Don't expect a new basketball coach to be named at McNeese State in the next couple of days.

Athletics Director Sonny Watkins said Tuesday that the university has decided against making an emergency hire that would have allowed the school to make a rapid hire on an interim basis.

McNeese announced July 28 that it would not renew the contract of former head coach Tic Price for the upcoming season. That announcement came 25 days before the start of the fall semester, leaving McNeese little time to hire a coach before the start of school.

"We decided we had enough time to do a full search and still have a new coach in time for the start of school," Watkins said. "We will move quickly, but we can still do the full search."

A full search starts with the position being advertised — it was on both McNeese's Web site and a higher education Web site on Monday — then with a committee being formed, interviews and a final hire.

Watkins said a committee will be formed "in the next four or five days" and will go through applications quickly. He said a coach could be named sometime next week.

"It's important that the student-athletes have leadership and direction," Watkins said. "To have that, we need to have a head coach in place for the start of school."

Meanwhile, one of the leading candidates for the job visited Lake Charles on Sunday.

Northwestern State assistant coach Dave Simmons was in town to meet with university officials. The former McNeese assistant coach expressed interest in the job on Saturday.

Watkins said he expects many more applications.

"I expect this will get a lot of interest," he said.

Labels: coaching changes

Labels: coaching changes

Danowski, whose son Matt is a Duke senior and All-America attackman for the Blue Devils, told The Associated Press that he will replace Mike Pressler, who resigned soon after a woman told police she was raped by three men at a March team party where she was hired to perform as an exotic dancer.

Labels: coaching changes

As expected, the University of South Dakota named its Division I committee. The report is due in November.

This is a slam dunk. Word was before this committee was named that USD's position was: If UND goes, we're going. They weren't even going to study it; they were just going to go D-I.

This committee, I suppose, is meant to ease people who say the school is making a rash decision. At any rate, I put the chances of USD moving up at 99 percent.

But I do believe that is as far as this D-I movement will go around here. I can't see St. Cloud State having anywhere near the necessary funds to go. Mankato is in worse shape. Omaha just dropped a couple of administrative positions -- then announces it is going to form a committee to study a D-I move. Not sure how that works.

It will make for a very good Great West Football Conference: NDSU, UND, SDSU, USD, Southern Utah, Davis and Poly. As for UND and USD finding another league like the Mid-Con, they just have to do with NDSU and SDSU did: roll the dice and hope.

Check out the rest of his articles at http://www.areavoices.com/bisonmedia/

According to a report in The Seattle Times, the group is led by businessman Clay Bennett, who was previously on the San Antonio Spurs' board of directors and also helped attract the New Orleans Hornets to Oklahoma City after Hurricane Katrina.

It was unclear whether the Sonics and Storm would move to Oklahoma City.

Shana Leaupepe, 21, died Friday in Long Beach, Calif., as a result of a drive-by shooting, NMSU head football coach Hal Mumme said Saturday.

Leaupepe was visiting family in California when he was killed, Mumme said.

"Shana was an outstanding young man, and we are shocked that this has happened," Mumme said in a news release. "Shana was a wonderful friend and teammate, and our hearts go out to his family. We've lost a special young man whose time at New Mexico State left a lasting mark on our coaches, players and staff."

Leaupepe was the leading tackler in 2004 for the Oilers of West Los Angeles College. With 56 tackles, he led his team to a 7-3 mark and a conference championship. In his two years at the college, he tallied more than 100 tackles and was named an all-Conference selection twice.

In high school, Leaupepe played middle linebacker for the Samoana High School Sharks in the Utulei Village of American Samoa. In 2003, he helped his team to an 8-2 record and a second place finish in the conference.

Leaupepe had planned to major in sociology at NMSU, according to the school's Web site.

Mumme said Leaupepe will be buried in American Samoa. The funeral date and time have not been set.

Johnson and his family said Friday that the 18-year-old will enroll in the university rather than joining the St. Louis Blues for the upcoming season.

The Blues retain their rights to Johnson and were part of the discussions as he made his decision.

Johnson is a defenseman who spent the last two seasons with the U.S. National development team. He grew up in Bloomington and attended Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield.

He was just the fifth American to be chosen first overall in the draft.

The 31-year-old Fitzgerald was a linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator under Walker. His appointment came one day after he spoke at a memorial service for Walker.

Fitzgerald starred at linebacker for the 1995 Northwestern team that won the Big Ten and went to the Rose Bowl, a game he missed with a broken leg. He also played the next season when the Wildcats made it to the Citrus Bowl.

Athletic director Mark Murphy said that when he was negotiating with Walker for a contract extension earlier this year, Walker told him Fitzgerald would be his choice as successor.

