Florida Assistant’s Resignation Could Be Linked To Miami Recruiting Scandal
The Name Teddy Bridgewater Ring A Bell
Florida announced assistant Aubrey Hill resigned Friday and that could mean something is brewing regarding the NCAA’s investigation of University of Miami as he was a recent assistant with the Hurricanes and was named in the Yahoo! Sports report that detailed his relationship with Sean Allen, a former equipment manager for the team that was also a friend of former Miami booster Nevin Shapiro.
Shapiro, who is in federal prison after pleading guilty to security fraud and money laudering, went public last year about how he provided impermissible benefits to Hurricanes players for several years. Multiple Miami players were suspended for games last season and the school self-imposed a postseason ban after the team finished 6-6.
In the Yahoo story from this July, phone records detailed Allen’s interaction with recruit Teddy Bridgewater in December of 2010. Allen also called Hill at the same time and he testified those calls preceded a meeting between Bridgewater and Miami coaches. That meeting occurred in the days after the school hired coach Al Golden.
Hill then left for Florida a few weeks later. Bridgewater eventually signed with Louisville.
Hill’s departure from Florida right before the start of practice lends credence to the notion that NCAA could finally be close to wrapping up its investigation almost one year after it started.
He will be replaced jointly by offensive coordinator Brent Pease and former graduate assistant Bush Hamdan.
“I have too much love and respect for this program to become a distraction as I deal with some personal issues,” Hill said in a statement. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to have worked with Coach Muschamp, a tremendous staff and great group of players. The future is very bright here and the University of Florida will always have a special place in my heart. Go Gators.”
Maryland Uniforms Draws Lots Of Attention
Under Armour Wins
Last night the University of Maryland defeated the Miami Hurricanes 32-24 in new head coach Randy Edsall’s debut. However the game was not about Edsall or the Hurricanes new coach Al Golden or even the recent NCAA investigation surrounding the school thanks to convicted felon Nevin Shapiro but instead the uniforms donned by the Terrapins designed by Under Armour.
The University of Maryland’s new uniforms dominated Twitter and Google. The Terrapins emerged from the locker room with new white uniforms patterned after the state flag. They wore wild helmets spashed with red and white on the left side and black and yellow on the right, and the pattern continued to the shoulders. Unfortunately the new uniforms drew hate and laughter from athletes and media members throughout Monday night. LeBron James of the Miami Heat tweeted:
“OH GOSH. Maryland uniforms. #Ewwwwww!”
ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas tweeted:
“The 1970′s Houston Astros have just released a statement that they would not be caught dead in the new Maryland football uniforms.”
What James, Bilas and most everyone fail to realize though is the uniforms really did create a national buzz for Maryland even if it was uncomplimentary.
To see the Terps 32 different uniform combinations they have planned for the rest of the season click HERE.
Donna Shalala Writes Open Letter & Says She’s Deeply Troubled
Give Me That Money
Miami President Donna Shalala said Sunday that she is “” in a letter published in The Miami Herald by the questions and allegations raised in recent weeks against the university’s athletic department. The NCAA and the university have been investigating if members of the athletic department including 15 current student-athletes broke rules in their dealings with convicted Ponzi scheme architect Nevin Shapiro.
“These past two weeks have been very painful for me. Here’s my commitment: I will do, and we will do, everything possible to find the truth, learn from any mistakes and take measures to prevent any such behavior from happening again,” Shalala wrote.
Shalala also said that the NCAA is taking the lead in the joint investigation into the matter. Football coach Al Golden has said that the school asked the NCAA to begin a reinstatement process last week, and university officials expect to hear a decision in the coming days.
“It is way too early to know all of the details but the allegations alone cause serious concerns,” Shalala wrote.
The letter marks the third time Shalala has issued a statement about the scandal. Outside of one interview with student media at the university, she has not been available for questions.
“We have committed to the NCAA every possible resource to get to the bottom of all this,” Shalala wrote. “We promised the NCAA we would not comment on any specifics until the investigation runs its course. We continue to honor that commitment.”
“If we do all this right — and we will — we will take the necessary actions to make sure we have the most compliant program possible,” Shalala wrote. “If we do this right — and we will — we will move on stronger and be better prepared for the future.”
Miami opens its season at Maryland on Sept. 5.
NCAA College Football Coaching Carousel Has Stopped
Only Time Will Tell
Round and round it goes. The more it spins, the more we know. So exactly what have we learned now that the hire of Bill Blakenship by Tulsa has officially ended the coaching carousel in college football landscape. Nine head coaches were fired, five resigned, and seven left to take another head coaching position at another school. Here’s a complete list of all the college football coaching changes.
