BCA President Danielle O’Banion To Be Named Kent State Women’s Basketball Head Coach
KENT, Ohio – The Kent State University Department of Athletics will hold a 1:00 p.m. news conference Thursday, April 19 on the main floor of the M.A.C. Center to announce the hiring of Danielle O’Banion as Golden Flashes’ head women’s basketball coach.
O’Banion takes over the Kent State program following a four year stint in Memphis, including the last two as Associate Head Coach. Owning the reputation as a proven national recruiter, she served as designated recruiting coordinator for the program helping the Tigers ink three nationally-ranked recruiting classes. The highly touted recruiting classes fostered by O’Banion have lived up to their billing on the court as well guiding the program into the postseason each of the last three years.
With the assistance of her guidance Memphis has accomplished just as much in the classroom during her tenure. The program has currently graduated 29-straight seniors from its roster, not counting the five-member class of 2012 (two of which already have their respective degrees). Just this last fall six student-athletes from the team achieved a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Classroom success and deep runs through the postseason are nothing new to the Arlington, Va. product. In 10 years as a collegiate coach she has been on staff for nine postseason teams, including a Final Four and two Sweet 16 berths while on staff at Minnesota from 2003-07. In addition she has been a part of two other first round NCAA appearances with the Gophers and one while at Harvard in 2002.
BCA SUPPORTS ON THE LINE CAMPAIGN
ON THE LINE & COLLEGE BASKETBALL’S STAR COACHES TEAM UP DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH TO MAKE A STATEMENT FOR MEN’S HEALTH
ON THE LINE & the Black Coaches & Administrators (BCA) Partner to Educate African American Men on Increased Risk of Prostate Cancer
February 16, 2012 (New York, NY) – Unfortunately, the numbers don’t lie. One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime, making prostate cancer more prevalent than breast cancer. African American men are at even greater risk, as one in five will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. African American men are also more likely to develop prostate cancer than other ethnic groups and are more likely to die from the disease.
During Black History Month in February, ON THE LINE, a national prostate cancer education and awareness campaign, is teaming up with the Black Coaches & Administrators (BCA), the organization that represents and supports African American collegiate basketball and football coaches, to encourage African American men to not only learn the risk factors of prostate cancer, but also how to communicate with loved ones and physicians about their health.
ON THE LINE and the BCA are proclaiming the week of February 18th – 26th as “Statement Week.” During Statement Week, nearly 100 African American NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball coaches will show their support and raise awareness of prostate cancer by wearing a bow tie and an ON THE LINE button during their games. Partnering with such an impressive and extensive team of coaches will create an unprecedented level of prostate cancer awareness across America not only in the NCAA arenas, but in the homes of the millions of Americans that will be tuning in to watch their favorite teams on television. “Statement Week” is also being supported by The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), the Big 10, the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the Big 12 and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). Each conference and many of the participating schools will also spotlight “Statement Week” online to create further awareness.
Along with information and resources available at www.ontheline.com, ON THE LINE will also launch a series of Public Service Announcements that will air nationally and regionally on TV and radio.
“Educating African American men about the risk factors for prostate cancer is of the utmost importance and is a matter of great concern for our association,” said Floyd Keith, Executive Director of the Black Coaches & Administrators. “Our coaches are proud to wear the bow tie and make a statement for men’s health.”
Leading the charge for ON THE LINE during Statement Week will be Tubby Smith, prostate cancer survivor and Head Coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers Men’s Basketball team. In his coaching career, Tubby Smith has won a National Title, been named a conference coach of the year five times, and collected national coach of the year honors on three different occasions.
“Being a prostate cancer survivor, I understand the importance of talking to your doctor and learning your risk factors,” said Tubby Smith. “Thanks to ON THE LINE and the BCA, a new generation of African American men will be armed with the facts and the tools necessary to beat prostate cancer.”
