BY Dennis Lin
Birmingham News
25 April 2012
Karlos Dansby wanted to quit football.
He came home one day before his senior year at Woodlawn High School and told his father of his desire to focus on basketball. On the hardwood, the Colonels had a chance to win a state championship. The football team, meanwhile, was coming off its second straight 2-8 season.
"He said, 'Anything you need I can provide,' " Karlos said, remembering his father's response. " 'Anything you want, there's going to come a time when you're not going to want for anything.'"
The Rev. Samuel Dansby made the promise on the condition that Karlos stick with football.
Karlos earned all-state honors that senior season. He went on to play at Auburn, where he collected All-SEC and All-America accolades before being selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft.
In March 2010, Karlos signed a five-year, $43 million contract with the Miami Dolphins -- then the richest deal for an inside linebacker in league history. His father had been on to something, after all.
"He was right on point," Karlos said. "Right now, I don't want for anything.
"I was blessed to have him. He still motivates me to this day, and he always steers me in the right direction."
Karlos plans to impart some of his own wisdom Saturday when he serves as the keynote speaker at the inaugural "U Can Make A Difference" banquet and fundraiser. The 6 p.m. event will take place inside the Sheraton Birmingham ballroom. Proceeds will go toward Samuel's community outreach program, Appointed Time Ministries.
Since 1989, Samuel has run an annual faith-based summer basketball camp for boys and girls ages 7 to 18. Karlos grew up attending the weeklong "Bibles and Balls" camp, where his father teaches athletics, leadership and Christian faith. Many campers live in housing projects, with limited access to sports skills instruction.
"It's part of me," Karlos said. "It gave me the opportunity to not only learn the game -- basketball and football -- it taught me how to put God first in everything I do."
Samuel, the pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church, said his son will speak to athletes from around Birmingham "about living in the inner city and coming out of the inner city" at Saturday's banquet.
"He has a real heart for the kids in the inner city," said Samuel, a retired Woodlawn High teacher and former baseball and basketball coach at Wenonah. "He understands a lot of these kids didn't have a real father growing up, and he understands the dynamics of the inner city."
In Miami, Karlos has made his own efforts to reach the local youth. During the 2011 NFL season, his "Difference Makers" organization allowed him to host about 20 high-school student-athletes at each Dolphins home game. The students, with grade-point averages of 2.5 or higher, were treated to a free ticket, T-shirt, hot dog, popcorn and soft drink.
Karlos said he started the organization after recalling the experience of attending his first NFL game in 2003. He hopes "Difference Makers" will give other youngsters similar inspiration.
"It was game-changing for me to see 300-pound men move around like that," Karlos said. "Even though I'd played in the SEC, I'd never seen something like that."
The NFL offseason has allowed Karlos to concentrate his community work closer to home. In 2009 and 2010, he hosted the "Karlos Dansby All-Star Football Camp" at Oak Mountain High School. The camp, held free of charge, drew approximately 400 campers both years, Karlos said, and provided children ages 8 to 18 with instructional drills and football fundamentals.
After a one-year hiatus, the camp will return to Oak Mountain on June 9, Karlos said.
Karlos credits his father for inspiring his off-the-field efforts. In addition to running his outreach program, Samuel has visited each of Karlos' recent football teams -- Auburn, Arizona and Miami -- as a guest speaker.
"He has the ability to relate sports and the Bible," Karlos said. "That's his gift. I love when he comes speak to guys and speak to teams, because it's so motivating and so powerful. It puts things in perspective."
On the field, Karlos has turned his attention toward the upcoming NFL season. The eight-year veteran sets specific goals for himself, such as reaching his first Pro Bowl and returning to the Super Bowl (he played in Super Bowl XLIII in 2008 with Arizona). He wants to join the NFL's exclusive "20/20 club," currently a group of 10 players in league history with 20 career interceptions and 20 career sacks. Karlos currently has 11 interceptions and 30.5 sacks.
Saturday, he'll take a break from his training to re-join his father, this time as a fellow mentor.
"It's excellent what my dad is doing right now," Karlos said. "I'm glad he's continuing to work in the community with these kids and just showing them they can make it, giving them hope, telling them that if you believe, you can achieve it."
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Pat Summitt Steps Aside as Coach
She won eight national titles. An excerpt from the article:
ESPN
18 April 2012
It's unlikely anyone will ever come close to matching Summitt's accomplishments in women's basketball, which has seen more parity in the past decade.