Labels: coaching changes

"It's going to be a summer project," Chancellor Nancy Belck said. "We will be calling together all the coaches, administrative heads and staff, and there will be a series of questions for them to respond to, particularly considering the events of the last week regarding the (North Central Conference)."

North Dakota last week announced its intention to elevate its program to Division I. Shortly after that, South Dakota said it would look into a possible move to Division I.

"That changed the picture," Belck said. "A lot of things clicked in at that point."

Belck, who previously said she wants to remain in Division II, said South Dakota's position made it critical to examine UNO's options.

UPDATES:

7/1: Cremins To Coach CofC
More than six years into retirement, former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins said Saturday he's agreed to become the new coach at the College of Charleston....(more)

6/30: No Buzz For CofC ; Cremins Interviews
Buzz Peterson has withdrawn his name from consideration for CofC while Bobby Cremins remains a candidate...(more)

6/29: Marshall Back to Winthrop; No Buzz For CofC
Apparently CofC wasn't a big enough career jump for Marshall...of maybe his heart really is with the Big South school. Also Buzz Peterosn has withdrawn his name from consideration for CofC. (more)

6/29: Ernie Zeigler to Coach CMU
CMU is set to hire UCLA assistant coach Ernie Zeigler on Thursday. (more)

6/27: Marhsall Takes over At CofC
Gregg Marshall will be the next head coach of CofC (more)

6/23: CMU Down to 3 Candidates:
CMU has narrowed it's list to 3 candidates (see below)

6/21: South Carolina St. Names Coach
South Carolina State reached into its successful past, choosing former star center Jamal Brown as its men's basketball coach Wednesday. (more)

6/21: Montana Coach to Leave For NBA
Montana coach Larry Krystkowiak is leaving Montana for the NBA. Assistant Wayne Tinkle will take over. (more)

6/16: UNO Picks Buzz
The University of New Orleans, in the midst of a major post-Hurricane Katrina rebuilding campaign, will name Texas A&M assistant Buzz Williams to replace Monte Towe. A news conference might occur Saturday to announce the hire. (more)

6/15: Brown Set To Name Coach
Brown announced Northwestern assistant Craig Robinson as its next men's basketball coach at a news conference Thursday morning. (more)

6/14: Herrion Out at CofC
Despite having four years remaining on his contract, and due, according to a source, an estimated $1 million for the remaining years on that deal, Herrion is out as head coach, multiple sources told ESPN.com.(story)

Labels: coaching changes

College of Charleston

Cremins to Coach CofC

Former Candidates: Jim Yarbrough - SE Louisiana coach, Larry Shyatt - Florida assistant, Dave Dickerson - Tulane coach, James Holland - UTEP assistant, Buzz Peterson - Coastal Carolina coach

Central Michigan

Ernie Ziegler Leaves UCLA for CMU

Former Candidates:Mark Montgomery - Michigan St. assistant, Steve Schmidt - Mott CC head coach, Lamar Chapman - CMU assistant, Ric Wesley - Grand Valley St. coach, Oronde Taliaferro - Arkansas assistant, Ben Kelso - former Kansas State assistant, Mark Hughes - San Diego St. assistant, Cornell Mann - WMU assistant, Derrick McDowell - EMU assistant, Bill Sall - Ferris State head coach, Dane Fife - IPFW coach, Perry Watson - Detroit coach, Scott Duncan - Oregon Assistant, Chris Davis - Drake assistant

Former Coach: Jay Davis

N.C. State

Sidney Lowe to Be Named NC State Coach

Former Candidates:
Mike Brey - Notre Dame coach, Phil Ford - former UNC assistant, Dereck Whittenburg - Fordham coach, Gregg Marshall - Winthrop, John Beilein - West Virginia coach, Steve Lavin - former UCLA coach, Bo Ryan - Wisconsin coach, Nate McMillan - Portland NBA coach, John Calipari - Memphis coach, Rick Barnes - Texas coach, Jay Wright - Villanova, Frank Haith - Miami, Lon Kruger - UNLV coach, John Brady - LSU coach, PJ Carlesimo - former Seton hall coach, Mike Montgomery - Warriors NBA coach, Billy Gillispie - Texas A&M coach, Bobby Lutz - UNC Charlotte coach, Tubby Smith - Kentucky coach, Mark Turgeon - Wichita St. Coach, Jim Larranaga - GMU coach, Monte Towe - UNO coach, Dave Odom - South Carolina coach, Sean Miller - Xavier, Tom Crean - Marquette, John Pelhprey - South Alabama, Jim Les - Bradley, Karl Hobbs - George Washington, Chris Lowrey - Southern Illinois

Previous coach: Herb Sendek