Newspapers / Winston-Salem State University Student … / Jan. 26, 2010, edition 1 / Page 4
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I’agc I 'I'lie News Argiis Sports Tuesday, January 26, 2010 w-ww.thenewsargHs.coni New coach, new season, new record, hopefully LATASHA MILES Sports Editor Winston-Salem State turned to another familiar face to serve as the school's ninth football coach. WSSU alum Connell Maynor, a veteran with more than 20 years of football experience as both a player and a coach, began his first stint as a head coach. Maynor was hired Dec. 16 and started Jan. 4. "I've been coaching for a long time and a long time waiting to be a head coach," Maynor said. "When the opportunity opened to come back where 1 started my playing career, and to start my coaching career, it's unbelievable, a coincidence and a dream come true. I relish the situation. I'm fired up and ready to go." Maynor is replacing former alum Kermit Blount who was designated to another position in November to fulfill his contract. "I know 1 have some big shoes to fill in replacing Coach Blount," Maynor said. "He did a great job with the program and won a couple ClAA Championships." Maynor was the school's quarterback in 1987 when the Rams won a CIAA Championship, under then head coach Bill Hayes. Hayes also returned to WSSU earlier this month as the new athletic director. "Our relationship is almost like a father-son rela tionship and it makes a big difference when you have an AD on your side, and you can work together and you know him and he knows you," Maynor said about Hayes. "In that aspect, it's huge. It's invaluable to have him in my corner as my AD as I'm starting my head coaching career." Hayes said that the number one factor in hiring Maynor is that he has a passion for the game about college athletics and football specifically. I’m glad to be back and be a Ram again." — Coach Connell Maynor "He is a winner and has a lot of energy, and that is what 1 think that our program needed," Hayes said. "A coach with a big-time passion and a lot of energy and I think that he has that; in fact, I know that he has both of those." Maynor spent his last 10 seasons with Fayetteville State University, serving as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The FSU Broncos are the 2009 CIAA Champions. Maynor now has 10 championships, six as a player and four as a coach and he plans to add to that legacy now at WSSU. "You can expect to win cham pionships," Maynor said. "That's all I know. That's what I'm here for, I always tell everybody 10 and counting so we're going to get some more." Maynor has begun that process by hiring his coaching staff. He will lead as offensive coordinator calling the plays. He is joined by assistant coach John Eder, who he brought on from FSU. "He's [Eder] been coaching for over 35 years," Maynor said. "We've been together for the past 10 years at Fayetteville State where our offense has been ranked in the top three every year if not No. 1. So we know what we doing on offense." Maynor added Kienus P. Boulware, Richard Hayes and Charles Nieves to the defensive staff. He retained Mike Ketchum and Kevin Downing, both from the defensive staff for the past six years. "I've kept Mike Ketchum," Maynor said, "because of the past history on the defense, as a defensive coordinator. I brought in Boulware to be the defen sive coordinator and Richard Hayes. "Boulware's background is second-to-none on the Division-II level, and his defense in 07-08 was No.l in the nation. So those guys together and with the guys that we already have, I expect to have a great defense." Maynor is a 1995 graduate of NC A&T with a bachelor's degree in Recreation Administration. He is pursuing a master's degree in physical education at the University of Pembroke. "Even when I was a student here, 1 learned that grades and schoolwork are first," Maynor said. "Coaching young kids that I have been in their shoes, their situation, and that I've learned a lot, I will be able to relate with these guys. "I'm glad to be back and be a Ram again." Eveyit promotes success in academics, sports Inaugural cookout brings together coaches, faculty, student-athletes LaTasha Miles Sports Editor Director of Athletics Bill Hayes is backing up his emphasis on the success of Winston- Salem State's student-athletes with the first Dr. Reginald K. Sherard Academic Cookout. The event took place at C.E. Gaines Center Jan. 21 in attempts to reconnect the focus on academics between coaches, student-athletes, and professors. "The academic success of our student-ath letes is our number one priority," Hayes said. "I found out early on as a student-athlete and as a coach that too many times coaches and athletic staff wait until April and May to find out about the status of student-athletes in their classes. We want to try to improve com munications and this event is great way to start that." Approximately 300 student-athletes invited their teachers for lunch and conversation with their coaches regarding their academic pro gression. Nearly 1,500 were in attendance for the three-hour event. "The academic cookout was great," said jun ior Cornell Jones, a member of the WSSU track team. "Professors, students, and coaches all met for the first time since I've been enrolled. Coach Hayes is making great changes." The event, sponsored by Time Warner Cable, was named after Dr. Reginald K. Sherard, a WSSU alum who excelled in foot ball and wrestling. Sherard, a 2002 member of the WSSU Clarence E. "Big House" Gaines Athletic Hall of Fame, was also a four-year let- terman and a part of the 1978 football team's undefeated CIAA Championship roster. Sherard has since transitioned from athletics to an Emergency Medicine Physician in Greenville, N.C. at Lenoir Memorial Hospital. "To have this event named after me is very humbling," Sherard said in a WSSU Athletics News press release. "Thirty-six years ago when I was here as a student-athlete, I never thought about what I was doing at the time. You have to realize that if you have a team of 100 members, maybe three or four may go on to play profes sional ball. The rest of us have to get up and go to work every morning on a job. It's important for you to get the academic side straight so that when your athletic career is over, you have something to fall back on. This type of event helps to reinforce the impor tance of academics." The event is expected to continue annually in an effort to maintain the communication between coaches, student-athletes, and profes sors. "This was an opportunity for the instructors to meet and interact and for the athletic department to explain that they are commit ted to our student-athletes first in the class room," said Dr. Dennis Felder, coordinator of the sports management program. "The turnout was outstanding in all areas." THENEWSARGUS.COM THENEWSARGUS.COM THENEWSARGUS.COM GO TO TNENEWSARGUS.COM TO HEAR LIVE PODCASTS OF THE CAMPUS CREW. Cheapbooks.com Textbooks bought and sold, new & used, online buybacks. Buy, sell, rent at cheapbooks.com. (260) 399-6111 (212) 380-1763 espanol (713) 429-4981 urdu/hindi/punjabi See site for other support lines. Always Watching
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