Culver Column: FAMU got its coach, now give him time

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Let’s start with the obvious: Alex Wood is a good hire for Florida A&M’s next head coach.

Wood comes equipped with decades of coaching experience at the collegiate and NFL levels. He’s known as an offensive mastermind capable of getting the most of the personnel he has while implementing potent schemes.

Last season, as interim head coach at Buffalo, Wood went 2-2 and led a team that averaged 438.2 yards per game on offense. He was on staff for Miami teams that won the national title in 1989 and 1991 and has even coached the likes of NFL Pro-Bowler Daunte Culpepper.

He’s the proven winner with NFL experience and a strong vision that everyone who hangs out in the comments section of FAMU football stories has been clamoring for.

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VIDEO COURTESY FAMU ATHLETICS

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In CIAA, it's always hoops season

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- No offense to football, volleyball, track and field or baseball, but the CIAA revolves around basketball.

When the league kicks off basketball season with its preseason media day in October, attention turns to February and Charlotte, site of the postseason tournament. In Division II, the CIAA tournament is still the biggest dog on the block, rivaled only by the ACC and Big East in all the land regardless of division.

It’ll also be in Charlotte for at least six more years after the city, CIAA and the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority reached an agreement in September.



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2014 The Sports Network FCS All-America Team

With position, player, school, class, height, weight:

First Team - Offense
QB - John Robertson, Villanova, Jr., 6-1, 221

RB - Marshaun Coprich, Illinois State, Jr., 5-9, 205; Gus Johnson, Stephen F. Austin, Sr., 5-10, 224; Zach Zenner, South Dakota State, Sr., 6-0, 220

FB - Seth Fisher, Richmond, Jr., 6-2, 232

WR - DeAndre Carter, Sacramento State, Sr., 5-10, 185; R.J. Harris, New Hampshire, Sr., 6-0, 201; Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington, So., 6-2, 195

TE - MyCole Pruitt, Southern Illinois, Sr., 6-3, 255

OL - Joe Haeg, North Dakota State, Jr., 6-6, 299; Mason Halter, Fordham, Sr., 6-8, 297; Chad Hamilton, Coastal Carolina, Sr., 6-3, 305; Max Holcombe, Jacksonville State, Sr., 6-3, 290; Collin Seibert, Eastern Illinois, Sr., 6-4, 290

AP - David Johnson, Northern Iowa, Sr., 6-1, 229

PK - John Lunsford, Liberty, PK, 6-1, 180

KR - Pokey Harris, Murray State, Sr., 5-10, 173

First Team - Defense

DL - Kyle Emanuel, North Dakota State, Sr., 6-3, 251; Javon Hargrave, South Carolina State, Jr., 6-2, 295; Davis Tull, Chattanooga, Sr., 6-3, 240; Zack Wagenmann, Montana, Sr., 6-3, 250

LB - Quinn Backus, Coastal Carolina, Sr., 5-10, 215; Don Cherry, Villanova, Jr., 6-1, 221; Nick Dzubnar, Cal Poly, Sr., 6-2, 250; Connor Underwood, Indiana State, Jr., 6-3, 240

DB - Jacob Hagen, Liberty, Sr., 6-3, 205; Donald Payne, Stetson, So., 6-0, 215; Christian Ricard, Stony Brook, Sr., 6-1, 205; Jaquiski Tartt, Samford, Sr., 6-1, 218

P - Kyle Loomis, Portland State, Sr., 6-2, 230

LS - Chris Highland, Illinois State, Sr., 6-2, 230

PR - Antonio Hamilton, South Carolina State, Jr., 6-0, 185

Second Team - Offense

QB - Vernon Adams Jr., Eastern Washington, Jr., 6-0, 200

RB - John Crockett, North Dakota State, Sr., 6-0, 215; Chase Edmonds, Fordham, Fr., 5-9, 185; Tyler Varga, Yale, Jr., 5-11, 220

