Carwein named as Westfield State president

Vicky L. Carwein has been named president at Westfield State.

Carwein succeeds the retiring Frederick W. Woodward, who has been president since 1997.

Carwein comes to Westfield State from the University of Washington, Tacoma, where she has been chancellor since 1998. She moved to Washington-Tacoma in 1995 after completing a stint at UNLV that included working as a member of the faculty for 23 years and also serving as dean of the college of health sciences.

Carwein earned a master's degree in medical surgical nursing at University of California, San Francisco, and a doctorate in nursing science from Indiana.

Mississippi State tabs Croom as head coach

Mississippi State has selected Sylvester Croom as head football coach to succeed the retired Jackie Sherrill. Croom becomes the first black head coach in Southeastern Conference history and the fifth African-American to currently lead a Division I-A football program.

Croom takes over the Mississippi State program after serving as running backs coach for the NFL's Green Bay Packers since 2001. Before his stint with the Packers, he worked as the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. He also has completed tenures as running backs coach for the San Diego Chargers, Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At the college level, Croom coached Alabama's linebackers from 1977 to 1986.

Croom, a two-year starter at center for Alabama in 1973-74, earned all-SEC and Kodak all-America recognition as a senior and helped the Crimson Tide to three straight Southeastern Conference championships and the 1973 national championship.

Croom earned a bachelor's degree in history with a minor in biology from Alabama in 1975 and a master's degree in educational administration, also from Alabama, in 1977.

GENERAL

Chief executive officers

E. William Beauchamp was named as president at Portland. Beauchamp has been a senior vice-president at the school ... Eastern Oregon announced Khosrow Fatemi as president, effective in the spring of 2004. Fatemi has been dean of the Imperial Valley campus of San Diego State ... Dorothy Leland, vice-president of Florida Atlantic's Boca Raton campus, was named as president at GC&SU, effective in January ... Jacksonville President David L. Harlow announced plans to retire by June 2005.

Directors of athletics

Julie Soriero was named as acting director of athletics at Colorado College to replace Joel Nielsen, who was chosen as athletics director at South Dakota. Soriero is senior associate athletics director at the school ... Mike Hennigan, athletics director and football coach at Tennessee Tech, will relinquish duties as athletics director.

Assistant directors of athletics

Nebraska released Dave Gillespie as assistant athletics director for football. Gillespie was running backs coach and recruiting coordinator for the football program at the school from 1998 to 2002 before assuming assistant athletics director responsibilities in January ... Rutgers-Camden hired Patty Raube as assistant athletics director. For the past four months, Raube has been a compliance assistant at Rutgers ... Bernard Baruch promoted Machli Joseph to assistant athletics director. Joseph has been with the school since March 2002 and most recently has been director of the athletics and recreation complex. He also is an assistant men's basketball coach.

Coaches

Baseball -- John Winkin was promoted to head coach at Husson to take over for J.K. Kolasinski. Winkin has been an assistant coach at the school since 1997 ... Occidental hired Denny Barrett as head coach to replace Jeff Henderson. Barrett currently is the athletics director at Bakersfield Christian (California) High School.

Men's basketball -- Hamilton's Tom Murphy announced his retirement as head coach, effective at the end of the 2003-04 season. Murphy guided the program for 34 years and also spent 25 years as director of athletics at the school ... Bill Dooley resigned as head coach at Delaware Valley. The school named Denny Surovec as Dooley's successor.

Men's and women's cross country assistant -- Edward O'Gorman was chosen as an assistant men's and women's cross country and track and field coach at Millersville.

Field hockey -- Irene Horvat resigned as head coach at James Madison.

Football -- Central (Iowa) head coach Rich Kacmarynski resigned ... Rick Minter was released as head coach at Cincinnati. Minter has guided the program for 10 seasons ... Eastern Michigan named Jeff Genyk as head coach. Genyk, who most recently spent five seasons as running backs coach at Northwestern, replaces Jeff Woodruff ... UTEP released Gary Nord after four years as head coach ... Arkansas-Pine Bluff head coach Lee Hardman resigned after 11 seasons and will assume an administrative position at the school. Marty Steward, defensive coordinator with the program for the past three years, was announced as interim head coach ... Tommy Bowden was awarded a three-year contract extension through 2010 as head coach at Clemson. Bowden, the 2003 Atlantic Coast Conference coach of the year, has been head coach for five seasons ... Dean Pees, head coach at Kent State for the past six seasons, signed a one-year contract extension through the 2006 season ... Marty Schaetzle, head coach at Mercyhurst, was awarded a contract extension through the 2005 season ... Chris Ault, director of athletics at Nevada, accepted additional responsibilities as head football coach to succeed Chris Tormey, who was released after four seasons. In two previous tenures that spanned from 1976 to 1992 and 1994-95, Ault guided the program to a 163-63-1 mark and seven conference championships ... Samford extended the contract of head coach Bill Gray through the 2008 season ... Ashland appointed Lee Owens as head coach to take over for Gary Keller. Owens was head coach at Akron before being released this season ... Arizona hired Oklahoma co-defensive coordinator Mike Stoops as head coach to replace John Mackovic ... Frank Solich was released as head coach at Nebraska. Solich compiled a 58-19 record in six seasons. The school named Bo Pelini, defensive coordinator, as interim head coach ... George O'Leary was hired as head coach at Central Florida to replace Mike Kruczek. O'Leary, who formerly was head coach at Georgia Tech, has been defensive coordinator for the NFL's Minnesota Vikings for the past two seasons ... Idaho chose Nick Holt, linebackers coach at USC since 2000, as head coach. Holt replaces Tom Cable, who was released in November ... Mickey Matthews, head coach at James Madison, signed a three-year contract extension. Matthews has led the program for five seasons ... Miami (Ohio) awarded head coach Terry Hoeppner, the 2003 Mid-American Conference coach of the year, a five-year contract extension through the 2009 season. This season, Hoeppner guided the program to its first conference championship since 1986 and a berth in the GMAC Bowl ... Ted Roof was promoted to head coach at Duke after filling the post on an interim basis since Carl Franks was released in October ... Army named Bobby Ross as head coach, replacing Todd Berry and interim head coach John Mumford. Ross formerly was head coach of the NFL's Detroit Lions before resigning in 2000. He also has coached at Citadel, Maryland and Georgia Tech ... Joe Tiller, head coach at Purdue, agreed to a three-year contract extension through the 2010 season. Tiller led this year's squad to its seventh straight bowl berth, a January 1 matchup against Georgia in the Capital One Bowl ... Richard S. Basil was chosen as head coach at Savannah State ... Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville was awarded a one-year contract extension through the 2008 season ... Scotty Conley was hired as head coach at Texas A&M-Commerce. Conley formerly has been an assistant at Navy, Arkansas, Rice, Tennessee, Kansas, Texas and Texas A&M.

Football assistants -- South Carolina released defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Chris Cosh, offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo, quarterbacks coach Todd Fitch and defensive coach John Gutekunst ... Rhode Island will not renew the contracts of assistant coaches Bryan Durrington and Rob Sarvis. Durrington has been with the school since 2000 and has served as defensive coordinator since 2001. Sarvis has served as defensive line coach and strength coordinator since 1998 ... Steve Brickey and Marty Fine were released as assistant coaches at Iowa State ... Mark Stoops, defensive backs coach at Miami (Florida) for three seasons, was appointed as an assistant at Arizona ... Louisiana Tech released defensive coordinator Rick Smith ... Mike Cassity was released as defensive coordinator at Illinois. Cassity has been with the school since 2001 ... Brigham Young quarterbacks coach Robbie Bosco has been reassigned to a fund-raising position ... Mississippi State hired Woody McCorvey as offensive coordinator. McCorvey has been running backs coach at Tennessee. The school also added Amos Jones and Freddie Kitchens as assistants and announced that Guy Holliday will continue as receivers coach. Jones has been tight ends and special teams coach at James Madison and Kitchens has been an assistant at North Texas for the past three seasons. Holliday most recently completed his first season at Mississippi State ... Dave Huxtable was reassigned to linebackers coach at North Carolina. Huxtable has been defensive coordinator ... Ohio released Greg Gregory as offensive coordinator ... J.B. Grimes was hired as offensive line coach at Mississippi State. Grimes has been offensive line coach and assistant head coach at East Carolina and formerly was an assistant at Texas A&M, Virginia Tech and Arkansas ... Utah State's David Reeves resigned as assistant head coach and linebackers coach to become head coach at Rocky Mountain College ... Idaho named Joel Thomas as running backs coach and co-offensive coordinator, Nate Kaczor as co-offensive coordinator, Jeff Mills as an assistant, Johnny Nansen as linebackers coach and Jonathan Smith as quarterbacks coach ... Todd Berry was hired as offensive coordinator at Louisiana-Monroe to replace Tommy Condell. Berry was head coach at Army this season before being released in October ... Ron Wright, outside linebackers and defensive ends coach at Wright State this past season, will not be retained for the 2004 season. Wright has been with the program for six years ... John Mumford was chosen as an assistant at Army. Mumford has been defensive line coach at the school since 2000 and most recently was interim head coach for the final seven games of the season.

Men's and women's golf -- Fresno State selected Angie Cates as head women's coach. The program is scheduled to begin varsity competition during the 2004-05 academic year. For the past three years, Cates has worked as an assistant men's and women's coach at Oregon State.

Men's and women's lacrosse assistant -- Alex Kahoe was hired as an assistant women's coach at Delaware to replace Kristen Sander. Kahoe spent the 2003 season as an assistant at Pennsylvania.

Men's soccer -- Steve Brdarski resigned as head coach at Pfeiffer ... Elmhurst named Dave Di Tomasso as head coach ... Tom Rivet resigned after one season as head coach at Westfield State.

Women's soccer -- Georgia Southern's Tom Norton resigned as head coach ... Alvernia elevated Dan Schmidt to head coach to replace Laura Witman. Schmidt has served as an assistant with the program for the past year ... Michael Fulton was chosen as head coach at Transylvania to succeed Scott Scanlon, who resigned at the end of the season after nine years as head coach.

Men's and women's swimming and diving assistant -- John Candler resigned as diving coach at North Carolina State and will assume administrative responsibilities in the athletics department until his retirement March 31.

Men's and women's tennis -- Todd Hartsough resigned as head men's and women's coach at Manchester ... Pacific (Oregon) named Gage Riddoch as head coach. Riddoch, who replaces Monika Kowalewski, has been serving in the position on an interim basis for the past two months ... Barbara Rawlsky-Willett assumed responsibilities as head women's coach at Plymouth State.

Men's and women's track and field -- Defiance named Matt Lydum as head coach.

Men's and women's volleyball -- Kalani Mahi resigned as head women's coach at Oklahoma ... UNLV's Deitre Collins retired as head coach ... Middle Tennessee will not renew the contract of head women's coach Lisa Kissee ... Mount Olive hired Oleksandr Guton as head men's and women's coach. Guton has spent the past two years as head coach for the junior and women's volleyball teams for Texas Advantage Volleyball Coach ... Len Lomas resigned as head women's coach at Philadelphia U. Lomas has guided the program for six seasons ... Rich Pickrell resigned after five seasons as head women's coach.

Staff

Administrative -- Northern Colorado selected Kirstie Auzqui as director of athletics student welfare. Since August 2002, Auzqui has been assistant senior woman administrator in charge of academic advising at Fort Hays State ... La Salle appointed John Kane as director of academic support services for athletes ... San Diego selected Ky Snyder as executive director of athletics/assistant vice-president for student affairs.

