Double-T Nation News:
Yesterday was a long day yesterday and I've slept late today. My brother-in-law is now a father (congrats) and my wife and I spent quite a bit of time at the hospital.
In no particular order, DTN's Top Six:
- SMQ's Stats Relevance Watch looks at the Big 12. I need to delve into this a little more when I have time.
- Also from SMQ, citizens of Navasoto, Texas approved the indictment of former TAMU head coach Dennis Franchione for, "gross violations of Aggie pride, sparking rumors among some observers that the embattled, unemployed coach is "one lowdown sonofabitch."
- Baylor fans have no class per Tim MacMahon (BTW - the word "class" used in reference to any group of fans is fingernails on a chalkboard for me. Every fanbase have fans who are good and bad. Generalizations . . .
- The Quad details the recent fall of college basketball great, John Wooden. Get well, Coach.
- Lee Suggs files a grievance against the Ravens: linebacker or defensive end.
- Roll Bama Roll takes an in depth look at Dennis Franchione. This is really good stuff.
Texas Tech Football:
Finally, we get confirmation of the coaching changes. Here's the official press release and LAJ's Don Williams also has an article on the different coaching moves. Here's Williams on the meat of the changes:
- Simmons will move from assistant athletic director and Leach's chief of staff to wide receivers coach. That means he'll tutor returning Biletnikoff Award winner Mike Crabtree.
Leach values the recruiting ability of the former BYU linebacker. As part of the on-field staff, Simmons will do more on the on-the-road recruiting. Simmons has been with Leach since 2000, but 2008 will be his first as primarily a position coach.
"He wanted to real bad,'' Leach said, "and he's an asset on the road recruiting.''
- McGuire, a Tech letterman from 2001-04, was the graduate assistant for offense going into 2007, but he took on special-teams duties in September when former defensive coordinator Lyle Setencich stepped down.
"He did it all season,'' Leach said, "and I thought we improved on it. Really, (promoting McGuire) is just carrying through with that.'''
- Lincoln Riley moves from wide receivers coach to inside receivers coach, replacing former offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, who took a job at the University of Houston. None of the assistants will have the title of offensive coordinator.
- Dave Emerick, formerly player personnel manager, will take Simmons' previous position of assistant AD/football chief of staff. He's been with the Red Raiders for three years.
- Huffman, a Tech cornerback from 2003-06, is returning to be the Red Raiders' player personnel manager. When he was a player, Huffman often had success serving as a campus host for coveted recruits. Organizing recruiting is part of the player personnel manager's job.
- Brandon Jones, a Tech center from 2003-06, moves from video graduate assistant to offensive graduate assistant, and Linder, a linebacker who was a senior last season, will fill the position Jones held.
I don't have time to really get into the significance of some of these changes due to time constraints this morning, but I'd love your opinion on these coaching moves.
Texas Tech Baseball:
The Red Raiders sweep Central Arkansas with an 8-3 win yesterday (boxscore). The hero of the day was Roger Kieschnick who went 3-5, with his 5th home run of the year and 5 RBI. A one-man wrecking crew. Center fielder Tanner Rindels also went 1-3 with a home run and 2 RBI. Pitcher Russ Fornea went 5 innings, only giving up 2 hits, 1 run, walking 2 and striking out 1. The bullpen (Cloud, Leverton, Stern and Stewart) gave up 2 runs, walking 3, and striking out 6.
LAJ's George Watson files his game story on yesterday's win. Coach Hays on Kieschnick:
While Kieschnick gives credit to his teammates: