FOOTBALL
ASU hires running backs coach
Arkansas State finally has a full coaching staff again.
ASU announced Monday in a release that it has hired Norval McKenzie for its coaching staff, filling out a staff that has been in transition since the 2015 season ended with a loss to Louisiana Tech in the New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 19.
McKenzie spent the past five seasons at Furman, a member of the FCS Southern Conference, serving at different times as running backs coach, special teams coordinator and special teams coordinator. The Vanderbilt graduate, where he was a four-year letterman as a running back in 2001-2004, was a graduate assistant at Vanderbilt in 2008-2009. In 2010, McKenzie was the Commodores’ assistant recruiting coordinator.
ASU also announced in the release the hiring of Allen Rudolph as assistant offensive line coach, which Coach Blake Anderson confirmed via Twitter last week. Rudolph, a 21-year coaching veteran, spent the past three seasons with the Hamilton TigerCats of the Canadian Football League. Rudolph was formerly assistant coach at Louisiana-Monroe in 2002-2003.
“Norval is a young, energetic coach who possesses great football knowledge and is well-respected by his peers,” Anderson said in the release. “Allen not only has valuable experience coaching within our league, but I think his time in the CFL will also be a great benefit to our players.”
The hirings complete a staff that lost offensive coordinator Walt Bell to Maryland in December, running backs coach Anthony Tucker to Maryland last month and offensive line coach Glen Elarbee to Missouri last month. Darren Hiller, hired by Anderson to coach offensive line, left for an undisclosed destination last month; and DeAndre Smith, hired to coach running backs, left for Purdue.
BASKETBALL
UCA’s Howard earns Southland honor
Central Arkansas guard Jordan Howard was named Southland Conference men’s player of the week Monday.
Howard, a sophomore from Chandler, Ariz., averaged 36.5 points in two games, making 12 three-pointers and 15 of 16 free throws. Howard scored 37 points against Northwestern (La.) State, making 6 of 12 three-pointers and 7 of 7 free throws. In a 112-77 victory over New Orleans, he scored 36 points and made six three-pointers and 8 of 9 free throws.
UAM’S Goforth earns GAC honor
Arkansas-Monticello guard Jordan Goforth was named women’s player of the week by the Great American Conference Monday.
Goforth scored 32 points in an 87-85 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State. She had 28 points in a 75-70 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State.
Berard scores record 60 points in loss
University of Ozarks junior guard Josh Berard set a school and American Southwest Conference record when he scored 60 points in a 144-114 loss to Concordia University on Monday night in Austin, Texas.
Berard made 18 of 29 shots from the floor, 3 of 6 three-pointers and 21 of 25 free throws for Ozarks (11-10, 2-9). He broke the school record of 42 points set John Reed in 1971. The previous conference record was 53 points, set by K.B. DeBord of Concordia and Robert Moore of Mary Hardin-Baylor, both in 2001.
BASEBALL
GAC announces players of the week
Arkansas Tech right fielder Josh Watkins and Southern Arkansas’ Kenneth Tabor were named player and pitcher of the week by the Great American Conference on Monday.
Watkins hit .571 in the Wonder Boys’ series with Missouri Western. In Arkansas Tech’s home opener, he went 5 for 6 with a double and a triple in a 8-7, 12-inning victory. He had four hits in a 7-6 victory in the second game of the series.
Tabor pitched six shutout innings in the Muleriders 7-1 victory over East Central (Okla.) at the Southern Arkansas Division II Classic. He struck out eight and allowed three hits.