| Thursday, November 9, 2017 |
| SOCSD Board to open Partnership School bids | |
 | A major step will be made toward a notable project today when bids for the Partnership School are opened at 2 p.m. today at the Greensboro Center. The bids will be for the construction of the school following the completion of dirt work at the site this month. In a report at the last Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees meeting, Partnership School architect Bruce Wood told the board costs for the school would likely increase by approximately $2 million due to increases in building supply and labor costs in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. After the meeting, School Board President Keith Coble said he wasn't overly concerned with the increased cost, due to the district being in good financial shape. Coble said the district would look into various sources of funding to make up for the shortfall. |
| After Oktibbeha voters reject hospital sale, board OKs idea of allying with larger system | |
 | Although OCH Regional Medical Center will not be sold to a larger system, it could still become part of one. On Tuesday night, Oktibbeha County residents resoundingly struck down a measure that would have allowed a larger hospital system to buy OCH Regional Medical Center, the county's sole hospital. The final tally, with 58 percent opposed to a sale vs. 42 percent in favor of it, showed the bulk of voters wanted their hospital to stay in county hands. But on Wednesday afternoon, as volunteers still worked to count absentee ballots, the hospital's board of trustees voted unanimously to open the door to affiliating with a larger hospital system. An affiliation would allow the hospital to share some services and purchasing power without giving up its independence or public ownership. But it's also an indication that as the health care landscape shifts, stand alone hospitals may be safer weathering these changes under the umbrella of a larger system. |
| City gives Antioch, Second Baptist 60 days to fix code issues | |
 | Starkville aldermen on Tuesday have given two Starkville churches 60 days to correct code compliance issues. Aldermen voted 5-2 to give Second Baptist Church 60 days to cover up the bare soil on the construction site of its new sanctuary due to an expired building permit. Aldermen unanimously voted to give Antioch Third Baptist Church, located at the intersection of Gillespie and Spring streets, 60 days to fix its roof, which has extensive visible deterioration. Community Development Director Buddy Sanders' department notified the church of the code violation after Perkins asked for an inspection of the building. "This property is a mess," Perkins said. "It is a real disgrace to the city of Starkville, Oktibbeha County, Mississippi. How in the world are you going to let God's house get looking like this?" |
| Mississippi Insurance Commissioner: National Flood Insurance Program needs reform | |
 | An overhaul is in the works for the federal flood insurance program that covers thousands of homes in Mississippi. Senator Roger Wicker recently unveiled proposals that would improve the NFIP, which includes allowing local communities to map flood zones. Mississippi Commissioner of Insurance Mike Chaney has his opinions about the future of the national flood insurance program. His biggest push is for the federal government to allow private coverage. "What we want them to do as commissioners around the United States is to include the ability to sell private flood insurance which would give the consumer a better deal," said Chaney. South Mississippi has had its fair share of flooding lately, putting those insurance policies to the test. In a discussion with the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, Chaney gave his take on the NFIP and where it's heading. |
| Fired: Mississippi State Fair Commission head Rick Reno and ticket manager ousted | |
 | The head of the Mississippi Fair Commission and his top assistant have been ousted. Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Paige Manning confirmed Wednesday that Fair Commission Executive Director Rick Reno and Assistant Executive Director Peter Dembowski are no longer employed. "The Fair Commission has an experienced staff in place and all planned events and concerts at the Fairgrounds will take place as scheduled," Manning said. Reno became executive director of the Fair Commission in 2014, succeeding longtime executive director Billy Orr. Reno couldn't be reached for comment. Those familiar with the situation said Agriculture Commissioner Cindy Hyde-Smith was the one who decided to replace Reno and Dembowski. |
| Competing tax resolutions put Columbus-Lowndes CVB in jeopardy | |
| There are officially two competing resolutions seeking to renew the 2-percent food and beverage tax in Lowndes County. Columbus city councilmen Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution providing the city a cut of the annual tax revenue, a day after Lowndes County supervisors approved, by a 3-2 margin, a separate measure to divide the funds only between the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Golden Triangle LINK. The competing measures seemingly set up a collision course that will either force the two entities to negotiate a compromise or potentially kill the tax that has funded tourism and economic development for the last decade. In order for the tax renewal to pass muster with the Legislature, District 37 Rep. Gary Chism (R-Columbus) said it requires a joint resolution -- ideally a unanimous one -- from the city and county. Without a joint resolution, he told The Dispatch Monday, it would be like they sent "nothing at all." |
