VIEW THE MOBILE ALPHA VERSION OF THIS SITE

News Nuggets, 12.12.03
NOTES FROM ECU AND BEYOND...

Previous Day Nuggets...             Next Day Nuggets...

Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Ross retains Mumford on Black Knights staff

WEST POINT — New Army coach Bobby Ross' first hire was a familiar face to Black Knights football. Ross appointed former interim coach John Mumford as an assistant coach Thursday.

Mumford took over the coaching reigns for the Black Knights' last seven games this season after Todd Berry was fired Oct. 13. Mumford had been the defensive line coach since 2000.

Ross, hired earlier this week, said he plans to assemble the rest of his coaching staff in the coming weeks.

Army finished this season as the first college football team in NCAA history to finish 0-13. The Black Knights went 5-35 under Berry in his four seasons.

Hawaii's Jones overruled on bowl hesitation

HONOLULU — Hawaii coach June Jones can't pull his team out of the Hawaii Bowl because the school is contractually obligated to play in it, Western Athletic Conference commissioner Karl Benson said.

"Unless there's an unfortunate act of nature, they will play," Benson said Thursday. "We're expecting them to manage the process and to fulfill their obligations."

On Monday, Jones said he would pull his team from the Christmas Day game unless administrators made sure that all players were academically eligible. Jones later said he was confident he got his message across and that the Warriors (8-5) would play in the bowl game against Houston (7-5).

The Western Athletic Conference requires that student-athletes pass a minimum of six-credit hours in the fall semester leading up to a postseason competition.

Last year, university officials said they were unable to officially certify that players had met the requirement because of the short time between the posting of grades and the game.

After grades were submitted Dec. 28, 2002, starting quarterback Timmy Chang was found to have been ineligible after he received an incomplete in one course. The conference publicly reprimanded Hawaii, suspended Chang for this year's season opener and fined the school $5,000.

The university said grades will be posted this year on Dec. 23.

Nix among finalists for Broyles award

LITTLE ROCK — For the second year straight, Georgia defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder was named a finalist Thursday for the Broyles Award, given to the top assistant football coach in the nation.

Southern Mississippi defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix, the youngest of the nominees, is one of four other finalists for the eighth-annual award. He is joined by Minnesota offensive coordinator Mitch Browning, Michigan offensive coordinator Terry Malone and Miami of Ohio offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery.

The winner will be announced at a banquet in Little Rock during the first week of January.

The Broyles Award is named in honor of longtime Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles. In his 19-year tenure as the Razorbacks' coach, he had more than 25 assistants go on to become college and pro football head coaches, including Doug Dickey, Joe Gibbs, Hayden Fry, Jimmy Johnson, Johnny Majors, Jackie Sherrill and Barry Switzer.

Browning, 47, has helped No. 25 Minnesota (9-3) run over opponents and to its first nine-victory season since 1905 by producing the nation's No. 3 total offense at 501.42 yards per game.

Malone, 43, and his offense powered No. 4 Michigan (10-2) to the Big Ten title. His quarterback, John Navarre, is a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Davey O'Brien Quarterback Award. Senior running back Chris Perry is a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, and junior receiver Braylon Edwards is a Biletnikoff Award candidate.

Montgomery, 36, is one of the nation's youngest coordinators at No. 14 Miami of Ohio. The RedHawks (11-1) have won 10 in a row and produced the school's first national ranking since the mid-1970s.

Nix, 31, is even younger but he put together a Southern Mississippi defense that led the nation in fewest touchdown passes allowed with six and is among the top five in total touchdowns allowed. Southern Mississippi (9-3) set a new Conference USA record for eight league wins.

VanGorder, 44, lost four Bulldogs to the NFL last year and four starters to season-ending injuries, but his defense is even better than last year's SEC champions. Fifth-ranked Georgia (10-2) ranks second nationally in scoring defense at 11.8 points a game, just behind LSU, who it faces in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically from staff, ECU, Conference USA and its member schools, and from Associated Press and other reports. Copyright 2003 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Page Updated: 02/23/2007