ARKANSAS STATE
OUT – Steve Roberts: Resigned on November 29 after going 45-63 in 9 seasons
IN – Hugh Freeze: Promoted from offensive coordinator December 2
BALL STATE
OUT – Stan Parrish: Fired November 22 after going 6-19 in 2 seasons
IN – Pete Lembo: Elon University head coach…hired December 20
COLORADO
OUT – Dan Hawkins: Fired November 9 after going 19-39 in 5 seasons
IN – Jon Embree: Washington Redskins tight ends coach…hired December 5
UCONN
OUT – Randy Edsall: Hired at Maryland on January 2 after going 65-46 in 12 seasons
IN – Paul Pasqualoni: Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator…hired January 13
FLORIDA
OUT – Urban Meyer: Resigned December 8 after going 64-15 in 6 seasons
IN – Will Muschamp: Texas defensive coordinator…hired December 11
INDIANA
OUT – Bill Lynch: Fired November 28 after going 19-30 in 4 seasons
IN – Kevin Wilson: Oklahoma offensive coordinator….hired December 7
KENT STATE
OUT: Doug Martin. Resigned Nov. 21 after going 28-53 in seven seasons
IN: Darrell Hazell, Ohio State assistant head coach/wide receivers coach. Hired Dec. 20.
LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE
OUT: Rickey Bustle. Fired Nov. 27 after going 41-65 in eight seasons
IN: Mark Hudspeth, Mississippi State wide receiver coach/passing game coordinator. Hired Dec. 12.
MARYLAND
OUT: Ralph Friedgen. Fired Dec. 20 after going 74-50 in 10 seasons
IN: Randy Edsall, Connecticut head coach. Hired Jan. 2.
MIAMI
OUT: Randy Shannon. Fired Nov. 27 after going 28-22 in four seasons
IN: Al Golden, Temple coach. Hired Dec. 12.
MIAMI OF OHIO
OUT: Mike Haywood, hired at Pittsburgh on Dec. 16 after going 10-15 in two seasons. (Haywood was fired Jan. 1 after he was arrested on domestic violence charges.)
IN: Don Treadwell, Michigan State offensive coordinator. Hired Dec. 31.
MICHIGAN
OUT: Rich Rodriguez. Fired Jan. 5 after going 15-22 in three seasons.
In: Brady Hoke, San Diego State coach. Hired Jan. 11.
MINNESOTA
OUT: Tim Brewster. Fired Oct. 17 after going 15-30 in four seasons
IN: Jerry Kill, Northern Illinois coach. Hired Dec. 5.
NORTH TEXAS
OUT: Todd Dodge. Fired Oct. 20 after going 6-37 in four seasons
IN: Dan McCarney, Florida defensive line coach and assistant head coach. Hired Nov. 30.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
OUT: Jerry Kill. Hired at Minnesota on Dec. 5 after going 23-16 in three seasons.
IN: Dave Doeren, Wisconsin defensive coordinator. Hired Dec. 13.
PITTSBURGH
OUT: Dave Wannstedt. Resigned Dec. 7 after going 42-31 in six seasons
IN: Todd Graham, Tulsa coach. Hired Jan. 10.
SAN DIEGO STATE
OUT: Brady Hoke, hired at Michigan after going 13-12 in two seasons.
IN: Rocky Long, promoted from defensive coordinator Jan. 13.
STANFORD
OUT: Jim Harbaugh. Hired as San Francisco 49ers head coach Jan. 7 after going 29-21 in four seasons.
IN: David Shaw, Stanford offensive coordinator. Hired Jan. 13.
TEMPLE
OUT: Al Golden, hired at Miami after going 27-34 in five seasons.
IN: Steve Addazio, Florida offensive coordinator. Hired Dec. 23.
TULSA
OUT: Todd Graham, hired at Pittsburgh after going 36-17 in four seasons
IN: Bill Blankenship, promoted from senior associate head coach/running back coach.
VANDERBILT
OUT: Robbie Caldwell. Resigned Nov. 27 after going 2-10 in one season
IN: James Franklin, Maryland offensive coordinator. Hired Dec. 17.
Primetime College Football: Hyundai Sun Bowl
TALENT
This game goes down on the CBS network and it features the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish taking on the University of Miami Hurricanes in the 76th annual Hyundai Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
Notre Dame, 7-5, 11 of the 12 games that Fighting Irish played this season came against bowl eligible teams. First year head coach Brian Kelly clearly has his squad playing with a wealth of confidence after being hit hard with the by injury bug during the season.
Notre Dame lost quarterback Dayne Crist in the ninth game and Kyle Rudolph to injuries. The offense looks quite different now then at the start of the season who are lead by Tommy Rees. Rees has completed 63 percent of his passes for 905 yards with 10 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. His favorite target as of late is Michael Floyd who has 916 yards and 10 touchdowns in the 11 games that he has played. The Fighting Irish are scoring 25 ppg behind 378.2 total ypg and the 36 touchdowns the team has scored 26 have been passing.
Definsively Manti Te’o is the man to watch, as the linebacker has 127 total tackles, including 9.5 tackles for loss.
