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News Nuggets, 12.27.03
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Petrino adds one-time ECU assistant Cassity to Cards staff

Mike Cassity, a defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Illinois last season and a one-time defensive coordinator at East Carolina, has been named secondary coach in charge of safeties at Louisville.

Cassity served on Bill Lewis's ECU staff in 1990-91 before following Lewis to Georgia Tech to become the Yellow Jackets' defensive coordinator.

With 28 years of total coaching experience, Cassity comes to Louisville after serving the last three seasons with the Fighting Illini. He tutored the safeties last year after spending the two previous campaigns coaching the cornerbacks — producing a second-round NFL draft choice in Eugene Wilson in 2002.

Cassity came to Illinois from Oklahoma State where he served as defensive coordinator for the Cowboys for two seasons. Prior to a two-year stint at OSU, Cassity served two seasons as the assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and secondary at Baylor.

He coached the secondary at Wisconsin in 1995-96 and has been a defensive coordinator at Cincinnati (1994), Georgia Tech (1992-93), East Carolina (1990-91), Northeast Louisiana (1989) and Western Kentucky (1983-88).

Cassity started his collegiate coaching career working with the defensive backs at Morehead State (1982) and Kentucky (1979-81).

A native of Fort Campbell, Ky., Cassity is married to the former Colleen Hartman. The family has four children: Brooke, Hunter, Skyler and Braden.

Scrutiny of Houston-Hawaii brawl underway

HONOLULU — Hawaii and Houston officials are assessing the fight between their football players in the Hawaii Bowl to determine if any disciplinary action is needed.

"We are going to take our time and review all the angles and video we have access to," Hawaii athletic director Herman Frazier said Friday. "There is no real timeline and we will leave no stone left unturned."

A nasty brawl broke out on the field just seconds after the Warriors (9-5) sealed a wild 54-48 triple-overtime victory over the Cougars (7-6) on Thursday night.

For several minutes, players swung helmets, wrestled with each other and threw punches and kicks before the fight was broken up by coaches, security personnel and police. No major injuries were reported.

Western Athletic Conference commissioner Karl Benson and Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky attended the game and witnessed the brawl.

"Karl had conversations with Britton and we all agree that this has no place in collegiate athletics, especially the sport of football," Frazier said in a statement. "It is disappointing this had to happen after such an exciting game.

"We will review the video tapes individually and get together to make appropriate disciplinary action."

Houston associate athletic director Chris Burkhalter said "the general consensus by the people in Houston and the people in Hawaii is that both teams are at fault."

"Emotions were running high, it was a triple-overtime game and I'm sure people were jawing back and forth — it just got out of hand," he said. "It's just a shame it ended that way because up to that point, we were treated very, very well throughout the whole time we were there. We had a great time."

Shortly after Hawaii stopped Houston on fourth down in the third OT, nearly 200 players poured onto the field and several scuffles broke out in the sea of black and white jerseys.

After the game, Hawaii coach June Jones said the referees let the game "get out of control" by allowing too much taunting.

The brawl was similar to one that broke out a year ago at Aloha Stadium between Hawaii and Cincinnati, also a Conference USA school. Players from both teams charged onto the field and had to be separated by police after scuffling for about five minutes following the Warriors' 20-19 comeback victory over the Bearcats on Nov. 24, 2002.

A day after that game, Cincinnati athletic director Bob Goin denounced Hawaii officials for creating what he described as an unsafe atmosphere during the game. "In my 40-year career, it's the worst game management that I have ever seen," he told the Associated Press. "It was terrible, and the University of Hawaii needs to clean it up."

Goin said Cincinnati fans, cheerleaders, coaches and players were harassed and threatened the entire game by Hawaii fans in the stands and on the sideline. "My wife was in the stands, and I feared for her," he said. "Who's in control? It was sad and disappointing."

Burkhalter voiced similar concerns Friday. "I know my wife, and the people she was with, were pretty scared for themselves because the Hawaii fans were throwing stuff at them and pouring beer on them," he said. "They were very fearful of, I wouldn't say their lives, but being hurt."

Fans above the tunnel leading to Houston's locker room also posed a problem, Burkhalter said. "Right above our locker room, they had fans throwing stuff at our players, too," he said. "I don't know what, water bottles or trash, but they had to get police for that, too."

Hawaii officials declined to comment about stadium security. Honolulu police Capt. Stephen Kim said if either school files a complaint, police would investigate.

Only 25,551 of the 50,000 seats were filled for the Christmas Day game, the smallest crowd of the season.

Bowl results/TV schedule for C-USA teams

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16
New Orleans Bowl
Memphis 27, North Texas (Sun Belt) 17
(ESPN 2) 7:00 pm

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18
GMAC Bowl
(14) Miami (OH) (MAC) 49, Louisville 28

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23
PlainsCapital Fort Worth Bowl
(16) Boise State (WAC) 34, (19) Texas Christian 31
(ESPN) 7:30 pm

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
Hawaii (WAC) 54, Houston 48 (3 OT)
(ESPN) 8:00 pm

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31
AXA Liberty Bowl
Southern Miss vs. (25) Utah (MWC)
(ESPN) 3:30 pm

All times Eastern.

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