Sports Law Handbook

Richmond hired Latrell Scott as head football coach Tuesday, making him the seventh African-American hire in Division I in the last month.

Scott, a former assistant for Richmond, succeeds Mike London, who was named as head coach at Virginia on December 7.

With Scott, the number of ethnic minority head football coaches in Division I increases to 20 – 13 in the Football Bowl Subdivision and seven in FCS (excluding historically black colleges and universities). That tally includes 17 African-Americans, one Latino, one Pacific Islander and a Native American.

Scott was an assistant coach at Richmond for three seasons. In 2007, he was promoted to assistant head coach and served as recruiting coordinator. He returns to Richmond after spending the 2009 seasons as receivers coach at Virginia. He held the same position at Tennessee in 2008. He also has been an assistant at VMI and Western Carolina.

Scott was a three-year starter at tight end and an All-American at Hampton, where he earned a degree in sport management in 2001.

Scott is the second ethnic minority head coach recently chosen to lead a Football Championship Subdivision program. Nigel Burton was announced as head coach at Portland State on December 8.

Minority football coaches at NCAA institutions
As of December 16; historically black colleges and universities excluded

  
The NCAA News

Two more DI institutions hire minority football coaches 

The NCAA News

Mike London, the head football coach at Richmond for the last two years, was named Monday to the same post at Virginia. He becomes the 39th coach in the program’s history.

London, a 2004 participant of the NCAA Coaches Academy, is the first graduate of any of the NCAA Coaches Academies and Forums to take over a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision program that competes in a Bowl Championship Series conference.

In two seasons at Richmond, London led the Spiders to a 24-5 record and the 2008 Division I Football Championship Series national title.

Named as the 2008 FCS National Coach of the Year by American Football Coaches Association and Schutt Sports/American Football Monthly, London previously served as the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Virginia between 2001 and 2005 before moving on to serve as defensive line coach for the NFL’s Houston Texas. He returned to Virginia in 2006 as the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach. London also has coached at William and Mary and Boston College.

A 1983 graduate of Richmond, London was standout defensive back for the Spiders and earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology.

The NCAA Coaches Academies and Forums are a series of professional-development programs aimed at assisting ethnic minority football coaches with career advancement through skills enhancement and networking opportunities.

The NCAA offers the Future Coaches Academy, which is designed for individuals who have recently completed their collegiate eligibility and have a desire to enter the college football coaching profession, while the NCAA Advanced Coaches Academy, Expert Coaches Forum and the NCAA Champions Forum target current coaches with varying degrees of experience. Willie Taggart and Larry Porter, who were recently selected as head coaches at Western Kentucky and Memphis, respectively, also are graduates of the academies and forums.

Football – Cornell hired former Dubuque head coach Vince Brautigam to replace Matt Dillon, who resigned November 16.

Football – Southern U. fired Pete Richardson. Offensive line coach Damon Nivens will serve as interim coach until a replacement is named.

Football – TCU head coach Gary Patterson agreed to a new contract through 2016 after leading the Horned Frogs to a 12-0 regular-season mark this year and an 85-27 record through nine seasons at the school … Chuck Broyles retired after 20 years as head football coach at Pittsburg State and also is taking a leave of absence as athletics director at the school … Willie Totten resigned after eight seasons at Mississippi Valley State, where he has been asked to continue to serve as a health, physical education and recreation faculty member and establish a fund-raising athletics foundation … Kent Keith named interim head coach at Nicholls State, where he has been an assistant since 2004, serving most recently as wide receivers coach.

Football – Nicholls State named Kent Keith interim head coach. A search committee will look f or a permanent replacement for Jay Thomas, who was released November 20.

Football – Mark Mangino resigned after eight seasons at Kansas, where his teams compiled a 50-48 record and played in four postseason bowl games, including an Orange Bowl appearance in 2008.

Football assistants – Georgia will not renew the contracts of defensive coordinator and secondary coach Willie Martinez, defensive co-coordinator and linebackers coach John Jancek, and defensive ends coach Jon Fabris.

Football assistants – Arizona released offensive coordinator Rich Olson.

Baseball – Craig Gerdes named head coach at Eureka, where he is a former assistant coach.