Event management -- Wisconsin appointed Todd Nelson as director of events for athletics. Nelson has been with the school since April 2001 and most recently has been a university conference coordinator.

Sports information -- Melissa Dudek was hired as sports information director at Lewis and Clark. Dudek, who replaces Kerry Kemper, has been assistant general manager for the Helena Brewers minor league baseball team.

Sports information assistant -- Erin Whiteside was chosen as an assistant sports information director at Penn State. For the past three and a half years, Whiteside has worked in the publications department for Major League Baseball.

Conferences

The Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference selected Bob Oliver as the league's first full-time commissioner. Oliver most recently has been an intercollegiate athletics consultant with the law firm of Hall, Render, Killian, Heath and Lyman. He formerly was a director of membership services at the NCAA national office for 10 years ... Chad Cook was chosen as assistant director of marketing and championships at the Big South Conference ... Lauren Cooper was named as assistant director of public relations at the Southern Conference.

Associations

The United States Track Coaches Association's Jimmy Carnes announced plans to resign as executive director, effective December 31, 2004.

Corrections

An item in the Division I notes section of the November 24 NCAA News incorrectly identified the christening of Southwest Missouri State University's Hammons Field on April 2 as the school's opening day in baseball. The new facility also will feature a natural-grass field, not an artificial surface ... A headline in the November 24 NCAA News regarding the Division II Field Hockey Championship misidentified Massachusetts-Lowell's nickname as the Red Hawks instead of the River Hawks ... The name of the president of a technology company that is partnering with the Northeast-10 Conference and the Atlantic Hockey Association was incorrect in the Division II notes section of the November 24 NCAA News. The president of Lokitech is Serge Knystautas.

Reprimands

The NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee reprimanded Massachusetts head football coach Mark Whipple for publicly attacking the integrity and professionalism of individual committee members after the Division I-AA Football Championship field was announced.

