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News Nuggets, 04.15.05
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Talk 1070 to air Purple-Gold 'Pigout' coverage

Greenville station WNCT-AM Talk 1070 will air pregame coverage of the annual East Carolina Purple-and-Gold Spring Game this Saturday.

The show, which will broadcast live from the "Fort Gameday" platform behind Scales Field House, is scheduled to begin airing at 11:00 a.m. and will lead into the the Pirate Sports Network's coverage of the East Carolina-Louisville baseball game at 1:00 p.m.

WNCT personality Patrick Johnson and Bonesville.net columnist Denny O'Brien will host the program, and will be joined by several guests throughout the show. Johnson and O'Brien tag-teamed to host 1070's football pregame show last fall.

East Carolina football coach Skip Holtz is among the guests tentatively scheduled to make a live appearance during the broadcast along with other ECU athletic department staffers and members of the media.

Marshall hires former Herd star as grid coach

HUNTINGTON — Ohio State defensive coordinator Mark Snyder was hired as Marshall's football coach Thursday, returning to the university where he set a school record for interceptions.

He received a five-year contract and succeeds Bob Pruett, who retired in March after nine seasons. Marshall went 6-6 last year and lost to Cincinnati in the Fort Worth Bowl. It was the school's first non-winning season in 21 years.

``We want to be the class of college football,'' Snyder said. ``We will be the class of college football. Thank you so much for bringing me home.''

Snyder takes over as Marshall prepares to play in Conference USA after eight seasons in the Mid-American Conference.

``Our goal is simple to do this: We want to win the conference championship. We want to get to a (Bowl Championship Series) bowl game,'' he said. ``We want to graduate all our players.''

Snyder's contract features a base salary of $144,200 a year. With promotional work and incentives, he could earn up to $478,000 a year. He also received a $50,000 bonus from a booster group.

Larry Kueck had served as interim coach after Pruett retired. He also interviewed for the job and ran the team's spring practices. Pruett and several former players, including quarterback Chad Pennington, wanted Kueck to be hired.

Snyder was Ohio State's defensive coordinator last season and its linebackers coach for three years before that. He also was an assistant at Minnesota, Central Florida and Youngstown State, where he served under current Ohio State coach Jim Tressel from 1991-96.

Snyder lettered one season at Marshall, 1987. He still holds the school record for interceptions in a season with 10.

He was on the Buckeyes' staff when Ohio State won the 2002 national championship. He coached against Marshall last fall when Ohio State beat the Thundering Herd 24-21 on Mike Nugent's 55-yard field goal with no time left.

Snyder also was with Youngstown State when it won the 1991 and 1993 I-AA title games against Marshall and lost to the Thundering Herd in the 1992 championship game.

Snyder said the success of Marshall football will hinge in part on fan support.

``We need that 12th man out there every Saturday in that stadium,'' he said.

Doherty heads Florida Atlantic candidates list

BOCA RATON — Former North Carolina coach Matt Doherty interviewed for the vacant position at Florida Atlantic and appears to be the front runner of the school's five finalists.

Doherty toured the campus and met with athletic director Craig Angelos and school president Frank Brogan on Wednesday. It isn't known when the school expects to announce a new coach.

Doherty's name was speculated on in connection with East Carolina's recent coaching search, which culminated in the hiring of South Carolina assistant and former Virginia Tech head coach Ricky Stokes.

The 43-year-old Doherty succeeded Bill Guthridge at North Carolina in 2000, but he lasted just three seasons, going 53-43 before resigning after the 2002-03 season.

He had previously served as head coach at Notre Dame for one season (22-15), and was an assistant for seven seasons at Kansas under current North Carolina coach Roy Williams.

Those previously interviewed by Florida Atlantic were former Brigham Young coach Roger Reid, Georgia Southern's Jeff Price and Norfolk State's Dwight Freeman. Former Tennessee coach Buzz Peterson had been slated to interview before he accepted the head job at Coastal Carolina on Wednesday.

Florida Atlantic is searching for a replacement for Sidney Green, who was fired last month after his third straight losing season.

Angelos said he and Brogan, both of whom are on the search committee, will meet to discuss the candidates.

``Everything will be put into the pot, mixed around, and contemplated,'' Angelos said.

Catamounts in the market for new hoops coach

CULLOWHEE — Steve Shurina will not return for a sixth season as basketball coach at Western Carolina, the school said Thursday.

Shurina has been reassigned to a teaching position for the duration of his contract, which expires at the end of the 2005-06 season, assistant athletics director Mike Cawood said. Shurina was appointed coach in April 2000 and compiled a 48-97 record over five seasons.

The announcement comes after the school conducted a review of the program's direction, athletics director Chip Smith said.

Shurina's first contract ran through the end of the 2003-04 season, but he signed a 2-year extension. The Catamounts went 8-22 this season, ending with a 69-57 loss to Georgia Southern in the first round of the Southern Conference tournament.

The school will launch a national search for Shurina's replacement.
 

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from Associated Press and other sources. Copyright 2005 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Page Updated: 02/23/2007 12:23 PM