UNDER THE BANNER
What's Going On In and Around Black College Sports
UMES MOVES QUICKLY: It did not take long for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore to name three
new coaches in its athletic department
including both its men's and women's head basketball coaches.
During a press conference last week the Hawks welcomed
Lawrence Lessett Jr., Fred M. Batchelor
II, and Alex I. Temkin as head men's basketball coach, head women's basketball
coach, and head women's volleyball coach respectively. Each
brings with them a wealth of experience to the department. The
new hires were announced barely two weeks after the
resignation of head women's basketball coach Surina Dixon
and the decision not to renew the contract of men's basketball
coach Thomas Trotter. Former volleyball coach
Toby Rens resigned to take the job at Long Island University in
February.
Lessett brings with him almost thirty years of coaching experience beginning at the high school level and continuing through the professional ranks. He has most recently worked as a global scout for Magic Johnson International Basketball. Previously he has served as head coach of the Magic City Snowbears of the International Basketball Association. Lessett is also no stranger to the college ranks, most recently leading the Tigers of Hiwassee (Jr.) College as head men's basketball coach and athletic director. Previous to his post with the Tigers he was the head assistant coach at Mercer University from 1995-1997. He has a career head coaching record of 182-95.
Batchelor comes to UMES after two years as head women's basketball coach at Elizabeth City State. Prior to ECSU, Batchelor was head coach at Buffalo State College where he was regular season champion of the SUNY Athletic Conference in 2001-2002. He has a career head coaching record of 62-45 over four seasons. Batchelor has also served as a women's assistant at Buffalo State, a men's assistant at the University of Buffalo and Valley Forge Christian College, and men's head coach and athletic director at Villa Maria Junior College.
Leaving one successful volleyball program and taking over another is Temkin who led American International College accumulating a 35-25 record over the past two seasons. Prior to that he served as an assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Temkin has coached at the high school and club volleyball levels, compiling a 68-18 record in high school coaching. As a player, Temkin played in eight USA Open National Championships, two USA A Level National Championships, and made four trips to the NCAA Collegiate Club National Championships with the University of Massachusetts.
WEEKS TO HUNTSVILLE: Last year's SWAC and national baseball player of the year, second baseman Rickie Weeks of Southern, will begin the 2004 season on the Milwaukee Brewers AA team, the Huntsville Stars. Weeks was taken by the Brewers with the second overall pick in last year's Major League Baseball Amateur Draft and spent the final weeks of the major league season on the parent team getting two hits in 12 big league at bats. Weeks, a two-time SWAC player of the year, swept all six major college individual awards last season, an unprecedented feat, after hitting .498 to lead NCAA Div. I batters for the second year in a row. A mid-season or earlier call-up to the majors is expected for Weeks.
© 2004 Azeez Communications, Inc.