News and Notes from East Carolina, Conference USA and Beyond

PREVIOUS NUGGETS

07.12.06: C-USA unveils 2005-06 athletes of the year ... Rape trial underway for former Navy QB ... Clemson gridder on jet ski that killed coach

07.11.06: ECU recruiting thumbnail: D.J. McFadden ... Uggla poised to make history in All-Star game ... COSIDA recognizes former president Ford ... Houston associate AD Sparks succumbs

07.10.06: ECU alum Godwin to wear LSU's purple & gold ... Tulane resumes baseball stadium renovation ... Kelly rejoins O'Leary at Central Florida

07.09.06: Fitzgerald takes bittersweet promotion ... Paper defuses report on Mayo to USC ... More national acclaim for Houston's Lincoln ... SMU golfer wins Greater Cincy title

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

Beginning Monday, August 28th, former East Carolina football coach Steve Logan will host a show on WDNC (620 AM) each weekday from 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Logan gained attention last year while co-hosting a program on WRBZ, sister station to WDNC, according to a release at PR.com.

WDNC, which broadcasts to the Triangle market from its transmitter in Durham, bills itself as "620 The Bull."

Logan currently serves as a quarterbacks coach in NFL Europe, resides in Raleigh, and will host his own show on the station during the NFL Europe offseason. Logan coached 11 years at ECU and was one of the most dynamic and innovative coaches in the school’s history.

WDNC program director Adam Gold said, “For those who listened to Steve Logan’s appearances on 850 the Buzz last year know just how outspoken, honest, and at times outrageous the coach can be. He is, as he terms it, a football savant — 620 the Bull and Raleigh football fans may never be the same.”

Logan stated: “I’m very excited to be a part of the 620 The Bull line-up for the upcoming football season. I hope to give the fans and coaches perspective on the college football scene as it unfolds regionally and nationally.”

Beginning in 1992, Logan served as head coach at East Carolina for 11 seasons. He guided the Pirates to a record of 69-58, including a run of 62-43 and five bowl games from 1995 until his departure after the 2002 season.

Marshall basketball coach Ron Jirsa has announced the hiring of Kenny Blakeney as an assistant coach for the Thundering Herd, according to an announcement on the university's athletic website.

Blakeney, who played for Duke University from 1990-95, most recently served as an assistant coach at Delaware. He replaces David "Aki" Collins, who left Marshall earlier this summer for a post at Fairfield University.

Blakeney's coaching career began in 1995-96, when he was an assistant on Lefty Driesell's staff at James Madison. After one season at JMU, Blakeney moved on to coaching stops at LaSalle (1996-97), Delaware (1997-2000, 2002-06), and St. Bonaventure (2001-02). In his first stint as an assistant with the Blue Hens, he coached under current Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey and helped lead Delaware to two NCAA Tournaments and the school's first NIT bid.

A 1995 Duke graduate with a degree in history, Blakeney was a five-year member of the basketball squad. He was a redshirt member of the Blue Devils' 1990-91 national championship team, and was a key backup on Duke's 1991-92 NCAA title team that went 34-2. As a sophomore in 1992-93, Blakeney appeared in 30 games and helped the team reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and in 1993-94, he played in 27 games and averaged 5.4 points per game in route to an NCAA Finals appearance. He was a team captain in 1994-95, and during his four playing seasons, Duke was a combined 99-34, including three 20-win seasons.

A Washington, DC, native, Blakeney played high school basketball at DeMatha Catholic under legendary coach Morgan Wootten. At DeMatha, Blakeney was selected as the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia in 1989-90. He was selected to the Capital Classic and Great Western Shootout All-Star Games and was a member of the Converse All-American Team. In his senior season, he averaged 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists per game.

"Kenny brings a strong winning mentality with him," said Jirsa. "He's played on a tremendously successful Duke team as a player and has carried that approach throughout his coaching career."

Blakeney's responsibilities at Marshall will include recruiting, scouting, and player development.

Orlando Magic rookie J.J. Redick won't participate in tryouts for Team USA later this month due to a back injury, according to a report from Florida Today writer John Denton on espn.com.

Redick said he has yet to inform Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, Team USA's head coach, of his decision.

The former Duke star isn't playing this week in the Orlando summer league as he continues to rehabilitate the herniated disc in his lower back.

Redick was one of two college players — Adam Morrison of Gonzaga is the other — picked to try out for Team USA's entry into the World Championships. He was a long shot to make the roster with Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade expected to play most of the minutes at shooting guard.

The NCAA's all-time leader in 3-pointers made (457), Redick was hoping to provide Team USA some much-needed shooting from the perimeter.

Redick still plans to attend the training camp starting July 18 in Las Vegas, but he said sitting out is the smart thing to do.

"I'm going out there, but I just can't play in it right now,'' Redick said. "It's just a matter of how much stronger I can get my back now. The MRI I had [last Thursday] showed that the herniation is getting smaller. I'll have another MRI to check the progress, but I'm not feeling any pain.''

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.