FB - Brandon Howe, Cal Poly, Sr., 6-2, 225

WR - Adam Drake, Eastern Illinois, Sr., 6-2, 199; Darrin Peterson, Liberty, Jr., 6-2, 190; Brian Wetzel, Fordham, Sr., 5-11, 190

TE - Harold Spears, New Hampshire, Sr., 6-4, 255

OL - Cole Caruthers, Central Arkansas, Sr., 6-4, 292; Nick Easton, Harvard, Sr., 6-3, 300; Antoine Everett, McNeese State, Sr., 6-3, 325; Darren Pinnock, Morgan State, Sr., 6-4, 330; Jake Rodgers, Eastern Washington, Sr., 6-6, 315; Jack Rummells, Northern Iowa, Sr., 6-5, 300

AP - Johnta Hebert, Prairie View A&M, Jr., 5-10, 195

PK - Michael Schmadeke, Northern Iowa, Jr., 5-10, 181

KR - Devin Rahming, Duquesne, Sr., 5-11, 170

Second Team - Defense

DL - Jeff Covitz, Bryant, Sr., 6-2, 255; James Cowser, Southern Utah, Jr., 6-4; 244; Zack Hodges, Harvard, Sr., 6-3, 235; Alec May, Georgetown, Sr., 6-4, 255; Xavier Williams, Northern Iowa, Sr., 6-2, 309

LB - Tony Bell, UT Martin, Sr., 6-1, 200; Evan Byers, Bucknell, Sr., 6-0, 235; Isiah Corbett, Southeastern Louisiana, Sr., 6-3, 250; Lynden Trail, Norfolk State, Sr., 6-7, 250

DB - Colten Heagle, North Dakota State, Sr., 5-11, 206; Gordon Hill, Sacred Heart, Sr., 6-0, 220; De'Ante Saunders, Tennessee State, Sr., 5-11, 220; Caleb Schaffitzel, Missouri State, Sr., 6-0, 215

P - Ben LeCompte, North Dakota State, Jr., 5-10, 200

LS - Phil Faccone, Wagner, Sr., 5-9, 195

PR - Ladarius Vanlier, Tennessee Tech, Jr., 5-8, 175

Third Team - Offense

QB - Justin Arias, Idaho State, Sr., 6-1, 210

RB - Malcolm Cyrus, Alabama State, Sr., 5-10, 180; Khairi Dickson, Saint Francis, Jr., 6-0, 182; Connor Kacsor, Dayton, Sr., 6-0, 200; Dy'Shawn Mobley, Eastern Kentucky, Jr., 5-11, 217

FB - Andrew Bonnet, North Dakota State, Jr., 6-3, 250

WR - Chris King, Duquesne, Jr., 6-1, 196; Mark Roberts, Lamar, Sr., 6-3, 190; Jake Wieneke, South Dakota State, Fr., 6-4, 205

TE - Nick Boyle, Delaware, Sr., 6-6, 270

OL - Jermaine Barton, Illinois State, Sr., 6-7, 315; Mike Coccia, New Hampshire, Sr., 6-3, 301; Cornelius Edison, Portland State, Sr., 6-3, 295; Vince Kowalski, Villanova, Sr., 6-4, 298; Corey Levin, Chattanooga, So., 6-5, 285; Jaime Martinez, Sacred Heart, Sr., 6-4, 340

AP - Tarik Cohen, North Carolina A&T, So., 5-6, 172; Chandler Curtis, Mercer, Fr., 5-10, 186

PK - Ryan McCrum, Southeast Missouri, So., 6-0, 228

KR - Xavier Roberson, Southeastern Louisiana, Jr., 5-9, 180

Third Team - Defense

DL - P.J. Hall, Sam Houston State, Fr., 6-1, 270; Sage Harold, James Madison, Sr., 6-4, 245; Mike Reilly, William & Mary, Sr., 6-4, 265; Devaunte Sigler, Jacksonville State, Jr., 6-5, 292; Gary Wilkins, Furman, Sr., 6-3, 240; Jonathan Woodard, Central Arkansas, Jr., 6-6, 271