Miami, 7-5, 5-3 ACC, the Hurricanes fired head coach Randy Shannon before the conclusion of the season after the team once again fell short of expectations. Miami then decided that former Temple head coach Al Golden was the right man for the job. Golden becomes the 22nd head coach in the history of Hurricane football and has a proven track record of rebuilding programs. After taking over the Owls, who went 0-11 the season prior to his arrival, Golden led his team to a 17-5 record over the last 22 regular-season games.
Golden was an excellent hire by Miami however won’t be on the sidelines in the Sun Bowl, as that job will fall to holdover offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland.
Jacory Harris is the teams quarterback who has thrown for 1,756 yards and 14 scores with 12 interceptions and missed the last three games of the season due to injury. Miami has one of the nations top wide reciever in Leonard Hankerson,who has accounted for 66 receptions 1,085 yards and 12 touchdowns, that leads the in all three categories. Damien Berry does the bulk of the carries in the rushing game with his 865 yards and 5 touchdowns while second option Lamar Miller has 6ix touchdowns and 633 yards.
Sean Spence is a man to watch on defense as he has 17 tackles for loss and 101 tackles.
Miami owns an all-time bowl record of 19-16 while Notre Dame is 14-15 all-time in bowls. The Fighting Irish and Hurricanes are set to face off for the 24th time, with the two teams meeting for the first time since 1990. Notre Dame holds a 15-7-1 series lead.
PICK: University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Primetime College Football: Chippewas vs Owls
TALENT
This game goes down on the ESPNU network and it features Central Michigan University Chippewas taking on the Temple University Owls at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Mid American Conference champions Central Michigan got off to a good start under new head coach Dan Enos as his Chippewas defeated Hampton 33-0 this past Saturday. The Chippewas have owned the MAC over the previous four seasons, winning three of the last four league titles.
Coach Enos wasn’t the only thing new for the Chippewas as they where moving forward without college footballs all time leader Dan LeFevour in combined touchdowns. The Chippewas new quarterback sophomore Ryan Radcliff, 20-34 242 one touchdown, also had an impressive debut. Kito Poblah is the top returning receiver and started the season off right with 4 catches and 45 yards. Central Michigan got major contributions from its ground game from the likes of Paris Cotton, 94 yards one touchdown, and Carl Volny, 52 yards one touchdown.
The Chippewas defense also had an impressive debut for coach Enos as they forced two turnovers and held Hampton to 80 yards in the air.
The Owls season opened with a thrilling victory over Villanova in the Mayor’s Cup. Al Golden’s squad needed a 43-yard field goal by Brandon McManus in the final seconds of regulation and on the ensuing kickoff the Owls returned a fumble, giving them a 31-24 decision. The Owls have won six straight home contests and with a victory over Central Michigan would tie a school-record of seven consecutive victories.
The Owls got a better showing from last years quarterback Chester Stewart, 200 yards one touchdown on 16-of-27, as he connected with Michael Campbell, 8 catches 127 yards and one touchdown. The ground game also showed up for the Owls as Bernard Pierce, 75 yards, and Matt Brown, 54 yards one touchdown, helped Temple display a real balance attack on offense.
The Owls defense was nothing to report about especially in the run game where they allowed 4.3 yards per carry. Defensive end Adrian Robinson recorded 5 tackles and one sack.
This will be the third meeting between these two schools as Central Michigan holds a 2-0 edge over Temple that includes a 24-14 victory over the Owls back in 2008.
PICK: Temple University Owls
Louisiana Tech University Hires Arizona Coordinator Sonny Dykes
2006 Mike Campbell Top Assistant Award Winner
Louisiana Tech hired Arizona offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes as head coach to replace Derek Dooley who left for the University of Tennessee head coaching position. At age 40, Dykes becomes one of the nation’s youngest coaches in the country joining coach Dooley and Temple coach Al Golden as the youngest.
Dykes has coached in college for 15 years and has been with Arizona since 2007, serving as both offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He has never been a college head coach.
He won the 2006 Mike Campbell Top Assistant Award, presented by the All-American Football Foundation, and was a nominee for the 2009 Broyles Award, which goes to the nation’s top assistant coach.
Dykes is the son of former longtime Texas Tech coach Spike Dykes. He played baseball for the Red Raiders in college and later returned to Lubbock to become an assistant football coach on Mike Leach’s staff. Dykes runs a spread offense that helped revive Arizona’s offense, which had struggled under coach Mike Stoops.
The Wildcats set numerous school passing records under Dykes and finished 10th in the country in passing in 2007. This season, Arizona won eight games and averaged 384.5 yards and 27.4 points per game.
He coached at Texas Tech for seven seasons under Leach, rising to co-offensive coordinator in 2005.
Louisiana Tech was 4-8 last season, finishing tied for fifth in the Western Athletic Conference at 3-5.
