The top story …
The list of Black head football coaches being hired is virtually growing each day as we head into the new year. Especially at HBCUs.
Not in no particular order, the following coaches will be on new sidelines this coming season:
Shawn Gibbs (NCA&T), Jerry Mack (Kennesaw St.), Willie Simmons (FIU), Charles Huff (Southern Miss), Brennan Marion (Sacramento St), Michael Vick (Norfolk St), Adrian Jones (Elizabeth City St), Larry Williams (Coahoma (Calif) Community College), Tremaine Jackson (Prairie View A&M), Greg Ruffin (Shaw) and DeSean Jackson (Delaware St).
If speculation proves true, Ed Reed soon will be hired to coach Alabama A&M.
All except Vick and DeSean Jackson, former NFL stars have previous coaching experience, who some are calling “celebrity hires” as was Deion Sanders when he was hired by Jackson State in 2020, although the current Colorado HC did coach at the high school level before moving to college.
Instead let’s look at the hiring of Vick and Jackson as fellow former NFLer Eddie George, who has turned things around at Tennessee State since his hiring in 2021.
MEAC weekly basketball honors
The MEAC on Monday announced its weekly men’s and women’s basketball honors:
Men’s – Norfolk State graduate guard Brian Moore Jr. was named Player of the Week. Howard guard Blake Harper was named Rookie of the Week, and Coppin State senior guard Julius Ellerbe III made this week’s Defensive Player of the Week.
Women’s – Norfolk State guard Diamond Johnson was named MEAC Women’s Player of the Week. Howard guard Saniyah King was named Rookie of the Week, and Defensive Player of the Week honors goes to Coppin State forward Laila Lawrence.
NSU hoops on a roll
Both Norfolk State basketball teams enter league play later this week with impressive non-conference about .500 records.
The Spartans women are 12-4 overall after defeating Auburn last weekend, and went 5-1 in December.
Their men’s counterparts begins MEAC play with a 9-6 mark.
Finally …
The annual “money games” that most HBCU schools are forced to play against larger DI schools for guaranteed money, and with few exceptions, lopsided defeats are all but concluded as conference play begins this weekend.
After Prairie View WBB Coach Sandy Pugh lost to host Minnesota recently, she told the MSR that playing such games unfortunately is inevitable.
“In this day and age, it’s a money game,” Pugh bemoaned.