LB - Kourtney Berry, Alabama State, So., 6-0, 215; Christon Gill, Western Carolina, Sr., 6-0, 225; Jerome Howard, Prairie View A&M, Sr., 6-0, 216; Mike Zeuli, Princeton, Sr., 6-2, 230

DB - Imoan Claiborne, Northwestern State, Sr., 5-11, 187; Jarrett Dieudonne, Wagner, Sr., 6-1, 190; Matt Hermanson, Montana, Sr., 6-1, 198; Jermaine Hough, Jacksonville State, Jr., 5-10, 180; Tye Smith, Towson, Sr., 6-0, 170

P - Lachlan Edwards, Sam Houston State, Jr., 6-5, 214

LS - Shane Ballard, Coastal Carolina, Sr., 6-3, 210

PR - Michael Jones, North Carolina Central, So., 5-10, 180

In the FCS Huddle: Top 10 FCS stories of the year

EXCERPT:

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (SportsNetwork.com) --  North Dakota State football has been the story of the decade in the FCS, but in 2014 the Bison have had some sharing to do within their Missouri Valley Football Conference.

Illinois State earned a share of the Valley title alongside NDSU and, although both programs didn't meet in the regular season, they will square off in the FCS championship game on Jan. 10 in Frisco, Texas - the first time the two national finalists are members of the same FCS conference.

Here's a Top 10 countdown of a memorable 2014 across the FCS, dominated by you-know-what conference:

6. Grambling Revival - First-year coach Broderick Fobbs turned around the fortunes of Grambling State, his alma mater, a year after a turbulent season in which there was three different coaches in charge, the players staged a six- day walkout in protest of conditions in the program and refused to travel to a game at Jackson State - forcing the Southwestern Athletic Conference program into a forfeit - and the Tigers won only one game for a second consecutive season. Under Fobbs, the historically black national power won its first seven SWAC games and nearly reached the conference championship game in a 7-5 campaign.

2. Coaching Carousel - The head coaching changes for 2014 got a head start late last year and it wasn't pretty. An unsettling 28 of the 124 FCS programs - a whopping 22.6 percent - had new head coaches this season. The big successes included Fobbs (Grambling State), Klieman (North Dakota State), Greg Gattuso (Albany), John Grass (Jacksonville State), Everett Withers (James Madison), Lee Hull (Morgan State), Jody Sears (Sacramento State), K.C. Keeler (Sam Houston State) and Clint Conque (Central Arkansas). The big-name changes after this season included former Nebraska coach Bo Pelini stepping into a ready-to-go situation at Youngstown State, Brian Jenkins leaving Bethune-Cookman for Alabama State and Bob Stitt replacing the retiring Mick Delaney at Montana.

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Duquesne Dukes Returns to Action on Dec. 28 vs. Maryland Eastern Shore

DUQUESNE MEN'S BASKETBALL GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Game 10	Maryland Eastern Shore (6-8) at Duquesne (4-5)
Date | Time	Sunday, December 28, 2014 | 2:00 p.m. ET
Location	A.J. Palumbo Center (4,406) | Pittsburgh, Pa.
Game Notes	Complete Game Notes
Live Video	A-10 Digital Network (click "live events" tab)
Radio	ESPN 970 AM / iHeartRadio / 3WS HD2
Streaming Audio	Red Zone Media
Live Statistics	Gametracker
Live Statistics	StatBroadcast
Social Media	@ GoDuquesne
Tickets	call 412-232-DUKE (3853)

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania -- Duquesne leads the series 2-0 ... this is the first meeting since a 74-71 DU overtime win on Dec. 31, 2002 ... UMES, which finished 6-24 last year, is in its first season under Bobby Collins ... Collins came to UMES from Winston-Salem State where he led three of his last four teams to the NCAA Division II tournament.

