National Collegiate Athletic Association |
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The NCAA RecordDecember 8, 1997
Calendar
Louisville selects John Smith for footballJohn Smith, head football coach at Utah State, has been named head coach at Louisville. He succeeds Ron Cooper, who was released by Louisville after three seasons.
Smith turned a struggling Utah State program into a Big West Conference champion in three seasons at the school. Before taking the Utah State job, Smith spent six years at Idaho, where he compiled a 53-21 record. Smith also was defensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Washington State for two years and for one year at Wyoming.
He was a linebacker and quarterback at Weber State, earning Big Sky Conference scholar-athlete honors in 1971-72. He earned a master's degree at Montana.
GENERALASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS Joan Lehoullier promoted to senior associate athletics director at Massachusetts-Lowell. ASSISTANT DIRECTORS OF ATHLETICS Mindy DeGroot hired as assistant athletics director-external at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. DeGroot was coordinator of marketing and promotions at Wyoming ... Edward Stoner named assistant AD for external affairs at Massachusetts-Lowell. COACHES Field hockey--Kim Barbacci resigned after 10 years as head coach at Misericordia. Barbacci compiled a 101-57-3 career record, including five consecutive 10-plus win seasons. Football--Texas Tech extended the contract of head coach Spike Dykes through the 2000 season. Football assistants--Dick Winder, offensive coordinator at Oklahoma, was released and Joe Dickinson was promoted to replace him. Dickinson has been running backs coach. Also released were defensive coordinator Bill Young, secondary coach Chris Thurmond and defensive ends coach Kenith Pope. Rex Ryan was appointed defensive coordinator. Men's golf--Jim Johnson, head coach at Tarleton State, resigned to become a membership services representative at the NCAA national office. Women's lacrosse--Josh Hexter hired as head coach at Bridgewater State (Massachusetts). Hexter was an assistant coach at Holy Cross from 1996 through 1997 ... Mike Murphy appointed head coach at Pfeiffer. Murphy will continue with his duties as assistant men's lacrosse coach at the university. Men's soccer--Mike Brown, head coach at Missouri-Kansas City since 1993, resigned to become director of the Missouri Youth Soccer Association. Brown led his teams to a 45-51-2 record, making him the most victorious coach in Missouri-Kansas City soccer history ... Giovanni Pacini hired as head men's soccer coach at Lasell. After 146 years as a women's college, Lasell will become a coeducational institution during the 1998-99 academic year. Most recently, Giovanni was an assistant coach at MIT. Women's soccer--Carl Gregor selected as head coach at Pfeiffer. Gregor has been an assistant coach at Pfeiffer for the past four years ... Roger Bimah named head women's soccer coach at Nicholls State. Bimah has been coaching at the high-school level. Women's softball--Melanie Grooms, head coach at North Carolina-Pembroke, resigned effective December 31. Grooms also has been head women's volleyball coach. She compiled a 29-58 record in three seasons as head softball coach. Women's volleyball--Jim Johnson, head coach at Tarleton State, resigned to become a membership services representative at the NCAA national office ... Melanie Grooms, head women's volleyball coach at North Carolina-Pembroke for the past two seasons, resigned effective December 31. She led the Lady Braves to an 18-49 mark in her two seasons. Grooms also coached the women's softball team. STAFF Compliance coordinator--Tarleton State's Jim Johnson hired as a membership services representative at the NCAA national office. Operations intern--Beth Lannon selected as athletics department intern assisting with the operation and management of athletics facilities at Misericordia. NCAA NATIONAL OFFICE Jim Johnson hired as a membership services representative at the NCAA national office. Johnson was compliance coordinator at Tarleton State for the past four years. He also was women's volleyball coach and men's golf coach. ASSOCIATIONS Sam Lagana named executive director of the John R. Wooden Award. He also will oversee the sports marketing and business development division of the Los Angeles Athletic Club. Lagana has been athletics director of the Los Angeles Athletic Club for the past two years and was vice-chair of the Wooden award. The presenting sponsor of the award, UROHealth Systems, Inc., has changed its name to IMAGYN.
Etc.SEMINAR The National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators will conduct its third annual workshop and business session in conjunction with the 1998 NCAA Convention. The workshop is scheduled January 10 with sessions on the use of creatine and dietary aids by student-athletes, developing structures and missions for campus and conference student-athlete advisory committees, and achieving and maintaining compliance with Title IX. For information, contact the NADIIIAA at 716/273-5881. CORRECTION A story in the November 17 issue of The NCAA News incorrectly described John Biddiscombe's role on the Division III Management Council. Biddiscombe was appointed chair-elect of the Management Council and will take over as chair at the conclusion of the 1998 NCAA Convention. |
Smith was given a five-year contract to coach the Cardinals, who finished 1-10 this season.