Summitt's career ends with a 1,098-207 record, 16 regular season Southeastern Conference championships and 16 SEC tournament titles.
During her time, Tennessee never failed to reach the NCAA tournament, never received a seed lower than No. 5 and reached 18 Final Fours.
Her impact reaches beyond wins and losses. Every Lady Vol player who has completed her eligibility at Tennessee has graduated, and 74 former players, assistants, graduate assistants, team managers and directors of basketball operations are currently among the coaching ranks at every level of basketball.
ESPN
18 April 2012
It's unlikely anyone will ever come close to matching Summitt's accomplishments in women's basketball, which has seen more parity in the past decade.
Summitt's career ends with a 1,098-207 record, 16 regular season Southeastern Conference championships and 16 SEC tournament titles.
During her time, Tennessee never failed to reach the NCAA tournament, never received a seed lower than No. 5 and reached 18 Final Fours.
Her impact reaches beyond wins and losses. Every Lady Vol player who has completed her eligibility at Tennessee has graduated, and 74 former players, assistants, graduate assistants, team managers and directors of basketball operations are currently among the coaching ranks at every level of basketball.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Baseball
After getting swept by a sorry Alabama team last weekend, the Tigers beat Samford midweek, big deal, then lose 2 of 3 to Vanderbilt including 11 to 2 today. This team is toast. Forget about Auburn baseball 2012. We should have a new coach next year.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
A Day 2012
I'm listening to the game. Pregame involved unvailing the statues of our 3 Heisman winners. I'm sure the fans at the game loved it. It would be great to be there on what must be a gorgeous day at Jordan-Hare.
Frazier starts at quarterback. With the injury to Mosely, Frazier has been getting most of the spring training snaps. Both Mosely and Pike play today.
On the second offensive series, Mike Blakely makes a 27-yd run. It sounds like the tackling is much improved. Quentin Riggins says our defensive guys are not diving at ball carriers like they were last year.
It sures sounds like the defense is more aggressive than under Ted Roof.
Our announcers say that our QB will be under center more than in the shotgun.
The scoring system is too complicated to keep up with.
Lots of praise for the confidence and maturity of Kiehl Frazier.
Darren Bates gets mentioned prominently.
Walk-on Trent Fisher is a big hitter in the secondary and will be heard from.
Our offensive line can't handle our defensive ends.
Mike Blakely sure sounds good early. It is obvious that he doesn't like to go down. We need Blakely.
In the second period the offense mounts a strong 80-yd drive despite the factthat the defense seems to get penetration on every play. Corey Grant is a player. Emory Blake is clearly our go to receiver. Trovon Reed catches a long pass. Kiehl Frazier is impressive sounding in every way.
Quentin Riggins makes the huge point at the half that this offense features LOTS of motion. It makes defenses think rather than react
The second half goes quickly because the clock doesn't stop.
Mike Blakely sure sounds good.
Mosely leads a TD drive in the third quarter but you can't help but think that Frazier will be the starting quarteback in September.
We have great depth at defensive end. The defense seems to tackle much better. Coach Chizik talks of looking for consistency.
Frazier starts at quarterback. With the injury to Mosely, Frazier has been getting most of the spring training snaps. Both Mosely and Pike play today.
On the second offensive series, Mike Blakely makes a 27-yd run. It sounds like the tackling is much improved. Quentin Riggins says our defensive guys are not diving at ball carriers like they were last year.
It sures sounds like the defense is more aggressive than under Ted Roof.
Our announcers say that our QB will be under center more than in the shotgun.
The scoring system is too complicated to keep up with.
Lots of praise for the confidence and maturity of Kiehl Frazier.
Darren Bates gets mentioned prominently.
Walk-on Trent Fisher is a big hitter in the secondary and will be heard from.
Our offensive line can't handle our defensive ends.
Mike Blakely sure sounds good early. It is obvious that he doesn't like to go down. We need Blakely.
In the second period the offense mounts a strong 80-yd drive despite the factthat the defense seems to get penetration on every play. Corey Grant is a player. Emory Blake is clearly our go to receiver. Trovon Reed catches a long pass. Kiehl Frazier is impressive sounding in every way.
Quentin Riggins makes the huge point at the half that this offense features LOTS of motion. It makes defenses think rather than react
The second half goes quickly because the clock doesn't stop.
Mike Blakely sure sounds good.