| Cleveland aldermen vote to remove Mississippi flag | |
| Mississippi's state flag has been a controversial topic throughout the nation and a year after Delta State University's decision to remove the state flag, Cleveland has followed suit. During the Cleveland Board of Aldermen meeting Tuesday, the discussion of the flag was removed from the table where it had been placed last month. The state flag was removed from Bolivar County Courthouse and county facilities at the beginning of October after a vote in by supervisors in September. The state flag also does not fly at Delta State University and has not flown since Nov. 3, 2016. At the time it was removed and placed in the university archives, President Bill LaForge said, "The objectionable portion of the state flag -- the stars and bars -- presents a polarizing symbol that is a barrier to progress and improved understanding of our state, our university, and our people. Delta State recently completed a visioning process, during which we set a course of excellence for the university's future." |
| He looks just like Steve Bannon, moves in the same circles. What is that like? | |
 | Keith Heard, former chief of staff for Sen. Thad Cochran, is a lobbyist and president of Key Impact Strategies. Heard, who is 61 and lives in Mississippi, keeps an apartment on Capitol Hill, not far from his doppelganger, Breitbart chairman and former White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon: When did you realize you are a dead ringer for Steve Bannon? "I didn't know for a while. But on election night my text messages started blowing up: 'Saw you in New York.' 'What are you doing up on the stage?' I texted back, 'Everybody's gotta be somewhere.' But I didn't pay much attention. It didn't hit me that it was Bannon they were talking about." |
| U.S. Senate confirms Madison veteran to federal VA post | |
| The U.S. Senate has confirmed the appointment of Madison's Randy Reeves to serve as under secretary for Memorial Affairs in the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Reeves, executive director of the Mississippi Veterans Affairs Board, served as president of the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs. He served in the U.S. Navy, from which he retired as a commander and surface warfare officer. Previously, he was an airman in the U.S. Air Force. "Randy Reeves will be able to put his considerable experience to good use serving our nation's veterans and their families. It is a role for which he is well-prepared," U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran said in a news release. "I commend him for his previous service, and I am confident that Randy will serve the Department of Veterans Affairs with distinction." Both Cochran and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker praised the Senate confirmation. |
| Bicyclist Hit On MSU Campus | |
 | Mississippi State University Police say a student was hit on his bicycle on campus Wednesday. MSU Campus Police Chief Vance Rice, says the student was riding a bike and failed to yield to a car. The rider broke his collar bone in the incident and is expected to recover. The accident is still under investigation. |
| Community colleges address needs at legislative luncheon | |
 | Community college officials and Mississippi legislators gathered Tuesday at Itawamba Community College's Belden Center to talk legislative priorities for the upcoming 2018 session. ICC and Northeast Mississippi Community College officials outlined their priorities and needs, as well as highlighted the strengths of the community college system at the event. The Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges as a whole was also represented at the luncheon. Hinds Community College president Clyde Muse presented the MACJC's legislative requests which include increased funds to both offset cuts made in the previous fiscal year and allow for salary increases. MACJC is also requesting $15.93 million in workforce and economic development funding that includes $5.25 million for career and technical programs and $10.68 million for MIBEST Career Pathways. |
| Statistic shows 1 in 5 women will be sexually assaulted in college | |
 | According to statistics from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center one in five women will be sexually assaulted in college. So far this semester Ole Miss has had five reported incidents. Mississippi State had 17 last school year and Mississippi University for Women hasn't had any in the past 12 months. The Oxford Police Department say everything goes back to diminishing your opportunity to be a victim of any crime. Major Jeff McCutchen of the Oxford Police Department says even after seven years of being an investigator, sexual assault cases are still the most difficult. "Those are personal cases. Those are cases you never want to see on your desk, and to have a victim go through that is unimaginable," added McCutchen. "So we want to combat that. We want to look at ways to eliminate that." |