In addition to Tubby Smith, the ON THE LINE roster of coaches participating in Statement Week includes Tommy Amaker of Harvard University, Mike Anderson of the University of Arkansas, Tony Barbee of Auburn University, Johnny Dawkins of Stanford University, Anthony Grant of the University of Alabama, Frank Haith of the University of Missouri, Leonard Hamilton of Florida State University, Paul Hewitt of George Mason University, Trent Johnson of Louisiana State University, Cuonzo Martin of the University of Tennessee, Oliver Purnell of DePaul University, Craig Robinson of Oregon State University, Lorenzo Romar of the University of Washington, Shaka Smart of Virginia Commonwealth University and John Thompson III of Georgetown University among others.
About ON THE LINE:
ON THE LINE harnesses the power of sports and celebrities to raise awareness that one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime and challenges men to take charge of their health. ON THE LINE strives to empower men and their loved ones by providing the resources needed for them to take charge of their health at all stages of the journey, from understanding the risk factors to diagnosis and treatment. The ON THE LINE campaign draws on the expertise of an independent panel of prostate cancer physicians from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the world’s leading professional organization representing doctors who care for people with cancer. ASCO’s expert panel provided the core clinical prostate cancer information, which serves as the basis for the campaign content. ON THE LINE has also enlisted teammates ZERO — The Project to End Prostate Cancer, Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education & Support Network, Prostate Conditions Education Council (PCEC), and the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) to serve as local and community resources and networks. To learn more, visit www.ontheline.com.
NCAA D-I Men's Basketball Hiring Report Card
BLACK COACHES AND ADMINISTRATORS (BCA) TO ANNOUNCE A
“HIRING REPORT CARD” IN EFFORTS TO EVALUATE
RECENT HIRING TRENDS IN NCAA DIVISION I MEN’S BASKETBALL
Indianapolis, In, February 20, 2012—The Black Coaches and Administrators with the support of the Indiana University (IUPUI Campus) School of Journalism/National Sports Journalism Center (NSJC) will announce in the fall of 2012 its findings via the release of a “Hiring Report Card” (HRC) that will address the current trends relevant to the search processes and hiring practices in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)/Division I institution’s men’s basketball programs.
The 2012 BCA Men’s Basketball Hiring Report Card will serve as a significant component in the evaluation of FBS/Division I institution’s search and hiring practices for head men’s basketball coaching positions for the 2012 hiring cycle. Institutions will be evaluated in four categories: Communication, Hiring/Search Committee, Candidates Interviewed, and Reasonable Time. Each category has a numerical score that will be converted into a letter grade for the final report.
BCA Executive Director, Floyd Keith stated, “The BCA is most pleased with this partnership with the Indiana University School of Journalism with regard to this process. 22.6% of the current head coaches in Division Men’s basketball are coaches of color; which represents 38% of the 61% of the black athletes on the court. The percentage of black head coaches has declined steadily since 2007 from 25% to the current 22.6%; as well as the proportionality ratio of 38% to 37%. The process is at a stalemate and we need to determine what the issue is.”
The rationale of the Hiring Report Card and the public release of the grades are to present an objective measurement that quantifies the four major categories that we believe influence the hiring process. Through this systematic evaluation, we hope to objectively increase public and institutional awareness of demonstrating a commitment to diversity and inclusion. The Men’s Basketball HRC will affirm each NCAA FBS/D-I institution’s commitment to conduct inclusive and diverse searches in all areas of the campus community.
“We are pleased to collaborate with Indiana University on the Men's Basketball Hiring Report Card (HRC). The Black Coaches and Administrators (BCA) regard highly its charge to advocate for inclusion on all levels of sport. The number of black male D-I basketball student-athletes has steadily increased in recent years, but we have not seen the same trend in the hiring of black coaches of men's basketball”, stated BCA President Danielle O’Banion.
O’Banion further explained, “This partnership between IU and the BCA provides an opportunity to hold institutions accountable. The impact of the HRC on search processes and hires made in football and women's basketball are noteworthy. We fully expect the same positive impact in the search processes in men's college basketball.”
