Host named state commerce secretary

Jim Host, founder and chairman of Host Communications, Inc., has been appointed as secretary of commerce for the state of Kentucky.

Host Communications, Inc., a sports marketing firm based in Lexington, Kentucky, assists the NCAA with a variety of initiatives, including the selling of corporate partnerships and overseeing the development of printed programs distributed at NCAA championships.

Established as Jim Host and Associates in 1972, the organization was renamed as Host Communications, Inc., in 1982. Among the firm's first clients was the University of Kentucky athletics department.

Host formerly served as the state's commissioner of public information in 1967 and as commissioner of parks three years later. He also earned the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor in 1971, but was defeated in the general election.

Host has served on numerous professional, civic and charitable boards of directors, including the National Basketball Hall of Fame executive committee, the National Park Advisory Board and the Freedoms Foundation. He was recognized as Kentucky's Entreprenuer of the Year in Communications in 1998 and was honored with a lifetime achievement award by the National Association of Collegiate Marketers. In 2001, Host was distinguished as Kentuckian of the Year, one of the state's highest civic awards.

A 1961 graduate of Kentucky, Host earned a degree in radio and television and was a pitcher on the varsity baseball squad.

GENERAL

Director of athletics

Wisconsin-Parkside chose David Williams as athletics director.

Senior woman administrator

Debbie Hensley accepted additional responsibilities as senior woman administrator and assistant athletics director at Western Carolina. Hensley, who replaces Maria Ochoa, will continue as head women's soccer coach.

Associate directors of athletics

Princeton named Jamie Zaninovich as associate athletics director for athletics relations, sponsor services and marketing ... Andrew Plenn was hired as associate athletics director for development at Colorado. Plenn has been an assistant athletics director and executive director of the Terrapin Club at Maryland.

Assistant directors of athletics

Jason Klotkowski was named as assistant athletics director for business affairs at La Salle ... Newberry chose Scott McCain as assistant athletics director for sports information and marketing. McCain, who has been assistant sports information director and athletics ticket manager at Charleston Southern, takes over for sports information director Ryan Rose.

Coaches

Women's basketball -- John Jay's Sean Couch resigned as head coach. The school named assistant coach John McGraw as interim head coach.

Football -- J.D. Brookhart was hired as head coach at Akron to replace Lee Owens. Brookhart has been offensive coordinator at Pittsburgh ... Brown signed Phil Estes to a multiyear contract extension as head coach. Estes has guided the program for six years ... Bryant hired Marty Fine as head coach to succeed Jim Miceli. Fine has spent the past two seasons as offensive line coach and special teams coordinator at Iowa State ... Paul Winters was selected as head coach at Wayne State (Michigan). Winters has been an assistant at Akron for nine seasons and most recently has been assistant head coach and offensive coordinator ... Mike DeBord resigned after four years as head coach Central Michigan ... Chris Woods was chosen as head coach at Stonehill.

Football assistants -- Ellis Johnson was hired as defensive coordinator at Mississippi State. For the past three seasons, Johnson has been an assistant at The Citadel ... Arizona chose Charlie Williams as running backs coach and Tim Kish as defensive line coach. Williams has been receivers coach at South Carolina and Kish has been defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Indiana ... Louisiana-Monroe chose Junior Smith as running backs coach. For the past four years, Smith has worked as running backs coach at Army ... Hofstra's Jeff Behrman resigned as receivers coach.

Men's and women's golf -- Dill Gunn was selected as head men's coach and Denny Hayles was appointed as head women's coach at Millsaps.

Men's and women's lacrosse -- Anne Windover assumed responsibilities as head women's coach at Niagara.

Men's soccer -- Bernard Baruch elevated Ranford Champagnie to head soccer coach. Champagnie has been an assistant at the school since 2001.

Men's soccer assistant -- Dima Kamenshchik was chosen as an assistant coach at Bernard Baruch. Kamenshchik was a two-year member of the school's soccer squad and served as captain of the team as a senior this past season.

Women's soccer -- Arkansas hired Gordon Henderson as head coach. Henderson has been head coach at Idaho State, where in six years, he has led teams to three straight Big Sky Conference championships and three NCAA College Cup appearances.

Softball assistant -- Roger Williams announced Lauren Hall as an assistant. Hall is a May 2002 graduate of the school, where as a member of the softball squad, she established 11 school records.

Men's and women's tennis -- Karlyn Jakusz was hired as head women's coach at Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Jakusz succeeds Nancy Page, who retired after 18 years as head coach.

Men's and women's track and field -- Clyde Morgan was chosen as head men's and women's coach at Thiel.

Men's and women's volleyball -- Mars Hill's Bill Shook resigned as head coach. In 10 seasons, Shook has collected 161 victories, one South Atlantic Conference regular-season championship and one conference tournament title.

Men's and women's volleyball assistant -- Pavlina Klimova assumed additional responsibilities as an assistant men's coach at New Jersey Institute of Technology. Klimova also serves as head women's coach at the school.

Staff

Athletic trainer -- Mount Olive elevated Crystal Langston to head athletic trainer. Langston, who has served as an assistant athletic trainer since 2002, replaces Todd Fuhrman.

Communications -- Ball State named Michelle Matanich as assistant director of athletics communications and marketing.

Development -- Sam Houston State appointed Chris Park as athletics development coordinator.

Associations

The Faculty Athletics Representatives Association has identified the following candidates to be FARA officers for 2004: President elect -- Don Vanderjagt, Grand Valley State University; Division I vice-president -- Jerald Henderson, Chicago State University; Division II vice-president -- David Merrill, Abilene Christian University; Division III vice-president -- Lori Clemo, State University College at Oswego; Secretary/treasurer -- Vicki Hightower, Elon University; Division I representative -- Roger Caves, San Diego State University, Tex Dutile, University of Notre Dame; Division I-AAA representative -- Nancy Sampson, University of Denver; Division II representative -- Robert Ziegenfus, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, Jim Suksi, Northern Michigan University; Division III representative -- Sandy Slabik, Neumann College.

Correction

One of the semifinalists in the Division III Men's Soccer Championship was misidentified in the December 8 issue of The NCAA News. Wheaton (Massachusetts) won four contests in the championship before falling to eventual runner-up Drew in a semifinal game.

Notables

Southern California head women's volleyball coach Mick Haley was named as the 2003 Tachikara/American Volleyball Coaches Association NCAA Division I Coach of the Year. This season, the Lady Trojans were a perfect 33-0 heading into semifinal action in the NCAA Division I women's volleyball championship tournament. Haley, who is in his third season at the school, led the team to the 2002 national championship.

DEATHS

Joel Tomson, former director of athletics and recreation at Bard, died December 12 of lung cancer. He was 54. Tomson served as athletics director from 1979 to 1995 and also completed tenures as head men's and women's soccer coach and head men's tennis coach.

Otto Graham, a former basketball and football student-athlete at Northwestern and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, died December 17. He was 82. Graham was an all-American in basketball and football in 1943 and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting that same year. He went on to a 10-year career with the Cleveland Browns and passed for 23,584 yards and 174 touchdowns. Graham also completed a stint as director of athletics and head football coach at Coast Guard.

--Compiled by Leilana McKindra