News and Notes from East Carolina, Conference USA and Beyond

PREVIOUS NUGGETS

07.08.06: Former ECU slugger Hastings joins BC staff ... Tar Heel baseball stars transition to pros ... Rice's Britton packing to play in Philippines

07.07.06: Report: No. 1 prep hoops star choosing USC ... Motorcycle wreck claims Georgia Southern star ... NBA exhibition games coming to Dean Dome

07.06.06: Owls' St. Clair chosen for Team USA baseball ... Houston, Rice rookies make all-frosh team ... Case-era Pack hoops legend Dickey passes

07.05.06: National honors piling up for Houston's Lincoln ... Wade's wallet now packs a wallop ... Duke gets QB from prestigious prep program

07.04.06: Howard joins ECU media relations staff ... Bertman leads college baseball hall's first class ... Temple gets prized hometown grid recruit

07.03.06: Paper: C of C and Cremins come to agreement ... Four depart Oregon in search of playing time ... Gator recruit wins national prep QB award

07.02.06: College of Charleston hires Bobby Cremins ... Duke gets pair of football commitments ... Georgia Tech baseball coach gets extra year ... Big Sky Conference expands by one

07.01.06: SI.com columnist rates O'Leary among best ... Bogdan, Floyd get top awards in C-USA track ... Northwestern mourns passing of Walker

06.30.06: NCAA gives new life to Houston bowl game ... Memphis duo makes school history in NBA draft ... LSU selects Mainieri to direct baseball program ... Marshall backpedals back to Winthrop

06.29.06: BCS to tweak timing of weekly poll ... Louisville to push two players for Heisman ... Redick fares well in draft despite impediments

06.28.06: Postgraduate scholarship goes to ECU's Davenport ... UCF center foregoes final year of eligibility ... Sinclair named women's athlete of the year

06.27.06: Beavers beat Heels to win College World Series ... Irish baseball coach to interview for LSU job ... Cal quarterback suspended after assault charge

06.26.06: Mustangs lead
C-USA teams in Director's Cup ... Tulane AD receives prestigious service award ... Calipari racking up some broadcast work

06.25.06: Coal industry to sponsor Marshall-WVU series ... Mountaineers extend Rodriguez deal to 2012 ... Vols add non-league challenges

06.24.06: Del Conte takes reins as AD at Rice ... Contact at combine means fine for Emory ... UNCW aligns with adidas for shoes, uniforms

06.23.06: Witter starts professional ball with a flourish ... Big Ben's little sister commits to Sooners ... Wake Forest football recruit faces felony charges

06.22.06: Big Ten scores momentous television deals ... Former ECU diver Derr to coach at JMU ... Grizzlies turn to Tinkle on hardwood

06.21.06: Troth returns to the fold as ECU assistant ... College of Charleston, Herrion settle on buyout ... Another national award for Houston's Lincoln

06.20.06: ECU announces long-term pact with Nike ... Pirates release women's soccer schedule ... Three C-USA linemen on Outland Trophy list

06.19.06: USM-Memphis game shifts to Sunday for ESPN ... Tar Heels AD Baddour gets contract extension ... U.S. Women's open to have distinct Duke flavor

06.18.06: Rice rallies in its College World Series opener ... Houston's Lincoln gets 2006 Howser Trophy ... C-USA's top scorer backs away from NBA draft

06.17.06: ECU grad Millican wins N.C. women's amateur ... College World Series: Tigers win in comeback ... LSU's Carter sweeps national track honors

06.16.06: Ex-ECU assistant named Campbell grid coach ... Pirate softball ace Keli Harrell named All-State .. Report: Back woes nix Redick draft workouts

06.15.06: Camels expected to name football coach ... Rice leads C-USA contingent on A-A team ... K-State, UCLA announce football dates

06.14.06: ECU's Smith among 7 C-USA All-Americans ... Duke star Redick charged with drunk driving ... UAB selects Shoop to guide baseball program

06.13.06: Owls carrying C-USA banner to Omaha ... ECU's Ray shares Coastal Plain League honor ... Terms of Huggins' K-State contract reported

06.12.06: ECU ticket office temporarily relocates ... Irish safety's ring debut: Bell rung quickly ... Miners seventh in NCAA men's track

06.11.06: Miami loses Berry- recruited QB to baseball ... Clemens award finalists have C-USA flavor ... Buckeyes announce series with Toledo

06.10.06: ECU network announces blowtorch flagships ... "The Buzz" remains in Pirate broadcast lineup ... Former LSU athlete turned pro wrestler dies

06.09.06: ECU's "Voice" revving up for benefit "Ride" ... Pirates bow out at NCAA track & field meet ... ODU makes plans to add I-AA football

06.08.06: MLB Draft: Smith selected by A's, Mathews by Giants ... ECU's Hunt, Krug take Scholar Athlete honors ... NCAA nixes course credits from 'diploma mills'

06.07.06: ECU's track elite at NCAA meet in Sacramento ... Super region pairings pit Rice against Sooners ... Cleared USC quarterback says he's rejoined team

06.06.06: NCAA change on grad transfers gets reaction ... Duke reinstates men's lacrosse with conditions ... Cardieri resigns as baseball coach at USF

06.05.06: Owls carry C-USA banner against Bears ... Laval steps down as LSU baseball coach ... Date of "Civil War" changed for TV

06.04.06: C-USA players reap All-America honors ... "Flesh- eating" germ claims Tulsa gridder ... Blazers baseball coach hangs up cleats

06.03.06: ECU's Jake Smith named 2nd-team All-America ... Pirates get first signee in McPhaul golfing era ... Duke men's lacrosse program to be reinstated

06.02.06: Bucs' new pitching coach has LeClair pedigree ... Three gridders depart WVU program ... ECU announces blue chip tennis signees

06.01.06: Pirates announce kickoff times, TV games ... ECU excels among C-USA's academic elite ... Rice's Degerman makes Academic All-America

Pat Fitzgerald, a two-time national defensive player of the year for Northwestern and an assistant football coach since 2001, will assume Northwestern's head coaching duties, effective immediately. The announcement was released on the university's athletic website.

