UNDER THE BANNER
What's Going On In and Around Black College Sports
CIAA HALL ADDS SIX: The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association has selected six CIAA Legends to be inducted into the John B. McLendon, Jr. Hall of Fame on Friday, March 2, 2007, 11:00 a.m. at The Westin Hotel, Charlotte. Each of these well-deserving inductees will also be acknowledged during the CIAA Basketball Tournament at Bobcats Arena.
William "Bill" Hayes, an alumnus of
North Carolina Central University, played four seasons of 
football
at center, earning three All-America citations before graduating
in 1965 with a degree in Physical Education. In 1976, Hayes
became the head football coach at Winston-Salem State
University. During his 12 seasons at WSSU, the Rams captured
three CIAA Championships (1977, 1978 and 1987), including
back-to-back undefeated regular season marks in 1977 and 1978. He posted an overall
record of 89-40-2. In 1988, Hayes was hired at North
Carolina A&T State University, where he guided the Aggies
to three MEAC titles, two NCAA Division I-AA
playoff appearances and an overall record of 106-64-0 in 15
seasons. During his 27 year career as a collegiate head
coach, Hayes accumulated a 195-104-2 overall record;
establishing himself as the winningest coach at both
Winston-Salem Sate and North Carolina A & T. Hayes has more
career victories (195) than any other college football head
coach in the state of North Carolina.
Al Roseboro, a Winston-Salem State University alumnus, has been the "Voice of the CIAA" for over three decades and has announced over 30 CIAA Championship games for both football and basketball. Roseboro has become a CIAA Basketball Tournament fixture. Roseboro, a football player, was recruited by the legendary Clarence "Big House" Gaines. In the early 70's he joined his mentor Gaines as a Winston-Salem State University tennis and volleyball coach. In 1991, Al preceded Gaines as the Rams' Athletic Director for six years. After dedicating 30 years to WSSU, including holding the post as Associate Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs, Roseboro retired in 2004.
Joe Gilliam, after a stint in the armed services, re-entered the collegiate ranks as a West Virginia State College basketball and football player. Gilliam received All-American honors as a quarterback and earned a place in the Yellow Jackets' Sports Hall of Fame. From 1963-1981, Gilliam was the assistant head football coach and defensive coordinator for Tennessee State University. During this period, TSU had nine Black National Championship teams. In 1989, he took the helm as head coach for four seasons. During this time he was inducted into the TSU Sports Hall of Fame, and was selected as Coach of the Year in the Ohio Valley Conference in 1990. His career record of 254-93-15 included coaching five undefeated teams and five other teams that lost only one game.
Joseph Howell is a graduate of North Carolina A&T and has spent nearly 33 years in the Philadelphia Public Schools System, coaching on the junior high level in basketball, tennis and baseball. During his collegiate basketball playing career, he was coached under Cal Irvin's tutelage, where sports writers coined him as North Carolina A & T's "bread and butter player." Howell led his team to two consecutive conference championships in 1958 and 1959.
Leroy "Lanky" Banks is the 1947 CIAA Basketball Tournament MVP and a member of the 2nd Annual CIAA Basketball Tournament Championship Team, the Trojans of Virginia State University. The Trojans, led by the legendary Harry "Big Jeff" Jefferson, defeated North Carolina Central University, 54-47; with Banks leading the way with 18 points. After graduating from VSU, Banks was drafted and played for the Utica Pros of the American Basketball Association.
Brigadier General Shelia Baxter, an alumna of Virginia State University, was named to the All-Conference team each year she played, 1973-1977. In 1976, she earned the title of tournament Most Valuable Player. She was the first Virginia State University player to accumulate 1,000 points in four years and was voted to the Muhammad Ali Women's Collegiate All-American Team. Continuing her athletic career, while serving her country in the mid 70's, Baxter played for the All Army Basketball League .
© 2007 Azeez Communications, Inc.