"We lost a fine young man and a great teammate," said interim athletics director Wheeler Brown. "Our hearts go out to his family. Head Coach Lee Fobbs and I have been in close contact with the family throughout this unfortunate incident. They have requested privacy during this time."

The Aggie family is deeply saddened by the death of this young athlete who had so much potential on and off the field," added Chancellor Stanley F. Battle.

Wiley collapsed Tuesday, May 27, after a supervised voluntary workout on the campus of N.C. A&T. An A&T athletic trainer was on site and took immediate action by stabilizing him and calling emergency services. He was immediately transported to Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital. A memorial service was held on Friday, May 30 at the A&T Student Union and funeral was Sunday, June 1 in his hometown.

AFCA HONORS GAITHER: The American Football Coaches Association has announced that Florida A&M's Hall of Fame coaching legend A.S. "Jake" Gaither is the recipient of the 2008 AFCA Trailblazer Award.

The Trailblazer Award was created as a way for the AFCA to honor a historically significant minority coach who had a profound impact on his institution, the coaching profession, student-athletes and the game of football.

Gaither fashioned a scintillating 203-36-4 record in 25 seasons from 1945 to 1969, winning six Black College National titles, while producing 36 All-Americans. In 1975, Gaither was enshrined in the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame, and was the recipient of the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award and the Walter Camp Foundation Award.

The AFCA Trailblazer Award is given to an individual who coached in a certain decade. The inaugural winner coached in the decade from 1920 to 1929, with the five-year cycle ending in 2009 and a winner coming from the 1960-1969 decade.

In 2010, the cycle will start over with a winner coming from the decade between 1920 and 1929.

Former Hampton coach Charles Williams was named the award's inaugural winner in 2004. Last year's winner, Billy Nicks of Prairie View A&M and Morris Brown, was honored at the 2008 AFCA Convention in Anaheim, California, in January 7 at the Kickoff Luncheon.

AFCA Trailblazer Honorees · 2004-2008
·2008: Alonzo Smith "Jake" Gaither, Florida A&M
·2007: Billy Nicks, Prairie View A&M/Morris Brown
·2006: Arnett "Ace" Mumford, Southern
·2005: Cleveland "Cleve: Abbott, Tuskegee
·2004: Charles Williams, Hampton

LANGSTON HIRES GREENE: Langston University has promoted Tony Greene to head coach of the women's basketball team. Greene had spent the last 13 years as an assistant to departed head coach Donnitta Drain and was considered a big part of the Lady Lions' success. Drain recently took the head coaching job at Grambling State.

"We are very pleased to extend this opportunity to Coach Greene. We believe that he has the capability of not only continuing in a strong program, but enhancing it," said Angela Watson, Langston's vice president for Administrative and Fiscal Affairs.

A native of Dallas, Tex. Greene played for Langston's men's team before graduating in 1995. As a player, he was selected as the DCCCD Conference Player of the Year. During his 13 years of coaching, he has been honored as the 2001-2002 AFLAC National Assistant Coach of the Year.

"I think it's a great honor to have the opportunity to be the head coach of one of the elite NAIA women's basketball programs in the nation," said Greene.

© 2008 Azeez Communications, Inc.

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