderson couldn’t hold onto a pass in the end zone on a crucial third down, and on the next play, Southern blocked a TSU field-goal attempt and seemed to be on its way to victory with just 1:23 left. Little did Anderson know, his fortune would change quickly. After some questionable clock management by the Jaguars, TSU got the ball back with 55 seconds left and Anderson and quarterback Arvell Nelson didn’t waste any time getting to work.

How They Scored: Southern-TSU

First quarter

SOUTHERN — Isaiah Nelson 25-yard pass from Bryant Lee (kick blocked) at 13:30. DRIVE: 5 plays, 58 yards, 1:23. KEY PLAYS: On the first play from scrimmage, Lee runs right on a designed play for a 19-yard gain. On the touchdown, Nelson gets behind the defense and dives into the end zone, stretching the ball across the goal line. TSU’s Michael Shelton blocks the PAT. Southern 7, Texas Southern 0.

SU gets close, but falls to 0-8

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — After seven losses, the Southern University men’s basketball team got a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel Saturday when it took on Central Arkansas in the in the Etech Lumberjack Classic. Anchored by a four-point play, Jaguars guard Jazz Williams reeled off seven straight points and Norm Nixon Jr. stole an inbounds pass and drove for a layup that pulled Southern within three of the Bears with 8:25 to play. But that was as close as the Jaguars (0-8) got before dropping a 79-63 decision. UCA’s Tadre Sheppard scored inside to trigger a 14-2 run that turned things back in the Bears’ favor and they never looked back. Chris Poellnitz led Central Arkansas (3-5) with 21 points and Sheppard added a career-high 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

Cole has Texas Southern on cusp of winning season

Prairie View A&M’s run to a berth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship game isn’t the conference’s only feel-good story coming out of Texas this season. Texas Southern is also having a breakthrough season, which has largely gone unnoticed. The Tigers can end the year with their first winning record since 2000 with a victory over Southern in Houston on Saturday. A 6-5 record wouldn’t warrant a second thought for a number of programs. But if you’re a team that has gone 20-68 the previous eight seasons — with a pair of winless campaigns in the mix — 6-5 is something to get excited about. “The first wining season (since 2000) would be big,’’ Johnnie Cole, Texas Southern’s second-year coach and a former quarterback for the Tigers, said. “Winning is contagious, just like losing."

READ MORE, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

Alabama A&M 0, Florida State 3

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida State head volleyball coach Chris Poole couldn’t have asked for a better time to earn his 600th career win. The No. 12 Seminoles’ second-year coach reached the milestone Saturday afternoon as his third-seeded team swept Alabama A&M (25-10, 25-19, 25-10) in the first round of the NCAA Championship at Tully Gym to move on to Sunday’s second round game. The straight-sets win is FSU’s (29-2) 16th sweep of the season and is the second NCAA Tournament victory in program history. At 2-10 all-time in the Big Dance, it is also the Seminoles’ first ever NCAA Tournament win in Tallahassee.

”I certainly was pleased the way we played most of the match,” said Poole, who became the 16th active Division I coach to reach 600 victories. “We’ve really have worked hard the last few weeks to try to limit our errors as much as possible and to go three sets and only have seven hitting errors is very good. We also limited the amount of serving errors we had and that’s something else that we’ve really been trying to focus on is to really play in more control on our side of the net.” Senior Jordana Price paced the balanced FSU attack against the Bulldogs (22-13) with seven kills. She also had a team-best six total blocks.

After running away with 25-10 win in the first set – a score that was the ’Noles second largest margin of victory all year – FSU was pushed by an Alabama A&M team that won the Southwestern Athletic Conference in the second. The Seminoles will now play a Jacksonville State team that defeated Florida A&M in an exciting five-set match earlier in the day. FSU and JSU will match up for the first time in the history of both volleyball programs on Sunday at 5 p.m. in Tully Gym.

Final Stats

READ MORE, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

Florida A&M 2, Jacksonville State 3

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Faced with a 2-1 deficit, the Jacksonville State volleyball team rallied to win the final two sets and claim the Gamecocks’ first-ever NCAA Tournament win in the form of a 3-2 defeat of Florida A&M in Saturday’s first round. The Gamecocks (27-7) won their 12th-straight fifth-set match but had to rally to force the deciding game. After claiming a 25-22 win in the opening set, the Lady Rattlers (17-10) rolled to wins in the second and third sets and put JSU’s backs against the wall. A late fourth-set rally forced the match into the deciding one, a place the Gamecocks are a perfect 10-0 in 2009.

The Lady Rattlers were led by Maria Gomez’s double-double of 19 kills and 11 digs. Gomez hit .375 in the win, while Jovana Blazeski added 16 kills on 58 swings and 14 digs on the back row. In the opening set, neither team led by more than three points until a late 9-1 JSU run turned an 18-15 deficit into a 24-19 Gamecock lead. The Rattlers rattled off the next three points before a Whitten kill gave Jax State a 25-22 win. The victory was the Gamecocks’ first ever set win in their NCAA Tournament history.

FAMU stormed out of the gates in the second set to build an early 11-5 lead. JSU never pulled any closer than three points before the Rattlers tied the match with a 25-18 win. JSU hit for a slightly better percentage in the second set than the first but saw the Rattlers commit just two errors and hit .429 en route to tying the match. In the third set, the Gamecocks built an early 8-5 lead, but FAMU put together a 9-1 run that put the Rattlers in control of the set with a 14-9 lead. JSU slowly cut into the lead before pulling to within one at 16-15 and tying it at 17-17. The two exchanged points twice before a FAMU error gave JSU a 20-19 lead. With the Gamecocks trailing 23-22, an Alyx Schulte attack was ruled in by the line judge but overturned by the lead official setting up a 25-23 FAMU win that put the Gamecocks’ backs against the wall.

BOX SCORE



READ MORE, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

Virginia Award named for Richmond -- Morgan State gridiron great Willie Lanier

RICHMOND, Va. -- The greatest football player ever to come out of Richmond wasn't recruited by Virginia or Virginia Tech. When Willie Lanier graduated from Maggie Walker High School in 1963, those schools weren't an option for him. College football still was a segregated game, so the best African-American players went to play in the CIAA or MEAC. Lanier had a scholarship offer from Virginia State College, now Virginia State University, but he turned that down because he wanted to escape the segregation that still ruled the South.

Instead, he called Morgan State College coach Earl "Papa Bear" Banks, who told him he could play but that he had no scholarships to give. It didn't take long for Lanier to earn a scholarship. By his senior season, he was a Small College All-American and attracting the attention of pro scouts. Lanier went on to become one of the greatest linebackers in football history. He earned a place in both the College and Pro Football halls of fame. He also returned to Richmond and became a successful businessman and community leader.




READ MORE, CLICK BLOG TITLE.