Notables

Kim Morohunfola, a senior middle blocker at Cal State San Bernardino, was selected as the American Volleyball Coaches Association NCAA Division II national player of the year. Morohunfola, a four-time AVCA all-American, is ranked at the top of the school's all-time block assists list and is third in career kills ... The American Volleyball Coaches Association announced Amy Smith, senior outside hitter at La Verne, as the 2003 AVCA Division III national player of the year. Smith, a three-time Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference player of the week, tied for the team lead in kills per game at 3.47 and was second in service aces with 27 ... Jason White, quarterback at Oklahoma, was named as the Heisman Trophy winner as the top college football player in the nation. White, who also was chosen as the Davey O'Brien quarterback award winner as well as player of the year by the Associated Press and The Sporting News, helped the Sooners to a 12-1 mark this season and a berth in the 2004 Sugar Bowl by throwing for 40 touchdowns and 3,744 yards ... Kellen Winslow Jr., who led Miami (Florida) with 55 receptions, was named as the John Mackey Award winner as the best college tight end in the nation. Winslow is the first player from the school to earn the honor ... Oklahoma's Tommie Harris was honored with the Lombardi Award as the top lineman in the nation. Harris, a junior, was runner up for the award last season ... Nick Saban, head coach at LSU, was designated as the Associated Press Coach of the Year. Saban, who has been head coach since 2000, guided the program to an appearance in the 2004 Sugar Bowl ... Mississippi's Eli Manning earned the Johnny Unitas Gold Arm Award as the best senior quarterback in the nation. He also was named as the Maxwell Award winner as the nation's best all-around player. Manning owns 45 single-game, season and career records at Mississippi ... Derrick Strait, a senior cornerback at Oklahoma, was named as the recipient of the Bronko Nagurski Award, presented to the nation's best all-around defensive player. Strait, who also was named as the Jim
Thorpe Award winner as the top defensive back in the country, recorded 69 tackles and intercepted three passes this season and has set career records for passes broken up, career starts and interception return yards ... The Sporting News announced Urban Meyer, head coach at Utah, as coach of the year. Meyer guided the Utes to a 9-2 mark and a berth in the Liberty Bowl this season. The Sporting News also chose Channing Crowder, a linebacker at Florida, as the freshman of the year ... Jonathan Nichols of Mississippi was named as the Lou Groza Award winner as the top college placekicker in the nation. Nichols, who holds the school's career record for points with 258, went 24 for 28 in field goal attempts and was a perfect 45 for 45 in PATs this season ... Oklahoma's Teddy Lehman was named as the recipent of the Chuck Bednarik Trophy as the nation's best defensive player. He also was named as the 2003 Butkus Award winner as the top linebacker in college football. This season, Lehman, the 2003 Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year, led the team with 109 tackles, including 17 for losses, and also was credited with one sack, one interception and one forced fumble ... Michigan's Chris Perry collected the Doak Walker Award as the top running back in the nation. Perry tallied 19 touchdowns and set a school record for running backs with 42 catches ... Jake Grove, a senior at Virginia Tech, was the Rimington Trophy awardee as the top center in the country. Grove led the Hokies' offensive line with 48 knockdowns ... The Ray Guy Award was presented to Ohio State's B.J. Sander as the top punter in college football. Sander completed the regular season fourth in the nation with a net average of 41.2 on punts ... Robert Gallery, a senior offensive tackle at Iowa, was chosen as the Outland Trophy winner as the top interior lineman in the nation ... Pittsburgh wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald was named as the Walter Camp player of the year and the Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation's top receiver. Fitzgerald, who led the nation in receiving yards per game and touchdown catches, racked up 87 catches for 1,595 yards and 22 touchdowns this season ... Pete Carroll, head coach at USC, was named as the Home Depot National Coach of the Year. Carroll led this year's Trojan squad to an 11-1 record, the Pacific-10 Conference championship and a berth in the Rose Bowl ... Blake Elliott, a senior wide receiver at Saint John's (Minnesota), was named as the recipient of the Gagliardi Trophy, which is presented to the most outstanding football player in NCAA Division III. Elliott, a two-time most valuable player for the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, collected 106 receptions for 1,215 yards, 18 total touchdowns and 2,458 all-purpose yards in 12 games ... North Alabama senior quarterback Will Hall was chosen as winner of the Harlon Hill Trophy as the best NCAA Division II football player in the nation. Hall, Division II's top rated passer, threw for 2,586 yards and 23 touchdowns and helped North Alabama to an appearance in the semifinals of the Division II playoffs.

DEATHS

Former coach and athletics administrator at Pepperdine, Robert L. "Duck" Dowell, died November 27. He was 91. In 20 years as head men's basketball coach, Dowell led teams to four California Athletic Association championships and one West Coast Athletic Conference championship. He also served as director of athletics at the school from 1955 to 1968.

Former Northwestern football student-athlete Ron Burton died of cancer recently. Burton went on to play in the NFL and was the first player drafted by the Boston Patriots.

Norm Sloan, former men's basketball coach at North Carolina State and Florida, died December 9. He was 77. During his 14-season tenure at North Carolina State, Sloan guided the Wolfpack to the 1974 national championship. Sloan served as head coach at Florida from 1960 to 1966 and from 1980 to 1989 and led the team to three NCAA tournament appearances.

Former men's basketball coach and athletics administrator Chuck Noe died December 8 at the age of 79. Noe was head men's basketball coach at VMI and Virginia Tech. He also served as head coach and director of athletics at Virginia Commonwealth in the 1970s. In addition, Noe coached at South Carolina for two years.

Clark Kerr, former president of the University of California system and chancellor at California, died December 1. Kerr served as president of the California university system from 1958 to 1967 after serving as chancellor at California in the 1950s. He also formerly was chairman and director of the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.

Columbus State men's basketball player Jed Bedford collasped and died December 14. He was 21. Bedford, a senior, was captain of the squad. He led Division II with 135 three-point baskets last season and was averaging 21.4 points this season.

--Compiled by Leilana McKindra