Fitzgerald, who becomes the youngest Division I-A head football coach at age 31, follows seven-year head coach Randy Walker, who died suddenly on June 29.

Fitzgerald was one of the leaders on Northwestern's two Big Ten championship teams in 1995 and 1996. The '95 squad won the Big Ten title outright and went to the Rose Bowl, while the '96 team captured a share of the title and played in the Citrus Bowl. In 2001, after Fitzgerald served as an assistant at the University of Idaho, Walker hired him to coach the Wildcats' defensive secondary. In 2002, he moved to linebackers coach, and then in 2004, added the recruiting coordinator to his title.

"I've always dreamed of this day," said Fitzgerald. "I'm excited to lead our players and staff. As a former football player and graduate, I have an incredible passion for Northwestern and its football program.

"While this has been my goal from the moment I began coaching, this is also bittersweet. We've all had a difficult week with the loss of Coach Walker, my friend and mentor. It has been a roller coaster of emotions the past week and this is a time for the entire Northwestern community to rally around and support our players, as well as Tammy (Walker) and her family. But I'm determined to continue Coach Walk's legacy and build upon his successes. Northwestern will continue to have a football program built upon great work ethic, attitude and investment."

Named one of college football's top recruiters by SI.com recently, Fitzgerald has played an integral role in both coaching and recruiting during his five years as a Northwestern assistant.

The Cincinnati Enquirer has reported via the USA Today Web site that North College Hill star O.J. Mayo has not committed to play basketball at Southern California, as some reports indicated last week. But, Mayo said Thursday that USC is first on his list of potential colleges.

Mayo, who played this week at the Reebok ABCD summer camp in Teaneck, NJ, told a New Jersey reporter Thursday that he also is considering Florida and Kansas State.

Mayo said he and NCH teammate Bill Walker — rated by Rivals.com as the Nos. 1-2 players, respectively, in the prep senior class of 2007 — were "not sure" about their college choices. Rivals.com has reported Walker's top choice is Kansas State.

USC coach Tim Floyd reportedly advised The Los Angeles Times that Mayo had not committed.

Mayo, speaking after Thursday's morning session at the ABCD camp, told the Herald (NJ) News that he might make an oral commitment to some college this week, then still take recruiting trips after that.

In late March, Mayo and Walker stated their goal was to return to NCH for the 2006-07 season and win a third straight state championship.

In late April, following an NCH school suspension for fighting, Mayo visited high school basketball powerhouse Oak Hill Academy (VA) and discussed a possible transfer.

Oak Hill, after learning of Mayo's latest suspension — he also sat out the state semifinals for missing some classes —turned Mayo down. Mayo then announced he would return to NCH for his senior year.

In May, Mayo told the Enquirer he probably would not commit to a college until after his senior season. Then this week, word spread that Mayo would announce a college choice any day.

Mayo, a 6-foot-4 combination point guard/shooting guard, averaged 28.6 points a game this past season, repeated as Ohio Mr. Basketball and led NCH to its second straight Ohio Division III title. Walker, a 6-foot-6 forward, averaged 21.7 points a game this past season.

Homan played in the Ohio Amateur this week and hopes to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Championship July 31.

Houston junior righthander/designated hitter Brad Lincoln has been honored as the winner of the 2006 CSTV.com Player of the Year award following a season-long vote of college baseball experts.

Lincoln finished with 63 points, 15 points ahead of James Madison's Kellen Kulbacki, according to an announcement on the Conference USA website.

It was the fifth national player of the year honor for Lincoln following the 2006 season. Earlier, he received the Dick Howser Trophy and the Brooks Wallace Award and was named the Player of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings and Rivals.com. He became the first player in Conference USA history to be honored as a baseball national player of the year.

Lincoln, who was a 2006 consensus first-team All-American, emerged as one of the nation's finest all-around players in 2006. He compiled a sparkling 12-2 record with a 1.69 ERA and 152 strikeouts in 127.2 innings of work. Lincoln's strikeout total ranked as the third-best mark in UH single-season history and moved him into third in UH career history with 293.

He was honored as the C-USA Pitcher of the Year while also being named to the league's first team and was recognized at designated hitter on the C-USA All-Tournament Team for his performance at the plate.

Lincoln was one of the Cougars' leading hitters all season. In 2006, he compiled a .295 batting average with 14 home runs and a team-leading 53 runs batted in.

Lincoln became the first player in C-USA history to be taken among the Top 10 picks of Major League Baseball's amateur draft June 6 when he was selected at No. 4 by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Lincoln is one of four finalists for the Roger Clemens Award, which is presented on the nation's top collegiate pitcher. That honor will be presented on July 12 at the Marriott Westchase Hotel in Houston.

Southern Methodist golfer Wes Homan won the men's Greater Cincinnati Metropolitan Amateur Championship, defeating seven-time champion Jim Volpenhein 1 up in a 36-hole final.

Homan took the lead on the second hole, according to a release on the Conference USA website. After winning the 23rd hole, Homan was 4 up, but Volpenhein rallied and squared the match on the 34th hole. Homan then sank a 25-foot putt on the 36th hole to defeat Volpenhein 1 up.

Homan is the first golfer to defeat Volpenhein, a seven-time champion, in the final.

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 other sources. Copyright 2006 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.