BCSP Notes . . .
Nickelberry to lead Hampton's men's hoops
Hampton University settled on a veteran NCAA Div. I assistant
to be the new head men's basketball coach at the
Mid Eastern Athletic Conference school and
Kevin Nickelberry says he intends to play an up-tempo style and make
the Pirates the "Beasts of the East." Nickelberry,
42, was named Hampton's new coach Friday after a nationwide search. This is his first head
coaching job.
Nickelberry served the past three years as an assistant to Oliver Purnell at Clemson in the ACC and has also had stints as an assistant at UNC-Charlotte, Holy Cross and Monmouth. He was also an assistant for three years at MEAC-member Howard under former Bison head coach Mike McLeese. He is considered one of the top recruiters in the nation and served as recruiting coordinator on Purnell's staff.
He will replace four-year head coach Bobby Collins, who resigned one day after Hampton's loss in the NCAA Tournament's Play-In game and just four days after the Pirates won this year's MEAC Tournament title.
The Virginia Wesleyan graduate reportedly was chosen over a group of five finalists. According to the Hampton Daily Press those finalists were former Florida Atlantic head coach Donnie Marsh, an assistant to Mike Davis at Indiana this season, former California coach Todd Bozeman, former NBA veteran Johnny Newman, former Hampton and Wright State assistant Ed Huckaby and Richard Morgan, who served as Collins' assistant the past three seasons.
"I was impressed with him, very impressed with his basketball experience, desire and vision," Hampton president Dr. William Harvey told the Daily Press. "Our feeling is that he can take us back to being one of the best mid-major programs in the country." Harvey hopes Nickelberry can rekindle some of the magic that propelled the 15th-seeded Pirates to a first round upset of second-seed Iowa State in the 2001 NCAA Tournament. Nickelberry, who reached the NCAA Tournament with Holy Cross in 2001 and UNCC in 2002 told the newspaper, "If we make the (NCAA tournament) play-in game, we had a bad season. I came here for Dr. Harvey's vision, not to win the MEAC."
Sanders released at Miles
Miles College athletic officials have announced the firing of
Roosevelt Sanders as head men's basketball coach.
The announcement was made last Thursday (March 30) by Athletics Director Augustus James. "We appreciate the service and dedication that Sanders has given to the men's basketball program at Miles College during the past eight seasons," James said. "At this time, we feel we need to head the men's basketball program in a new direction."
During Sanders' eight-season tenure, the Golden Bears compiled an overall record of 112-108. This year's team finished 10-19 overall (7-14 SIAC) and was the runner-up in the SIAC championship game. The process to find Sanders' replacement will begin immediately.
Beard tenure ends at Morgan State
Former NCAA and NBA standout Alfred "Butch" Beard
announced last week that he was stepping down as
Morgan State head basketball coach. Beard, who had compiled a 39-105 record
at the Baltimore school since taking over as head
coach in 2001, said he is leaving to pursue other
opportunities.
This season his squad battled injuries, suspensions and academic difficulties while struggling to a 4-26 overall mark, and a 4-14 record in Mid Eastern Athletic Conference play. The Bears lost in the first round of the MEAC Tournament. In seven years as a college head coach Beard had compiled a 79-184 record. Morgan State Athletic Director Floyd Kerr said the university will begin an immediate search for Beard's successor.
NC A&T AD named to NCAA Baseball Committee
North Carolina A&T Athletics Director
Dee Todd has been named to the NCAA Div. I Baseball Committee. Todd will be one of 10
committee members from Division I conferences that make recommendations to
the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet on matters pertaining
to Division I baseball. The committee also selects the participants to
the Regional, Super Regional and College World Series.
"It is truly an honor and a joy to be selected to the baseball committee,'' said Todd, who has a wealth of experience in coordinating and directing baseball tournaments and supervising umpires as an assistant commissioner for the ACC before arriving at N.C. A&T. "It has been a long time since the MEAC has had a representative. Therefore, I think this is an important appointment because baseball is getting better in our conference, and I think we can get to a point where we have more than one team in the postseason."
In 2005, the Aggies were the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's lone representative in the postseason as they won the MEAC Tournament and advanced to the regional hosted by Clemson.
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