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News Nuggets, 08.29.04
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Keydets hire Pirates' strength and conditioning boss

East Carolina Director of Strength and Conditioning Jim Whitten has departed the school for a position in his native state of Virginia.

Virginia Military Institute Athletic Director Donny White announced Friday that Whitten, 37, has been named Associate Head Strength Coach of the Keydets' program.

Whitten arrives at VMI, which is located in Lexington, VA, after serving a three and half year stint at ECU.

While at ECU, Whitten oversaw the strength and conditioning programs for the Pirate football and men's basketball teams for three years. More recently, he headed up the strength programs for ECU's men’s basketball, baseball, softball, men’s track, men’s and women’s soccer, and swimming teams.

“I’m really excited to be at a prestigious institution like VMI,” said Whitten in a statement issued by the Keydets athletic department.

“There are many reasons why I’m excited about this," stated Whitten, including the opportunity to work with great people such as Donny White, Cal McCombs, and Jimmy Coale.”

Coale is the Keydets' head strength and conditioning coach.

Whitten will begin his new job this week.

Prior to his tenure at ECU, Whitten was head strength and conditioning coach for Charlotte from July 1999 to Feb. 2001. He was also assistant strength and conditioning coach at his alma mater, Virginia Tech, for two years after serving as a graduate assistant in the program for two years.

“Jimmy Whitten has an impressive background in strength training and we feel fortunate to have him at VMI,” said White in the announcement. “We are very excited to have Jimmy as our Associate Head Strength Coach. He will work with our football team as well as other sports.”

Whitten was a defensive end standout for the Hokies and was named the team’s Co-MVP as well as most valuable defensive lineman in 1990. He also held the Captain’s Award for Hokie Football in 1990.

Whitten earned a Bachelor of Science in Education at Virginia Tech in 1991 and earned a Masters of Arts in Counseling Education at Virginia Tech in 1996.

A native of Danville, Va., Whitten and his wife, Eileen, have two children — daughter Mandolin (23 months), and son Luke (8 months).

Remorseful Huggins hits the ground running

CINCINNATI — A contrite Bob Huggins returned to work as Cincinnati's basketball coach Friday after university officials suspended him following his drunken driving conviction in June and told him to rehabilitate himself.

Huggins said he spent his days fishing and reconnecting with his family — a daughter gave him his first crew cut since high school — and reflecting on how he had let down those close to him.

"I made a terrible mistake, and what bothers me most is I hurt other people," Huggins said. "All I can do is work like crazy to be a better person, a better coach, be better at everything I do and make those people proud of me."

Eager to get back with his players and assistant coaches, Huggins telephoned recruits just after midnight and returned to Cincinnati's basketball arena the next day.

The 50-year-old Huggins, who had a heart attack in September 2002 and continued coaching, said he adopted a new routine in the unfamiliar atmosphere of a summer off.

"I was walking five to seven miles a day. I thought about jogging — but that passed," he said.

"I got up at 5:30 in the morning, would go out on the lake and sometimes not come back to the house until 9:30 at night. It's a nice thing to sit out there and fish and have some peace and not have the phone ringing," he added.

Huggins has coached Cincinnati since 1989 and taken the Bearcats to 13 straight appearances in the NCAA tournament.

After Huggins was placed on paid suspension in June, university officials put top assistant coach Dan Peters in charge. When Ohio State hired Peters as an assistant, former Cincinnati and NBA great Oscar Robertson was asked to run the program until Huggins returned.

Huggins declined to discuss what the school required him to do before he returned.

Following his arrest June 8 in suburban Cincinnati, Huggins pleaded no contest to driving under the influence. He was ordered to attend a three-day, state-certified intervention program required after a DUI conviction.

Southern Cal handles Hokies in BCA bout

LANDOVER, MD — Reggie Bush came out of the backfield to give Southern California a new big-play receiver. The tailback caught three long touchdown passes to help the top-ranked Trojans beat Virginia Tech 24-13 in a sloppy opener Saturday night in the Black Coaches Association Classic.

"He's a special player and he proved it tonight," USC quarterback Matt Leinart said. "He's real fast, he's got great hands and he can make defenses kind of look silly out there sometimes."

Bush caught five passes for 127 yards in the biggest game of this season's first college football weekend. The clash was telecast by ESPN.

Bryan Randall led the Hokies with his arm and legs, throwing for 153 yards and a score, and rushing for 82 yards. It was enough to make the defending champions work hard, but not nearly enough to pull the upset.

The Trojans played their first game in two seasons without star receiver Mike Williams. USC found out Thursday that Williams would not be reinstated by the NCAA after his failed attempt to enter the NFL draft.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically from staff, ECU, Conference USA and its member schools, and from Associated Press and other reports. Copyright 2004 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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