BOZEMAN IN AT MORGAN STATE?: Former Cal head coach Todd Bozeman, who has been out of college coaching since 1997, may have landed his first job back on the collegiate level at Morgan State. According to the Baltimore Sun, Bozeman, 41, was one of three finalists the school was considering as a replacement for Butch Beard, who resigned after this season. Current Bowie State head coach Luke D'Alessio and Toledo assistant Michael Grant, a former head coach at Southern, were reportedly the other two finalists. The school is expected to made a decision and name a new coach this week. Bozeman was hired as the head coach at Cal at 29 years old and led the Bears to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances while recruiting the likes of Jason Kidd and Sharief Abdur-Rahim to the program. That was before he was given an unprecedented eight-year "show cause" ban by the NCAA after admitting to paying $30,000 to a recruit's family. The ban ended in July of 2005 and Bozeman has been seeking to return to the bench since. He has spent time as an NBA scout, as a summer league and AAU coach in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore area, while working the last few years as a pharmaceutical salesman. D'Alessio has built an impressive record in seven years at Bowie State. The Bulldogs, CIAA doormats before he arrived, have posted a 144-65 record under his tutelage including winning the 2003 CIAA title and making to the NCAA Div. II national semifinals. Grant, 42, served two years as Southern's head coach compiling a 26-31 record after seven years at Central State where he led the Marauders to a 126-94 mark.

NEW SPONSOR, NEW NAME: The PGA of America has been granted full operation and management of the National Minority College Golf Championship for the first time in its history, along with a name change to the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship. Thirty-five colleges and universities will participate in the Championship at The PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla., on May 4-7, 2006. Nine schools are participating for the first time.

Twenty-years ago, following the Jackson State University Tournament in 1986, Coach Eddie Payton of JSU joined with Dr. John Saunder; the late Dr. Herschel Cochrane, former president of the National Negro Golf Association; Rose Elder, of the Sports Management Institute of Washington D.C.; and William (Bill) Dickey, president of the National Minority Junior Golf Association and the 1999 PGA Distinguished Service Award winner, to form the National Minority College Golf Championship.

The first Championship was contested on May 17-19, 1987, at the Highland Park Golf Course in Cleveland, under the direction of the newly formed National Minority College Golf Scholarship Fund (NMCGSF). The Championship was conceived to focus national attention on the crisis of minority college golf, to stimulate the development of golf programs at the intercollegiate level and to create a 36-hole national Championship for America's finest minority college golfers.

"The PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship is a key part of our Association's strategy to bring more people of color into the business of golf," said Joe Steranka, PGA of America chief executive officer. "The PGA of America is excited to host this for the ninth year, and the additions to the field will make it the premier golf competition among minority college athletes."

The 54-hole stroke play competition will be contested on The PGA Golf Club's South Course and consist of an expanded field of more than 140 men and women student-athletes who will comprise of one of six divisions.

Participating schools include:
MEN'S DIV. I:
Bethune-Cookman, Grambling State, Hampton, Jackson State,
Savannah State, Southern, Tennessee State,
Texas Southern, South Carolina State
Men's Team Division II:
Benedict, Fayetteville State, Johnson C. Smith, Lincoln (Mo.),
Morehouse, N. C. Central, St. Augustine's
Women's Team Division:
Bethune-Cookman, Hampton
Men's Independent Division:
Bethune-Cookman, Edward Waters, Florida A&M,
Kentucky State, Virginia State
Women's Independent Division:
Alabama A&M, Benedict

© 2006 Azeez Communications, Inc.

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