Dr. Pamela Laucella, Assistant Professor and Academic Director for the NSJC, stated, “I'm personally committed to diversity issues through my teaching, research and service.” Laucella noted, “I seek to influence perceptions and policy through my work, so the partnership between NSJC and BCA is a natural fit. I admire the work Floyd Keith and others do at BCA and I'm a huge follower of Dr. Richard Lapchick's pioneering work in promoting equity in sport.”
The hiring report card was initially unveiled as part of the BCA’s “Equity in Football Hiring’s: The Final Report” plan which resulted from the Summit I meeting in Lincoln, Nebraska during the 2002 BCA Football Classic weekend in August of 2002. The BCA annually releases Hiring Report Cards for NCAA FBS and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) head football coach hires and NCAA FBS/Division I women’s basketball head coach hires.
ABOUT BLACK COACHES AND ADMINISTRATORS (BCA)
The Black Coaches & Administrators (BCA) is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt non-profit organization whose primary purpose is to foster the growth and development of ethnic minorities at all levels of sports both nationally and internationally. The BCA is committed to creating a positive enlightened environment where issues can be examined closely, debated sincerely and resolved honestly. The focus of the BCA involves the concerns of its colleagues in professional sports, NCAA (Division I, II, and III), NAIA (Division I and II), junior college and high school levels.
On May 31, 2007, BCA Board of Directors unveiled the new name of the organization during the 2007 BCA National Convention and Expo. The name change was made to clarify the expanding membership population of administrators and coaches within the BCA. Subsequently, BCA is now Black Coaches & Administrators.
ABOUT THE INDIANA SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM/NATIONAL SPORTS JOURNALISM CENTER (NSJC)
IU School of Journalism is 100 years old and continues its legacy of preparing leading journalists and industry professionals. The Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center is the most comprehensive institute for the study of sports journalism in America and is currently the only graduate program in sports journalism in the country. Through its academic courses and other programs, the center provides top quality and cutting-edge instruction on sports media for everyone from high school students to veteran professionals.
Contact Kennedy D. Wells, BCA Director of Membership/Special Assistant at 317-829-5604 or kwellsAbcasports.org for additional info
UAB hires Garrick McGee as Coach
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- UAB has hired Arkansas offensive coordinator Garrick McGee as head coach.
Blazers athletic director Brian Mackin announced the hiring Sunday night, a day after Razorbacks coach Bobby Petrino issued a statement congratulating McGee on landing the job.
McGee is a finalist for the Broyles Award given to the nation's top assistant. He replaces Neil Callaway, who was ousted after five seasons when he failed to post a winning record.
"I expect to win here and win the Conference USA championship. I think when you're in a state that values the sport of the football the way that this state does, then there should be no reason why we can't compete for the conference championship."
McGee is a former Oklahoma quarterback who spent the past four seasons at Arkansas, including two as offensive coordinator.
The Razorbacks lead the Southeastern Conference in total and passing offense and are second in scoring.
McGee will be introduced in a news conference Monday morning.
"When we began the process a week ago to find a new coach to lead our football program, it was our goal to find a coach who met a certain profile who could be successful at UAB," Mackin said. "Garrick McGee brings all of the qualities to UAB that we were looking for in a coach. Coach McGee brings energy and passion to our program, and will get out in the community to sell UAB football.
"We are extremely excited to have Garrick McGee as our football coach."
