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FAMU Good news. Coaching List Finalist

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FAMU Good news. Coaching List Finalist

My take: Looks like some pretty good candidates in this group of potential coaches.



FINAL FIVE FOR HEAD FOOTBALL COACH ANNOUNCED
Four of the five, including FAMU alumnus Kent Schoolfield, have head coaching experience


July 7, 2005

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida A&M University on Thursday afternoon announced the five finalists recommended by a search committee to interview for the head football coaching position.


The quintet was chosen by the search committee after paring down a pool of 58 applicants during a two-day process.


The five finalists are:

?Alex Wood - Former head coach at James Madison (1995-98), Wood has spent the past six seasons as an NFL assistant coach. Was offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals in 2004…. Served as offensive coordinator at Wake Forest (1993-94); defensive coordinator at Southern-Baton Rouge (1982-85) and was running backs coach at University of Miami (1989-94)… Also had assistants stints at Washington State, Wyoming, Southern Illinois and Kent State.


?Kent Schoolfield - A 1970 graduate of Florida A&M, Schoolfield is presently the offensive coordinator at North Carolina A&T. He spent the past two seasons as an assistant at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. He served as head coach at Fort Valley (Ga.) State (1997-2002); was assistant head coach at James Madison under Alex Wood (1995-97) and offensive coordinator at FAMU (1988-93), under Ken Riley. He also had collegiate assistant stints at Florida State, Pittsburgh, Temple, New Mexico State and North Carolina A&T.


?Rubin Carter - Currently the defensive line coach at Temple (Pa.) University, Carter was an All-America selection at the University of Miami in the 1970s. He had a lengthy professional career with the Denver Broncos (1975-86). Served as defensive line coach at Maryland (1997-98) and San Jose State (1995-96), whileworking a stint as defensive coordinator at Howard University (1989-93). He also has pro coaching experience including stops with the New York Jets (2001-03), Washington Redskins (1999-2000) and Denver (1987-88).


?Deondri Clark - Currently the head football coach at Shaw (N.C.) University. Led Shaw to a 2004 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) title and a victory in the Division II Pioneer Bowl (against Tuskegee University). Was an assistant at Shaw from 2002-03. Served as defensive line coach at Benedict (S.C.) College for one season (2001). Had one-year graduate assistant stints at Michigan State (2000) and Central Michigan (1999). Was defensive coordinator at Quincy Shanks High (1997-98) and defensive line coach at Apopka High (1994-95). Was a standout defensive performer for Florida State, graduating in 1993.







?Linwood S. Ferguson - An East Carolina graduate, Ferguson is currently an assistant coach at Winston-Salem (N.C.) State University. He was head coach at Midwestern State University (1999-2001) and has been both an offensive and defensive coordinator collegiately….. He was offensive coordinator at North Carolina Central (2003-04) and North Carolina A&T (2002-03); defensive coordinator at Murray (Ky.) State (1997-99); Southern Illinois at Carbondale (1994-97); North Carolina A&T (1982-83; 1988-94) and Elon (N.C.) College (1979-81)…. Also spent 10 seasons as defensive back coach at East Carolina (1984-94).


Interim Athletic Director E. Newton Jackson, Ph.D., revealed that interviews could begin as early as this weekend, but not later than Monday.


Jackson indicated that the administration planned to name a head coach soon after the completion of interviews

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FAMU Good news. Coaching List Finalist

Word from a FAMU friend is that he will focus his recruiting on south Florida again. Former coach Billy Joe went after transfers and out of state players but forgot all about the talent rich south Fla players.



FAMU expected to hire Carter

DEMOCRAT STAFF REPORT


Florida A&M athletic director Dr. Newton Jackson confirmed Tuesday afternoon that the school has extended an offer to Rubin Carter to be the school's next football coach. FAMU is expected to announce Carter's hiring at a 1 p.m. press conference on Wednesday.

Carter resigned as Temple's defensive-line coach on Monday, the school's sports information department said.

"We said our goodbyes yesterday," said Patrice Cohill, Temple football administrative recruiting specialist. "We're going to miss him. He did a terrific job here."

Carter, who has never been a head coach, has little time to prepare for the start of the 2005 season. Players are due to report Aug. 7 and the season opener is Sept. 3 against Delaware State.

"I understand the players were saying he was their No. 1 choice," state Sen. Al Lawson, a 1970 Florida A&M graduate, said today. "Everyone that I've talked to gives him high praise."

Carter is a native of Fort Lauderdale who was an All-American at the University of Miami and then the Denver Broncos for 12 seasons (1975-86).

He has served as defensive-line coach at Maryland (1997-98) and San Jose State (1995-96) and has been a defensive coordinator at Howard University (1989-93). He also has NFL coaching experience with the New York Jets (2001-03), Washington Redskins (1999-2000) and Broncos (1987-88).

Carter has coached Pro Bowl linemen John Abraham, Shawn Ellis, Marco Coleman, Greg Kragen, Rulon Jones and Karl Mecklenburg.

Carter, 52, would be the 14th football coach in school history.

The new coach will take over a program in the midst of a school-wide funding crisis and an NCAA investigation into hundreds of rules violations throughout the athletics program.

FAMU was stripped of MEAC championships from 2000 and 2001 after an investigation showed 196 NCAA rules violations throughout its athletics program.

FAMU interviewed four other candidates: Shaw head coach Deondri L. Clark, Winston-Salem State assistant coach Linwood S. Ferguson, N.C. A&T offensive coordinator Kent Schoolfield and former Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Alex V. Wood.

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