National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - Briefly in the News

October 7, 1996

briefly

'Bear' market in Alabama

When the Paul W. Bryant Museum opened recently in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, more than 100 of his namesakes were on hand for the big occasion.

"When you name your kid after someone, it says a lot about what you want that child to be like," said Ken Gaddy, head of the museum. "I think these people liked the attitude, the work ethic, the respect for others that coach Bryant had."

Among those attending were 12-year-old Chad Bryant Gilbert, 27-year-old Paul Bryant Henderson and 28-year-old Matthew Bryant Gilmer.

According to the Interactive Sports Wire, young Chad Bryant Gilbert's mother learned she was pregnant with Chad the night "The Bear" died of a heart attack in Tuscaloosa.

Paul Bryant Henderson said, "One of the first stories my parents told me was that when I was a baby, coach Bryant held me in the parking lot at Legion Field while he signed an autograph for my dad. I cried for about a week when he died."

Matthew Bryant Gilmer's father, Creed Gilmer, was an all-Southeastern Conference defensive end who played for Bryant.

"Coach Bryant would frequently scream 'Gilmer!' he said. "One day my father vowed to name the child after him so he could scream, 'Bryant!' "

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Basket case

Just as fans start getting accustomed to the trapezoidal lane in international basketball, now comes the news that the highlight of this summer's Bob Cousy International Basketball Tournament for players 6-2 and under was a game that featured four baskets.

During the game, both teams were able to attack either of the two baskets at each end of the court. The baskets were spaced 30 feet apart on a court that had been widened from the customary 50 feet to 70 feet.

The "big guys" -- the Worcester All-Stars -- won, 138-127, in the highest-scoring game ever played at the Hart Center on the College of Holy Cross campus. "If it had been a regulation two-basket game, the bigger team would have won by 50 points," said Dan Doyle, former men's coach at Trinity College (Connecticut). "But with four baskets, the Cousy team (the International All-Stars) kept it close and even led at times."

Former Holy Cross captain Jim Nairus, who is 6-11, said the format helps teach players to make better decisions if nothing else. "It's an incredible concept and should be developed in the future," he said.

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Soccer research

If you are a Division III soccer coach and you feel like you don't have enough time or money, you have company.

A recent survey by Page Cotton, men's soccer coach at DePauw University, showed that Division III soccer coaches spend an average of $1,645 on recruiting every year and devote more than half their time to recruiting players.

Coaches, not surprisingly, feel that the first number is too small and that the second number is too big. They strongly believe that their budgets are inadequate and that they do not have enough time to do the job properly.

Most Division III soccer coaches identify prospective athletes through their admissions offices, Cotton said.

"I think it is surprising that 22 percent of the coaches rely on admission referrals of student-athletes," he said. "The second most popular method was a letter from the coach, and 18 percent indicated they send letters to identify prospects."

Sixty-two percent of the coaches said they correspond personally with more than 100 prospective student-athletes each year.

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Alcohol awareness week

With the approach of National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week (October 20-26), administrators may want to give thought to what they can do to make their program an award winner.

Institutions throughout the Association have received information on the NCAAW Awards Program, which awards 10 $1,000 scholarships to the best programs for the 1996-97 school year. Edward H. Hammond, president of Fort Hays State University and NCAAW chair, stressed that the scholarships are based on year-long alcohol-education programming and not just the activities that take place during alcohol-awareness week.

Individuals with questions about the program can call Herbert Songer at 913/628-4276.

-- Compiled by David Pickle

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Looking back

5 years ago: The Special Committee to Review the NCAA Enforcement and Infractions Process announces its recommendations to enhance the speed, openness and fairness of the Association's enforcement effort during an October 28, 1991, news conference in Washington, D.C. The special committee recommends a summary disposition process in which the NCAA enforcement staff may enter into agreements with institutions or individuals regarding stipulated findings or penalties; use of an independent hearing officer to decide cases in which summary disposition is not used; and open hearings. The special committee also recommends that the NCAA Committee on Infractions continue to oversee the entire process of handling a case -- including consideration of appeals -- but that a special appeals committee should be created to consider appeals in cases in which the Committee on Infractions increases a recommended penalty. (The NCAA News, November 4, 1991)

10 years ago: The NCAA Council agrees October 13-15, 1986, to sponsor four proposals at the 1987 Convention offering options in Division I for monitoring or controlling coaches' outside income. One proposal simply would require that the institution's chief executive officer be informed annually of all such income and benefits. Others would require prior institutional approval for a coach's use of an institution's name or logo in endorsing commercial products or services and approval of any compensation from athletics shoe, apparel or equipment manufacturers in exchange for the institution's use of such materials. The fourth proposal would prohibit a coach from accepting compensation for scheduling of contests or arranging for particular student-athletes to participate in an event. (The NCAA News, October 20, 1986)

25 years ago: The Council agrees during its October 25-27, 1971, meeting to sponsor a proposal at the 1972 Convention to make the NCAA Infractions Committee a judicatory body. The proposal, intended to streamline the Association's enforcement procedure, would permit the committee to act on cases without presenting recommendations to the Council. (NCAA News, November 1, 1971)