| Campus, community food pantries preparing for holiday season | |
 | As the holidays approach, food pantries on campus and in the Oxford-Lafayette County community seek increases in donations. The Pantry, located on Molly Barr Road, serves many citizens during the holidays -- around 1,500 people during November and December. On campus, the Ole Miss Food Bank in Kinard Hall serves around 75 students a month. It also seeks donations for the holidays. The food bank works to ensure students use the bank, but it also makes certain to protect their identities. The only requirement is that students show their student IDs, but their ID numbers and names are not recorded. While on-campus events and initiatives benefit the food bank, they are often not enough to fulfill all of its needs. "We almost always have people doing canned food drives, which is good, but we do need other things," said Kate Childers, co-director of the Ole Miss Food Bank. |
| State Treasurer to teach politics course at Millsaps College | |
| State Treasurer Lynn Fitch will join the faculty of Millsaps College next semester as an adjunct professor in the Political Science Department, teaching a course titled, "Women in Politics." "I am very excited to have this opportunity to teach at Millsaps," Fitch said in a press release. "We are living in such an interesting time for women in politics, in Mississippi, the nation, and even abroad, and I am excited to work with students trying to navigate the ever-changing landscape." Women in Politics will be a four-credit undergraduate course. The college said that the course is offered as part of Millsaps' continuing commitment to using its proximity to state government to enrich its students' learning experience through special class topics, internships, and speakers. |
| William Carey University hosts 11th annual Pine Belt College Fair | |
 | Thousands of Pine Belt high school students met college and military recruiters face-to-face at William Carey University Wednesday. It was all part of the 11th annual Pine Belt College Fair. Three dozen universities and branches of the armed forces were represented. 2,000 students from 26 different schools learned about admission requirements, scholarships and financial aid opportunities. |
| Chef John David Forde set to run MGCCC's City Line Cafe | |
 | Chef John David Forde of Starkville has been named chef for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's City Line Cafe. The restaurant is located in the Hospitality and Resort Management Center on DeBuys Road in Biloxi. Forde, who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Austin, Texas, in 2012, has worked for James Beard award-winning chefs Stephan Pyles and Michael Sohocki. Forde will also head up catering for the Hospitality and Resort Management Center, which is a new offering for events held at the center. |
| 2 LSU fraternities get interim suspensions for potential policy violations | |
 | Greek Life activities for the Alpha Gamma Rho and Pi Kappa Phi fraternities at Louisiana State University have been put on ice after the university imposed interim suspensions on the organizations. Both fraternities are now under investigation as LSU tries to determine if the organizations violated the LSU Code of Student Conduct. A letter emailed to Alpha Gamma Rho's chapter president Tuesday stated the fraternity might have engaged in activities on Aug. 21 that are "not in compliance with University policies." The fraternity also may have held an event for new members Nov. 5 without an advisor present, which violates the university's Oct. 4 update on the process for resuming new member activities. A letter was also emailed to Pi Kappa Phi's chapter president Oct. 17, and it stated the fraternity held an Oct. 13 social event that was not in compliance with the Oct. 4 status update. |
| St. Augustine pastor wants Confederate monument on UF property removed | |
 | Gainesville rid itself of a Confederate statue, but 70 miles away in St. Augustine, a Confederate monument lives on University of Florida-managed property. And UF officials say it'll be at least spring before they figure out what, if anything, to do with it. Rev. Ron Rawls, pastor of St. Paul AME Church in St. Augustine, is leading efforts to take down two Confederate obelisks in the Plaza de la Constitucion, the heart of historic St. Augustine. One remains on city property and the other is on UF-managed state property. The monument overseen by UF honors Confederate Gen. William Loring and displays a Confederate flag. On Oct. 23, the city commission unanimously voted to keep its monument. |
| Spencer group's $10K check for UF event bounced, records show | |
| Behind-the-scenes planning between Richard Spencer's organization and the University of Florida before his Oct. 19 campus speech included the white nationalist's request for specific music as he walked onstage and a $10,564 bounced check. The Sun obtained 576 pages of email communications and documents, released by UF, between the university, members of Spencer's National Policy Institute and his event organizer, Cameron Padgett. Spencer's organization, NPI, bounced a $10,564 check due to insufficient funds. UF officials said the university expected expenses of $600,000 for additional security. Spencer and his organization were on the hook for $10,564 to rent and reserve the facility and for some security costs. UF spokeswoman Janine Sikes said NPI did, however, eventually pay via wire transfer. |
