News and Notes from East Carolina, Conference USA and Beyond

PREVIOUS NUGGETS

01.04.07: Crimson Tide shows Saban the money ... Southern Miss has last bullet in C-USA gun ... Marshall's Dorris named C-USA player of week

01.03.07: Boise State inserts itself into national title picture ... Lady Pirates master Marshall in C-USA opener ... Alabama coaching search focusing on Saban ... Paterno watches Penn State win from press box

01.02.07: Bobby Knight gets milestone victory ... Gophers coach Mason axed after bowl loss ... Hurricanes hang on in Coker's last game ... Seminoles' Timmons taking talents to NFL

01.01.07: Herd shocks Hokies ... Costner leads Wolfpack to rout of UNCW ... Boston College kings for a day in Queen City

12.31.06: Gamecocks outscore Houston in Liberty Bowl ... ECU women get momentum for
C-USA ... Hollenback leads Terps in Champs Bowl

12.30.06: Field goal lifts Cowboys past Crimson Tide ... Lynch leads Cal Bears past Texas A&M ... Wildcats face the music, finish on high note

12.29.06: C-USA champ Houston ready for Gamecocks ... Seminoles finish strong for winning season ... Duquesne basketball coach hospitalized

12.28.06: Ford, former gridder and President, succumbs ... MAC champs cruise to Motor City Bowl win ... Cremins fills a need with return to coaching

12.27.06: Hoops: Houston's Dowell named player of week ... Southern Miss announces pair of juco transfers ... Fundraiser for Buckeyes' families questioned

12.26.06: ECU women's soccer performs in classroom ... Warriors' offense rolls past ASU in Hawaii Bowl

12.25.06: Aborted flight grounds ECU fans ... Utes' get their kicks at Tulsa's expense ... Fumbles leave Lobos lamenting

12.24.06: Returnees yield No. 1 baseball ranking for Rice ... Owls wings clipped again at Superdome ... Air Force alum succeeds DeBerry

12.23.06: Nifong hangs on to unraveling Duke rape case ... BYU seniors realize their dream in Las Vegas ... Paulus wows homefolks, Coach K in Big Apple ... Appalachian State basking in a multi-sport roll

12.22.06: Former ECU assistant Brindise leaving coaching ... USF's Burnett apparently out for bowl ... ECU's Mills scores 24 in losing effort in Cancun

12.21.06: Cavanaugh joins Pirate baseball staff ... Lady Pirates lose opener in Cancun to Pitt ... Derek Dooley leaving Dolphins for La. Tech

12.20.06: ECU's Graham getting double exposure ... Stanford names Harbaugh as new coach ... Women's hoops contest called due to rain

12.19.06: ECU's Allison selected for Senior Bowl ... BC picks longtime ECU assistant Jagodzinski ... Television numbers up for college football

12.18.06: Former ECU aide Calloway takes helm at UAB ... Auburn suspends 3 from bowl game ... 17,000-plus watch Nebraska win volleyball title

12.17.06: Orange Bowl resets ECU-Wake hoops to Jan. 1 ... Spurrier's wife, Lawing commit infractions ... Rebs, Bulldogs shuffled on Memphis schedule

12.16.06: Appalachian State repeats as I-AA champ ... DeBerry announces retirement at Air Force ... Possible perp in Pata shooting held in Boston

12.15.06: Boone booming with football success ... All-America: Rice's Dillard and UTEP's Higgins ... Miami offensive coordinator moving to ASU

12.14.06: Grobe gets national recognition for coaching ... ECU soccer duo receives honors

12.13.06: Pirate baseball competes to get in shape ... Holy Toledo! Green Wave's search over ... Arizona State fills football coaching void

12.12.06: Garrard not complaining after Jags win ... Rutgers' Schiano named coach of year ... Wolfpack dominates Lady Pirates in Raleigh

12.11.06: Watson Brown heads home to Tennessee Tech ... Boston College names Spaziani interim coach ... Georgia Tech's Johnson wins Biletnikoff award

12.10.06: Junior Smith involved in Cox commitment ... WVU's Rodriguez says no to Bama's big bucks ... Boykin leaves Blue Devils hoops program

12.09.06: Garrard named AFC player of the week ... C-USA players of year: Kolb, Bunting, Higgins ,,, Miami elevates Shannon to head coach

12.08.06: Rivers tips off conclusion of coaching search ... Orioles' Roberts serving FCA baseball camps ... Hoops: Lady Pirates defeat UNC-Wilmington

12.07.06: Nine Pirates named to all-conference teams ... League honors four ECU freshman gridders ... Recruiting thumbnail: Rodney Cox ... ECU's Norris named to All-South 2nd team

12.06.06: UTEP's Higgins named AFCA All-American ... Memphis thumps Herd in C-USA hoops opener ... C-USA names top cross country performers

12.05.06: First-ever Gators- Buckeyes match-up a big one ... Boise State crashes BCS party in Fiesta ... Seminoles top Lady Pirates for tourney title

12.04.06: New recruiting thumbnail: Tyrell Worthington ... McFadden leads Independence into title game ... Bearcats bound for new bowl in Toronto

12.03.06: Paper: Hudson among Cincy coaching targets ... UAB ousted from NCAA volleyball by UCLA

12.02.06: Witter wins minor league baseball honor ... Millican in position in LPGA qualifying ... ECU announces challenging softball slate

12.01.06: C-USA announces football players of year ... Rice's Graham gets coach of year award ... ECU's Krug lands All-America honor

East Carolina baseball fans can mingle with the 2007 Pirates on Saturday, Jan. 27, at the seventh annual "Meet the Pirates" luncheon at approximately 11:30 a.m. in Harvey Hall of the Murphy Center.

The event offers a chance for autographs and photos of the team and coach Billy Godwin, as well as a catered lunch. A limited number of tickets are available at $7 for adults, $3 for children (12 and under), and $5 for ECU students (with valid One Card). Advance reservations are required.

Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations will be accepted through 5 p.m. on Monday, January 23, and may be made by calling the ECU ticket office at 1-800-DIAL-ECU. Fans can also reserve their seats online at ecupirates.com.

The Pirates will open the 2007 season at home against Liberty on Feb. 9 at 3 p.m. For season ticket information, call 1-800-DIAL-ECU.

Six Conference USA soccer players are among 58 college seniors who were selected to participate in the 2007 adidas MLS player combine.

Southern Methodist defender Jay Needham and midfielder Chase Wileman, Marshall forward/midfielder Karim Boukhemis, and forwards Jerson Monteiro of UAB, Riley O'Neill of Kentucky and Mike Sambursky of South Carolina, have reported for the combine at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

Needham was the 2006 Conference USA defensive player of the year and a finalist for the prestigious Hermann Trophy. The other five also earned All-Conference honors during the 2006 season. Only the ACC (12) and Big East (9) have more players than Conference USA.

The coaching staffs and general managers from all 13 MLS teams will be in attendance to scout talent at the combine, which concludes four days before the 2007 MLS draftt on Jan. 12 in Indianapolis, IN.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have called a news conference for 1 p.m. today to announce that Bill Cowher, who led the team to 10 playoff appearances, eight division titles and a Super Bowl victory, will resign after 15 seasons as head coach, sources have told the Piitsburgh Post-Gazette.

Cowher, 49, a former N.C. State player now living in Raleigh, will fly to Pittsburgh this morning to attend the news conference. Cowher had ruled out coaching at his alma mater when Chuck Amato was dismissed following a 21-16 loss to East Carolina on Nov. 25.

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