Mosely leads a TD drive in the third quarter but you can't help but think that Frazier will be the starting quarteback in September.
We have great depth at defensive end. The defense seems to tackle much better. Coach Chizik talks of looking for consistency.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Will Auburn be as Strong Without Bobby Lowder on the Board of Trustees?
BY Kevin Scarbinsky
Birmingham News
13 April 2012
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - They're celebrating at Auburn this week.
Or maybe "celebrating" is too strong.
At the least, some members of the athletics department there are smiling.
Those grins have nothing to do with the statues of the school's three Heisman winners that will be unveiled Saturday before the A-Day Game and everything to do with what some people would call the fossil that's been pressed into the pages of a history book at last.
Bobby Lowder is no longer a member of the Auburn Board of Trustees.
After 29 years, the most powerful and controversial figure at the university has seen his final term end as the Alabama Senate approved five new trustees, one of them taking over Lowder's seat.
Some members of the Auburn family, on and off campus, inside and outside the athletics department, have been waiting for the day when the man viewed by many as the university's dictator would have his official seat at the head of the school's power table taken away.
No more Lowder looking over their shoulder, asking hard questions about what they're doing, where they're going and why.
No more worrying about Lowder's opinion when it comes to hiring and other personnel decisions.
There's an old saying that seems appropriate here. What is it? Oh, yeah. Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.
Those who wanted an Auburn athletics department without Lowder's influence finally got their wish. Will that department have the same strong leadership without him?
Lowder has taken a lot of heat for the last 29 years, some of it deserved -- hello, Jetgate -- but there's no question that he helped get things done at Auburn, and many of those things helped make Auburn a better place.
This is not the place to talk about his impact on the university at large, which, like it or not, has been huge, and without the need for personal recognition that powerful donors and benefactors often demand. You don't know how much money Lowder and his family have pumped into his alma mater because he's never trumpeted that fact or asked others to trumpet it for him.
You also haven't seen Lowder hanging out on the sideline or rubbing elbows with the coaches in the locker room. The most powerful man in the room might rarely enter the building, but the building might not exist if not for him.
You could question his methods, not his motives, but ask yourself this: Would Auburn athletics in general and the football program in particular have been as successful for the last three decades had Lowder not been involved?
Is that a trick question? Of course not.
If not for Lowder, who wasn't yet a trustee but was the president of the national alumni association during the search, Auburn wouldn't have hired Pat Dye as head football coach in 1981. If not for Dye, Auburn wouldn't have leveled the lopsided balance of power with Alabama so quickly after Bear Bryant's death.
Lowder won't talk about it publicly -- he almost never does interviews -- but he's told friends that there's one stat that puts a special smile on his face.
In the 29 years before he joined the board of trustees, Auburn was 10-19 against Alabama in football. During his 29 years on the board, the Tigers went 16-13 against the Tide.
That balance of power has swung the other way lately. During this academic year, Alabama has dominated Auburn in the major sports. There was a three-game sweep in baseball last weekend. There was a two-game sweep in basketball. And there was that 42-14 beatdown in football as Alabama bookended Auburn's BCS title with its second in three years.
We know that Auburn can compete with Alabama with Lowder throwing his weight behind the program. Can the Tigers do the same with the 69-year-old Lowder on the sideline for good?
We're about to find out.
Birmingham News
13 April 2012
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - They're celebrating at Auburn this week.
Or maybe "celebrating" is too strong.
At the least, some members of the athletics department there are smiling.
Those grins have nothing to do with the statues of the school's three Heisman winners that will be unveiled Saturday before the A-Day Game and everything to do with what some people would call the fossil that's been pressed into the pages of a history book at last.
Bobby Lowder is no longer a member of the Auburn Board of Trustees.
After 29 years, the most powerful and controversial figure at the university has seen his final term end as the Alabama Senate approved five new trustees, one of them taking over Lowder's seat.
Some members of the Auburn family, on and off campus, inside and outside the athletics department, have been waiting for the day when the man viewed by many as the university's dictator would have his official seat at the head of the school's power table taken away.
No more Lowder looking over their shoulder, asking hard questions about what they're doing, where they're going and why.
No more worrying about Lowder's opinion when it comes to hiring and other personnel decisions.
There's an old saying that seems appropriate here. What is it? Oh, yeah. Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.
Those who wanted an Auburn athletics department without Lowder's influence finally got their wish. Will that department have the same strong leadership without him?