| Texas A&M announces leader for engineering health initiative | |
 | Texas A&M University announced Roderic I. Pettigrew will be the first CEO of the university's new Engineering Health initiative during a ceremony in Houston Wednesday. Pettigrew, who A&M officials described as a "physician-scientist and internationally recognized leader in biomedical imaging and bioengineering," will join the university as part of the Governor's University Research Initiative to help attract distinguished researchers to the state. "It is a coup for Texas A&M Health Science Center to land one of the most heavily recruited leaders, a double National Academy member, in this exciting new field of engineering medicine," said Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp. |
| U. of Missouri graduate assistants take big tax hit in GOP plan | |
 | Graduate assistants at the University of Missouri would see their federal taxes increase by as much as 350 percent under the tax plan being pushed by Republicans in the U.S. House. The proposal being debated in the House Ways and Means Committee would require graduate assistants receiving tuition waivers to count the benefit as income, ending a decades-old exemption for people seeking advanced degrees. The provision is one of several being panned by critics as an attack on access to higher education. Other proposals to end tax breaks aimed at higher education target deductions for tuition and student loan interest and a tax exemption for employer-paid tuition. Many graduate assistants spent part of Wednesday calling members of Congress as part of the National Association of Graduate and Professional Students day of action. |
| State higher ed leaders call for better coordination on tuition | |
 | Setting tuition at public colleges and universities is no simple task. Governors and lawmakers approve different levels of state funding to subsidize higher education from year to year. Those same politicians are frequently unhappy with rising college costs, and they sometimes move to freeze tuition or cap its rate of increase. But flat tuition, if not accompanied by an increase in appropriations, can result in fewer sections and longer times to graduation, which is expensive for students and families. And because of the way many state aid programs are structured, public tuition rates can directly affect the amount of financial aid students receive. In other words, setting public tuition is an exceedingly complex process involving numerous power centers. It's a process with numerous possible unintended consequences for students' ability to pay for college. Yet it's a process that's not even close to being standardized from state to state. |
| Graduate student union organizers seek momentum despite political shift | |
| Advocates for graduate student unionization at private colleges, underway for decades, were hopeful in the early years of the Obama administration that they would reach a breakthrough with a Democrat-appointed National Labor Relations Board. Despite some setbacks, they eventually made progress with the NLRB -- but it wasn't long before Donald Trump's 2016 presidential win added to organizers' problems. In September, the U.S. Senate confirmed his second nomination to the NLRB, pushing the five-member board into a Republican majority. As many colleges and universities have made themselves prominent and outspoken opponents of various Trump administration policies -- such as the rescinding of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, various implementations of the travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries, and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos's revisions to policies regarding sexual assault investigations -- opposition to graduate student unionization could prove to be a common ground for Republicans and college administrations. |
| Former Kappa Sigma pledge blames hazing for crash that killed Louisiana-Lafayette student | |
 | A University of Louisiana at Lafayette fraternity pledge subjected to forced sleep-deprivation during the 2016 homecoming weekend fell asleep at the wheel and killed a student pedestrian, according to two lawsuits and internal university documents that provide extensive detail on hazing allegedly perpetrated by Kappa Sigma members. Michael Gallagher Jr. and his parents are suing the fraternity and some of its members over the death of Rustam Nizamutdinov, a 24-year-old Uzbek student who died Nov. 6, 2016, after Gallagher fell asleep at the wheel and veered off Johnston Street. "The actions of the Kappa Sigma fraternity and its affiliates caused the tragic death of one young man and irrevocably altered the life of another," Barry Sallinger, who's representing the Gallaghers, said in an emailed statement. |
| The Republicans take aim at academic excellence | |