Baseball – Tim Esmay named interim head coach for the 2010 season at Arizona State, where he has been on the staff for five seasons. He is a former head coach at Utah.

Golf – Mark Cole resigned as men’s golf coach at North Carolina Wesleyan, where he will continue to serve as the college’s associate director of development. David Doino, who assists with men’s basketball at the school and is a former head golf coach at Virginia Wesleyan, will serve as interim head coach.

Men’s and women’s golf – Rosemont tabbed Robert Thomas for its men’s program, which will begin competition in fall 2010. He has coached at the prep level since 2005 and served as a basketball assistant at Delaware and Widener.

Men’s and women’s soccer – Xavier hired Woody Sherwood for its women’s program. Sherwood spent the last three seasons at Indiana, the last as assistant head coach.

Men’s and women’s soccer – Detroit tabbed Nick Deren to lead its men’s program. Deren has been with the program as interim head coach since early October. He had been an assistant under former coach Morris Lupenec.

Men’s and women’s track and field – Wingate hired Joe Soehnlen to build the school’s program from scratch. He begins his duties January 1.

Men’s basketball – Fordham released head coach Dereck Whittenburg from his contract. He had compiled a 69-112 record with the Rams, including a 1-4 start in his seventh season. He leaves the post with a career 136-162 record as a head coach. The school named assistant coach J ared Grasso as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

Men’s basketball assistants –Terrell M. Stokes joined the men’s basketball staff at District of Columbia as an assistant coach, joining head coach Jeff Ruland. Stokes spent the last four years as an assistant at Loyola College in Baltimore.

Women’s basketball – Deb Patterson agreed to a new five-year contract at Kansas State, where she is in 14th season.

Gymnastics – Jackie Ventre named assistant women’s coach at Rhode Island College.

Soccer – Sara Johnson selected as Wartburg’s first full-time women’s head coach, after assisting men’s and women’s coach T.J. Buchholz for the past three seasons. Johnson was a member of the 2004 Division III Women’s Soccer Championship-winning squad at Wheaton (Illinois). Buchholz continues as men’s head coach … Joy Boswell resigned after four seasons as women’s coach at Pacific (Oregon), where her teams compiled a 20-52-6 record.

Football – Cornell hired former Dubuque head coach Vince Brautigam to replace Matt Dillon, who resigned November 16.

Football – Southern U. fired Pete Richardson. Offensive line coach Damon Nivens will serve as interim coach until a replacement is named.

Football – TCU head coach Gary Patterson agreed to a new contract through 2016 after leading the Horned Frogs to a 12-0 regular-season mark this year and an 85-27 record through nine seasons at the school … Chuck Broyles retired after 20 years as head football coach at Pittsburg State and also is taking a leave of absence as athletics director at the school … Willie Totten resigned after eight seasons at Mississippi Valley State, where he has been asked to continue to serve as a health, physical education and recreation faculty member and establish a fund-raising athletics foundation … Kent Keith named interim head coach at Nicholls State, where he has been an assistant since 2004, serving most recently as wide receivers coach.

Football – Nicholls State named Kent Keith interim head coach. A search committee will look f or a permanent replacement for Jay Thomas, who was released November 20.

Football – Mark Mangino resigned after eight seasons at Kansas, where his teams compiled a 50-48 record and played in four postseason bowl games, including an Orange Bowl appearance in 2008.

Football assistants – Georgia will not renew the contracts of defensive coordinator and secondary coach Willie Martinez, defensive co-coordinator and linebackers coach John Jancek, and defensive ends coach Jon Fabris.

Football assistants – Arizona released offensive coordinator Rich Olson.

Baseball – Craig Gerdes named head coach at Eureka, where he is a former assistant coach.

Baseball – Tim Esmay named interim head coach for the 2010 season at Arizona State, where he has been on the staff for five seasons. He is a former head coach at Utah.

Golf – Mark Cole resigned as men’s golf coach at North Carolina Wesleyan, where he will continue to serve as the college’s associate director of development. David Doino, who assists with men’s basketball at the school and is a former head golf coach at Virginia Wesleyan, will serve as interim head coach.

Men’s and women’s golf – Rosemont tabbed Robert Thomas for its men’s program, which will begin competition in fall 2010. He has coached at the prep level since 2005 and served as a basketball assistant at Delaware and Widener.