Lowder has taken a lot of heat for the last 29 years, some of it deserved -- hello, Jetgate -- but there's no question that he helped get things done at Auburn, and many of those things helped make Auburn a better place.
This is not the place to talk about his impact on the university at large, which, like it or not, has been huge, and without the need for personal recognition that powerful donors and benefactors often demand. You don't know how much money Lowder and his family have pumped into his alma mater because he's never trumpeted that fact or asked others to trumpet it for him.
You also haven't seen Lowder hanging out on the sideline or rubbing elbows with the coaches in the locker room. The most powerful man in the room might rarely enter the building, but the building might not exist if not for him.
You could question his methods, not his motives, but ask yourself this: Would Auburn athletics in general and the football program in particular have been as successful for the last three decades had Lowder not been involved?
Is that a trick question? Of course not.
If not for Lowder, who wasn't yet a trustee but was the president of the national alumni association during the search, Auburn wouldn't have hired Pat Dye as head football coach in 1981. If not for Dye, Auburn wouldn't have leveled the lopsided balance of power with Alabama so quickly after Bear Bryant's death.
Lowder won't talk about it publicly -- he almost never does interviews -- but he's told friends that there's one stat that puts a special smile on his face.
In the 29 years before he joined the board of trustees, Auburn was 10-19 against Alabama in football. During his 29 years on the board, the Tigers went 16-13 against the Tide.
That balance of power has swung the other way lately. During this academic year, Alabama has dominated Auburn in the major sports. There was a three-game sweep in baseball last weekend. There was a two-game sweep in basketball. And there was that 42-14 beatdown in football as Alabama bookended Auburn's BCS title with its second in three years.
We know that Auburn can compete with Alabama with Lowder throwing his weight behind the program. Can the Tigers do the same with the 69-year-old Lowder on the sideline for good?
We're about to find out.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
AU Hires Hoyas' Women's Hoops Coach
BY Phillip Marshall
AuburnUndercover
2 April 2012
AUBURN - Terri Williams-Flournoy, who took Georgetown women's basketball to unprecednted heights the past five seasons, has been named Auburn womens basketball coach.
Terri Williams-Flournoy took Georgetown to three straight NCAA Tournaments
Williams-Flournoy takes over a program that Joe Ciampi built into a national powerhouse, going to 16 NCAA Tournaments, 10 Sweet 16's and to the national championship game three times.
Nell Fortner, who took the Tigers to the Southeastern Conference championship in 2009, resigned after eight seasons last month.
Williams-Flournoy, a former Georgia assistant, led the Hoyas to three-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2010-12.
Ciampi told AuburnUndercover.com the Tigers hired a top-notch coach and recruiter.
"I thinks she is a great hire," Ciampi said. "She has the ability to recruit at a higher level. She's a great recruiter and a great on-the-floor game coach. She's earned the right to have this opportunity. She did a great job at Georgia, and she wanted the job at Auburn.
A 20-year coaching veteran, Williams-Flournoy led Georgetown to a four-year run from 2008-12, that was the most successful period in the program’s history, posting a 143-104 record during her eight-year tenure. In the last four seasons, the Hoyas were 93-41, advancing to the NCAA tournament in 2010, ’11, and ’12, while making a Sweet 16 appearance in 2011. They were a WNIT quarterfinalist in 2009.
“We are thrilled to welcome Terri Williams-Flournoy into the Auburn Family,” Auburn athleics director Jay Jacobs said. “Coach Williams-Flournoy has achieved success at every level of her basketball career as a player, assistant and head coach. She has an understanding of what it takes to be successful in the Southeastern Conference and brings a tremendous desire to win championships at Auburn. We welcome Terri, her husband Eric and two children to the Auburn family.”
Prior to her arrival at Georgetown, Williams-Flournoy was an assistant for 12 years at Southwest Missouri State (2002-04), Georgia (1996-2002), and Georgetown (1992-96). Williams-Flourney has been a part of three programs that have made 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, including five that advanced to the Sweet 16 or beyond. She was part of a Georgia program that advanced to the 1999 Final Four and Elite Eight in 1997 and 2000.
“I am extremely excited for the opportunity to lead the women’s basketball program at Auburn,” Williams-Flournoy said. “I’m very appreciative to President Jay Gogue, Jay Jacobs and Meredith Jenkins for giving me the chance to guide this team and I am looking forward to joining the Auburn family.”