| Columnist George Will writes in The Washington Post: "Such is the federal government's sprawl, and its power to establish new governing precedents, mere Washington twitches can jeopardize venerable principles and institutions. This is illustrated by a seemingly small but actually momentous provision of the Republicans' tax bill -- a 1.4 percent excise tax on the endowment earnings of approximately 70 colleges and universities with the largest per-student endowments. To raise less than $3 billion in a decade -- less than 0.005 percent of projected federal spending of $53 trillion -- Republicans would blur important distinctions and abandon their defining mission. ...For eight centuries, surviving thickets of ecclesiastical and political interferences, the world's great research universities have enabled the liberal arts to flourish, the sciences to advance and innovation to propel economic betterment. Increasingly, they foster upward mobility that fulfils democratic aspirations and combats the stagnation of elites. It is astonishingly shortsighted to jeopardize all of this, and it is unseemly to do so in a scramble for resources to make a tax bill conform to the transitory arithmetic of a budget process that is a labyrinth of trickery." |
| Haley Barbour's role key in Mississippi museums project | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Bobby Harrison writes: "In the 2011 session, then-Gov. Haley Barbour was uniquely qualified to push through the legislative process a $38 million bond issue to finance the construction of the Mississippi Museum of History and a Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. Perhaps, it was Barbour's Nixon goes to China moment. At the very least it certainly should be recognized as one of the Yazoo City Republican's greatest accomplishments as governor. Of course, the Nixon goes to China reference alludes to the fact that it was easier for the Republican president to develop relations with the Communist country because it was more difficult for members of his own party to criticize the policy. The more hawkish wing of the Republican Party would have said a Democrat trying to establish relations with China was soft on communism. By the same token in the 2011 Mississippi Legislature, Republicans would have criticized a Democratic governor advocating for the two museums as being fiscally irresponsible for running up the state's debt." |
SPORTS
| For Mississippi State, upsetting Alabama starts with Nick Fitzgerald | |
| Yes, there is a rational way Mississippi State can upset Alabama despite being a 14.5-point underdog and having never defeated the Crimson Tide in Dan Mullen's eight previous seasons. This is not to say it will happen. This is just to say that if it happens, it will probably be because of Nick Fitzgerald. The game within the game to watch at Davis Wade Stadium Saturday (6 p.m., ESPN) will be Fitzgerald against Alabama's linebackers, a group that has been compromised because of recent injuries. No. 16 Mississippi State's success on offense is rather straightforward. If the running game behind Fitzgerald and running back Aeris Williams is working, then the Bulldogs (7-2, 3-2 SEC) are winning. Williams, who is averaging 4.8 yards per carry, is the workhorse, picking up good chunks of yardage on early downs. Fitzgerald is the one pulling off big plays. |
| Mississippi State's Evans Wilkerson right where he wanted to be | |
| There was only one place Evans Wilkerson was destined to attend college -- scholarship offer or not. The former Jackson Academy all-star offensive tackle chose to walk-on at Mississippi State three years ago to follow in his father's footsteps. "My dad (Jimmy) played tight end here in the mid-80's and I've always grown up being a Bulldog," Wilkerson said. "This is where I wanted to be." Wilkerson spent the 2015 season working as a member of the scout team while he redshirted. When the following fall rolled around, the 6-foot-5, 315-pounder had earned a spot on the field goal and extra point units and appeared in a dozen games. Now as a sophomore, Wilkerson has added shield duties on the punt team in addition to his role as a rocker on the field goal unit. He is also Stewart Reese's back-up at right tackle and played in all nine games this season. "I'm getting a lot of reps out there so it's been fun," Wilkerson said. |
| Lamar Peters leads by example for Mississippi State men's basketball team | |
| Even in a game week, Lamar Peters was showing up to practice sweaty. Mississippi State's sophomore point guard would show up to the practice facility for a team workout looking like he already had one on his own -- because he did. MSU coach Ben Howland later found out that on the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday before the Friday exhibition against West Florida, Peters ran a mile before showing up for the team workout. He did it because he wanted to get in better shape -- all part of his offseason-long quest to be a better point guard. MSU opens it regular season 5:30 p.m. Friday (SEC Network+) against Alabama State and will likely feature heavy doses of Peters at point guard. |
| Myah Taylor eager to make debut with Mississippi State women's basketball team | |