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
Dino Babers new Football Coach at EIU
CHARLESTON, Ill. – It's been 25 years since Eastern Illinois University held a press conference to announce a new head football coach. On Friday a new era of Panther football began with the announcement of Dino Babers as the 22nd head coach in EIU football history.Babers currently the special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach at Baylor University was announced as the new head coach by EIU University President Dr. William Perry and athletic director Barbara Burke before a large crowd in the EIU University Ball Room.With a smile on his face, Babers accepted the job by simply saying he was humbled to have been considered and selected to be the head coach at Eastern Illinois following in the footsteps of a man who first hired him on the EIU staff back in 1987, Bob Spoo.“I am humbled to be your new head football coach. I love where I am at and I can't wait to get where we are going,” Babers said. “I can't wait to see the smiles on the faces of the players, the community and this great academic institution on the things we are going to do on and off the field. We are going to set this community on fire.”Babers will officially join the Panthers staff following Baylor's bowl game. The Bears play Washington in the Valero Alamo Bowl on December 29 at 8 p.m. with the game to be televised on ESPN.One of the things that attracted Babers to the administration at Eastern Illinois was the type of man he is and the type of offense he planned on running. “We are excited about a new era of Panther football,” Burke said. “We were fortunate to have a great pool of candidates to select from. It was not an easy decision. I am glad it wasn't easy, it shows that people care about this program and EIU. When I spoke to people around the nation, two things kept coming up about Dino Babers. 1.) He is a man of outstanding character. 2.) He has a great offensive football mind. Lastly one person I respect called me and said I would be crazy not to hire Dino.”Baylor is currently one of the most exciting offenses in the nation as the Bears rank fifth in the nation in passing offense and second in the nation in total offense. Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III became Baylor's first Heisman Trophy winner on Saturday, Dec. 10.Babers is in his fourth season at Baylor helping head coach Art Briles rebuild the program. Baylor will be playing in its second straight bowl game after playing Illinois in the Texas Bowl in 2010.“He will be a great leader of your football program,” Briles said. “He is an outstanding man, a great father and husband.”Babers joined the Baylor program after four seasons as the assistant head coach at UCLA on the staff of Karl Dorrell. At UCLA Babers helped coach the Bruins to four straight bowl appearances.“He is a tremendous coach that brings a wealth of experience,” said Dorrell. “He has coached every position on offense. As a recruiter he is energetic and can make that connection to players.”Babers mentioned that he would have a national base for recruiting with the primary emphasis on winning Illinois and the bordering states. He thanked the EIU administration for its support of that vision and the financial backing to have that national recruiting philosophy.“The formula for success is going to follow the game plan we started at Baylor. We have to start with the product, and the product is the players,” Babers added. “We want to attack them not only on the field from a strength and development standpoint, but also socially, morally and spiritually. All of those things are involved to making sure we get the best person we can on the football field.”Babers continued by saying “After that we are going to get into the community and get them behind us. We are going to play an exciting brand of football. It is something people are going to want to come out and see and it's going to be the thing to do on Saturdays. If you're not watching us, then you're not in the place where all the action is.”Prior to his time at UCLA, Babers spent one season at Pittsburgh following offensive coordinator stints at Texas A&M and Arizona. In 1998 he helped Arizona post a 12-1 record with a number four national ranking. In 1999 his offensive unit ranked third in the nation in total offense at 471.9 yards per game.Babers entered the coaching profession as a graduate assistant at Hawai'i for one season and for two years as a graduate assistant at Arizona State. ASU earned a trip the Rose Bowl following the 1986 season. He was hired as a part of Bob Spoo's first staff at Eastern Illinois in 1987. Babers mentioned that EIU was a place that he always thought might be a head coaching destination.“All during my career I have always circled Eastern Illinois on my resume and said to myself – If that job ever came open I would love to be considered to be the next head coach of that program.” Babers then joked by saying “it only took 25 years for Coach Spoo to retire for that opening to occur. That is a tribute to the type of program he has built here and the success they have been able to have.”Babers has had success at every stop of his coaching career. He has coached 23 former players who eventually played in the National Football League during his more than 25 years in the college coaching profession.A native of San Diego, Calif., Babers (50) was a four-year starter at Hawai'i earned All-Western Athletic Conference Academic honors. He was a free agent signee with the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League when an injury in camp ended his professional career. He earned his undergraduate degree from Hawai'i in 1984 and a masters degree from Arizona State in 1988. He and his wife Susan have four daughters – Breeahnah, Tasha, Jazzmin and Paris.Eastern Illinois plays in the Ohio Valley Conference and has made 13 NCAA FCS playoff appearances. The Panthers have won four OVC conference titles since the 2000 season. EIU is the alma mater of current NFL head coaches Sean Payton and Mike Shanahan along with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.