Men’s and women’s soccer – Xavier hired Woody Sherwood for its women’s program. Sherwood spent the last three seasons at Indiana, the last as assistant head coach.

Men’s and women’s soccer – Detroit tabbed Nick Deren to lead its men’s program. Deren has been with the program as interim head coach since early October. He had been an assistant under former coach Morris Lupenec.

Men’s and women’s track and field – Wingate hired Joe Soehnlen to build the school’s program from scratch. He begins his duties January 1.

Men’s basketball – Fordham released head coach Dereck Whittenburg from his contract. He had compiled a 69-112 record with the Rams, including a 1-4 start in his seventh season. He leaves the post with a career 136-162 record as a head coach. The school named assistant coach J ared Grasso as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

Men’s basketball assistants –Terrell M. Stokes joined the men’s basketball staff at District of Columbia as an assistant coach, joining head coach Jeff Ruland. Stokes spent the last four years as an assistant at Loyola College in Baltimore.

Women’s basketball – Deb Patterson agreed to a new five-year contract at Kansas State, where she is in 14th season.

Gymnastics – Jackie Ventre named assistant women’s coach at Rhode Island College.

Soccer – Sara Johnson selected as Wartburg’s first full-time women’s head coach, after assisting men’s and women’s coach T.J. Buchholz for the past three seasons. Johnson was a member of the 2004 Division III Women’s Soccer Championship-winning squad at Wheaton (Illinois). Buchholz continues as men’s head coach … Joy Boswell resigned after four seasons as women’s coach at Pacific (Oregon), where her teams compiled a 20-52-6 record.

INDIANAPOLIS – Linemen in college football shield the quarterback from would-be tacklers, but what’s to protect these burly linemen from health threats associated with their size? Exercise alone won’t do it, according to new research from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

Two-thirds of Division I linemen studied were obese, putting them at significant risk for metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance compared with players at other positions. High levels of physical activity—shown to help prevent obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases—weren’t enough to counteract the health threats brought on by the linemen’s weight and lifestyle factors, researchers found. The study is the first to report on the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in a large cohort of Division I collegiate football players.

“These findings are consistent with a recent study showing retired NFL linemen were twice as likely to develop metabolic syndrome as players of other positions,” said lead researcher James R. Borchers, M.D., MPH. “Given the serious health consequences of these conditions, we need to study college football players over time—and we need to counsel them about managing their health risks.”

Borchers pointed out that, while this study revealed similarities between Division I linemen and their professional NFL counterparts, the comparison may not apply to football players at Division II and Division III schools.

The study measured 90 football players, grouping them according to positions played. Group A comprised offensive and defensive linemen; Group B included wide receivers and defensive backs, and Group C consisted of tight ends, linebackers, quarterbacks, punters and kickers. Participants were measured for body composition, blood pressure, insulin level, cholesterol and other factors. Eight percent were overweight (20-25 percent body fat) and 21 percent (all linemen) were obese, with at least 25 percent body fat. Twenty-one percent of participants were found to have insulin resistance, a condition associated with coronary artery disease and diabetes. 

Forty-two percent of obese participants had metabolic syndrome, defined as showing abnormality in at least three of the following five measures:

-          Triglyceride

-          HDL-C

-          Abdominal obesity

-          Glucose

-          Blood pressure

Metabolic syndrome is thought by some to be a more important risk factor than tobacco use in the future development of coronary artery disease. While high levels of physical activity are known to reduce the rate of metabolic syndrome among adolescents, the relationship between activity and metabolic syndrome in obese individuals is unclear. Today’s Division I football players have significantly higher body fat and total body mass than their counterparts of the 1980s and ‘90s, giving rise to additional concerns about their long-term health.

The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 35,000 international, national, and regional members and certified professionals are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.

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NOTE: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise® is the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, and is available from Lippincott Williams & Wilkins at 1-800-638-6423. For a complete copy of the research paper (Vol. 41, No. 12, pages 2105-2110) or to speak with a leading sports medicine expert on the topic, contact the Department of Communications and Public Information at 317-637-9200 ext. 133 or 127. Visit ACSM online at www.acsm.org.

The conclusions outlined in this news release are those of the researchers only, and should not be construed as an official statement of the American College of Sports Medicine