| Myah Taylor needed assistance. Deep into her first practice with the Mississippi State women's basketball team on Sunday, Oct. 1, Taylor was spent. Her body listed back and forth as she struggled to stay on her feet. More running? Out of the question. At first, Taylor's feet didn't move. It wasn't until Morgan William grabbed her arm and Jordan Danberry pushed her from behind that Taylor finally moved forward in an effort to complete a 23-second suicide, a conditioning exercise frequently used by basketball teams. On the 16-second suicide that followed, Jacaira "Iggy" Allen held Taylor's left arm and almost dragged her down the court. Danberry again offered a little support to make sure their new teammate finished in time. Minutes later, the Bulldogs' first practice, which started in Mize Pavilion and ended on the Humphrey Coliseum court, ended at 5:36 p.m., 3 hours, 22 minutes after it started. Needless to say it was a day Taylor will remember for a long time. |
| SEC director of officials Steve Shaw: Targeting up, game length, review times down | |
 | Through 10 weeks of the SEC season, unsportsmanlike conduct on sidelines is at a minimum, targeting is up and games have been more efficient, says SEC director of officials Steve Shaw. Shaw joined the SEC teleconference to bring reporters up to date on some numbers through this point in the season. There have been 152 targeting calls enforced across the country, as opposed to 111 the previous season. "Clearly, the number of targeting calls are up," Shaw explained. "I still think player behavior is better. I think now having replay really getting much much better and making that call from the booth (is a reason). The emphasis on it in our game is a big reason for the increase." |
| Bruce Pearl's job in jeopardy if he doesn't cooperate with Auburn's internal investigation | |
| Auburn men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl is refusing to cooperate in the school's internal investigation into his program, and university officials have advised him that his job is in jeopardy if he doesn't, sources told ESPN on Wednesday. Auburn officials retained a law firm to conduct an internal investigation after former Tigers associate head coach Chuck Person was arrested on Sept. 26 as part of the FBI's probe into college basketball corruption. Person was indicted on six federal charges by a grand jury in New York on Tuesday. Sources told ESPN that Pearl has refused to talk to attorneys conducting the university's investigation, and they've been yet unable to determine if Pearl was involved in NCAA violations or other wrongdoing because FBI agents seized his computers and cell phones as part of their investigation. |
| Auburn athletics posts highest Graduation Success Rate in program history | |
 | Auburn Athletics posted its highest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) in program history with an 82 percent. The NCAA released its Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and Federal Graduation Rate (FGR) on Wednesday as part of the annual academic performance program. Statistics represent students that began their studies during the 2010-11 academic year. The GSR improved two percentage points from last year's rate. Auburn female student-athletes posted a 91 percent graduation success rate, while the men had a GSR of 74 percent. "Graduating our student-athletes is the most important thing we do at Auburn University," Director of Athletics Jay Jacobs said. |
| Tuscaloosa Police Department probes fan confrontation at Alabama football game | |
 | The Tuscaloosa Police Department is conducting an internal investigation into an incident between a TPD officer and a smoking Alabama football fan that went viral online. In a video circulated widely online since Saturday night, a woman can be seen holding a lit cigarette in the officer's face before he drags her from her seat in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Lt. Teena Richardson, a TPD spokeswoman, wouldn't say whether the woman was charged or escorted from the stadium because the matter is under investigation. Smoking is not allowed at the stadium, or anywhere on campus, after the University of Alabama implemented a smoke-free policy in 2015. |
| LSU athletics hits 90 percent graduation success rate to place fourth in SEC | |
| LSU's athletic graduation success rate hit the 90 percentile. The program is graduating 90 percent of their players, the best mark since the GSR began publishing numbers in 1998. The 90 percent rate is tied for third in the Southeastern Conference among public universities and is three points higher than the national average. The NCAA released its most recent GSR data Wednesday. The GSR is based on a six-year cohort. The latest report includes players who enrolled at schools as freshmen or incoming transfers from 2007-10 and completed their degree within six years. "When I got here almost 10 years ago, the rate was in the 60s," said LSU athletic director Joe Alleva, who took over in 2008. "It was a priority for me to improve the graduation rates." |
| Florida football still a top brand, Shannon says | |
| While the Florida football program is in danger of finishing the season with a losing record for the second time in five years, the rebuilding shouldn't take as long as some are predicting. Despite all the problems with Florida at the moment, UF interim football coach Randy Shannon said the head coaching job at UF remains one of the best in college football. UF athletic director Scott Stricklin and staff are in the process of hiring a new coach. "This is a pretty good job," Stricklin said. Even though he might not be around after the season, Shannon is reaching out to recruits, trying to sell them on Florida. |
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