In 2011-12, Williams-Flournoy’s Hoyas advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and finished with a 23-9 record, while finishing fourth in the Big EAST. Georgetown defeated two top-ten teams, beating No. 10 Georgia and No. 7 Miami, and finished the regular season ranked 17th nationally. This season the Hoyas entered NCAA Tournament play ranked sixth nationally in field goal percentage defense and eighth in the country in scoring defense. Junior Sugar Rodgers was a unanimous first-team All-Big EAST selection and was an honorable mention All-America selection.
Williams-Flournoy helped Georgetown return to the Sweet 16 in 2010-11 posting an overall record of 24-11 and a mark of 9-7 in the BIG EAST. The Hoyas defeated five ranked teams, including Tennessee, and were ranked in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today Polls for the entire year, at one point reaching No. 11 on the AP Poll and No. 12 on the ESPN/USA Today Poll. Georgetown finished the season with an RPI of 12, as well as being ranked 23rd and 14th on the AP and the ESPN/USA Today Polls, respectively.
The Hoyas tied for seventh in league play and earned their second-consecutive berth in the NCAA Tournament where the Hoyas advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second time in program history. Georgetown fell in the Round of 16 to Connecticut, 68-63, despite leading almost the entire game.
During the summer of 2011, Williams-Flournoy was named an assistant coach for Team USA for the World University Games in Shenzhen, China. The team won a gold medal in competition.
In 2009-10, she led the squad to a 26-7 overall record and finished second in BIG EAST conference play with a 13-3 mark. Georgetown posted a 16-game win streak during the season and spent 12 weeks in the national rankings. The Hoyas earned the program's second bid to the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the second round.
The Hoyas led the nation in turnover margin (+8.12) in 2009-10 with a fast-paced tempo and also ranked third in steals per game (12.9). Individual honors followed with two players earning All-BIG EAST, a BIG EAST Rookie of the Year and an Honorable Mention All-America award. Williams-Flournoy was also named the Coach of the Year by the Black Coaches Association.
The previous season, Williams-Flournoy led the Hoyas to a 20-14 overall record and the program's first 20-win season since 1992-93. The Hoyas had an impressive run through the WNIT advancing to the quarterfinals and going further than any team had advanced in postseason play in the program's history.
Williams-Flournoy took over the Georgetown program on Aug. 27, 2004, becoming just the sixth women's basketball head coach in school history.
During her two seasons as an assistant at Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State), Williams-Flournoy was a part of two-straight NCAA Tournaments and two-consecutive Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championships. The 2003-04 team finished the season with a 28-4 record and won the regular-season MVC Championship.
At Georgia, Williams-Flournoy was recruiting coordinator for the program during a time when Georgia made six-straight NCAA Tournament appearances. During Williams-Flournoy's tenure, the Bulldogs won SEC titles in 1997 and 2000, the SEC Tournament in 2001 and produced seven WNBA players.
Williams-Flournoy's four-year stint at Georgetown as an assistant saw the Hoyas achieve great success in her first season (1992-93), as Georgetown earned a Big East championship and its first-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament, finishing the year with a 23-7 overall mark, advancing to the Sweet 16. Williams-Flournoy was responsible for all aspects of recruiting and scouting along with conditioning, game planning and academic monitoring.
A 1991 graduate of Penn State University with a degree in business management, Williams-Flournoy was a four-year letterwinner player for the Lady Lions under former coach Rene Portland. Penn State won the Atlantic 10 Conference championship in each of Williams-Flournoy's last two seasons as a player and was a participant in the NCAA Tournament in three of Williams-Flournoy's four seasons. In 1988, 1990 and 1991 Williams-Flournoy and the Lady Lions advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and in 1991, Penn State was ranked No. 1 in the country.
Williams-Flournoy, sister of basketball guru Boo Williams of Hampton, Va., and her husband, Eric, have a daughter, Maya, 11, and a son, Eric, Jr., 8.
AuburnUndercover
2 April 2012
AUBURN - Terri Williams-Flournoy, who took Georgetown women's basketball to unprecednted heights the past five seasons, has been named Auburn womens basketball coach.
Terri Williams-Flournoy took Georgetown to three straight NCAA Tournaments
Williams-Flournoy takes over a program that Joe Ciampi built into a national powerhouse, going to 16 NCAA Tournaments, 10 Sweet 16's and to the national championship game three times.