UMES THIS YEAR
Maryland Eastern Shore, which opened the season with eight-straight games away from home, has won five of its past seven ... the Hawks, who have played 14 games, are 2-1 against the A-10 with a 106-66 loss at VCU (Nov. 20), a 72-66 win at Fordham (Nov. 29) and an 82-80 win at St. Bonaventure in their last game on Dec. 22 ... UMES had not defeated a current A-10 team in 45 years prior to the win at Fordham ... UMES, which went nearly four years without a non-conference road win, is 3-5 on the road, the Hawks ended the streak with a 53-41 win at Mount St. Mary's on Nov. 19 ... 10 days later, they won at Fordham ... this is the third of six more consecutive road games for UMES ... leading scorer, 6-9, 245-pound Michael Myers, has taken a page out of the Ovie Soko scoring book ... Myers (14.0 ppg.), who played junior college ball at Angelina (Tex.) JC, has gone to the line 114 times in 14 games (8.1 attempts per game) ... Soko, who is currently playing professionally in France, averaged a school record 9.6 FTA/g.last season for the Dukes.

UMES UPENDS BONNIES
Maryland Eastern Shore is coming off an impressive 82-80 win at St. Bonaventure on Dec. 22 ... the Hawks, who led by as many as 16 in the first half, shot 53.7 percent, including 10-of-17 from 3-point ... Michael Myers led five Hawks in double figures with 19 points ... Devin Martin (17 points) and Ryn Andino (12 points) hit four 3-pointers each for the Hawks ... Martin (4-7), Andino (4-6) and Devon Walker (2-4, 12 points) were the only three players to attempt a 3-pointer for UMES ... the 82 points were 10 more than UMES' previous season high (in a 72-66 road win over another Atlantic 10 school, Fordham, on Nov. 29).

LEFTOVERS FROM UMASS LOWELL
Leftovers from Duquesne's 79-63 win over UMass Lowell on Saturday, Dec. 20: Duquesne ended a four-game losing streak by shooting .518 from the field, including a Jim Ferry Era-best 12-of-20 (.600) from 3-point ... Micah Mason, who entered the game 6-of-26 from the arc in his four previous games (20 total pts.), hit all five of his 3-point attempts in scoring a team-high 17 points ... Derrick Colter, Jordan Robinson and Jordan Stevens added 10 points each ... Robinson's point total was a career high, as were Stevens' seven assists ... the Dukes assisted on 21 of 29 field goals ... Dominique McKoy, in his first start of the year, had a game high-tying six rebounds ... all 15 Dukes in uniform played ... DU led by 29 before emptying the bench ... the Dukes outscored the River Hawks 23-9 in fast break points and 36-12 in bench points ... DU went 7-of-11 from 3-point in jumping out to a 40-24 halftime lead ... DU outrebounded UML 37-27.

COURTESY DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Jenkins' B-CU departure leads top local college stories of 2014

COACH BRIAN JENKINS

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  --It had become a December routine.

Bethune-Cookman football coach Brian Jenkins, fresh off another wildly successful season, would interview with another school and then remain with the Wildcats.

But this year, Jenkins broke the routine and ended his five-year tenure at B-CU.

Jenkins' departure for Alabama State earlier this month leads the News-Journal's top 10 local college stories of 2014.

Departures, arrivals and returns highlight the list. In the same year the NAIA football championships arrived in Daytona Beach, Embry-Riddle announced it will be leaving that organization to compete on the NCAA Division II level.

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Howard's Terrence Tusan's motives a mystery

DENTON, Texas  -- A former coach and family friend of the Howard Bison running back who was one of two suspects fatally shot during an attempted robbery in Texas says Terrence Neal Tusan was a "good kid" and student.

Tusan, 22, was killed on Sunday at a Denton, Texas, apartment complex. Denton police say five people were involved in some sort of altercation during the home-invasion robbery.

"He was a good kid," Clarence Nevels, a former coach and mentor to Tusan, told the Denton Record-Chronicle. "He had good grades and was just down at AT&T Stadium for Thanksgiving Day Madness Youth Football speaking to students about believing in themselves."

Tusan, who was at home on holiday break from the Washington D.C., school, was killed along with 18-year-old Jakobi Dmon Gipson.

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