Nell Fortner, who took the Tigers to the Southeastern Conference championship in 2009, resigned after eight seasons last month.
Williams-Flournoy, a former Georgia assistant, led the Hoyas to three-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2010-12.
Ciampi told AuburnUndercover.com the Tigers hired a top-notch coach and recruiter.
"I thinks she is a great hire," Ciampi said. "She has the ability to recruit at a higher level. She's a great recruiter and a great on-the-floor game coach. She's earned the right to have this opportunity. She did a great job at Georgia, and she wanted the job at Auburn.
A 20-year coaching veteran, Williams-Flournoy led Georgetown to a four-year run from 2008-12, that was the most successful period in the program’s history, posting a 143-104 record during her eight-year tenure. In the last four seasons, the Hoyas were 93-41, advancing to the NCAA tournament in 2010, ’11, and ’12, while making a Sweet 16 appearance in 2011. They were a WNIT quarterfinalist in 2009.
“We are thrilled to welcome Terri Williams-Flournoy into the Auburn Family,” Auburn athleics director Jay Jacobs said. “Coach Williams-Flournoy has achieved success at every level of her basketball career as a player, assistant and head coach. She has an understanding of what it takes to be successful in the Southeastern Conference and brings a tremendous desire to win championships at Auburn. We welcome Terri, her husband Eric and two children to the Auburn family.”
Prior to her arrival at Georgetown, Williams-Flournoy was an assistant for 12 years at Southwest Missouri State (2002-04), Georgia (1996-2002), and Georgetown (1992-96). Williams-Flourney has been a part of three programs that have made 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, including five that advanced to the Sweet 16 or beyond. She was part of a Georgia program that advanced to the 1999 Final Four and Elite Eight in 1997 and 2000.
“I am extremely excited for the opportunity to lead the women’s basketball program at Auburn,” Williams-Flournoy said. “I’m very appreciative to President Jay Gogue, Jay Jacobs and Meredith Jenkins for giving me the chance to guide this team and I am looking forward to joining the Auburn family.”
In 2011-12, Williams-Flournoy’s Hoyas advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and finished with a 23-9 record, while finishing fourth in the Big EAST. Georgetown defeated two top-ten teams, beating No. 10 Georgia and No. 7 Miami, and finished the regular season ranked 17th nationally. This season the Hoyas entered NCAA Tournament play ranked sixth nationally in field goal percentage defense and eighth in the country in scoring defense. Junior Sugar Rodgers was a unanimous first-team All-Big EAST selection and was an honorable mention All-America selection.
Williams-Flournoy helped Georgetown return to the Sweet 16 in 2010-11 posting an overall record of 24-11 and a mark of 9-7 in the BIG EAST. The Hoyas defeated five ranked teams, including Tennessee, and were ranked in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today Polls for the entire year, at one point reaching No. 11 on the AP Poll and No. 12 on the ESPN/USA Today Poll. Georgetown finished the season with an RPI of 12, as well as being ranked 23rd and 14th on the AP and the ESPN/USA Today Polls, respectively.
The Hoyas tied for seventh in league play and earned their second-consecutive berth in the NCAA Tournament where the Hoyas advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second time in program history. Georgetown fell in the Round of 16 to Connecticut, 68-63, despite leading almost the entire game.
During the summer of 2011, Williams-Flournoy was named an assistant coach for Team USA for the World University Games in Shenzhen, China. The team won a gold medal in competition.
In 2009-10, she led the squad to a 26-7 overall record and finished second in BIG EAST conference play with a 13-3 mark. Georgetown posted a 16-game win streak during the season and spent 12 weeks in the national rankings. The Hoyas earned the program's second bid to the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the second round.
The Hoyas led the nation in turnover margin (+8.12) in 2009-10 with a fast-paced tempo and also ranked third in steals per game (12.9). Individual honors followed with two players earning All-BIG EAST, a BIG EAST Rookie of the Year and an Honorable Mention All-America award. Williams-Flournoy was also named the Coach of the Year by the Black Coaches Association.
The previous season, Williams-Flournoy led the Hoyas to a 20-14 overall record and the program's first 20-win season since 1992-93. The Hoyas had an impressive run through the WNIT advancing to the quarterfinals and going further than any team had advanced in postseason play in the program's history.
Williams-Flournoy took over the Georgetown program on Aug. 27, 2004, becoming just the sixth women's basketball head coach in school history.
During her two seasons as an assistant at Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State), Williams-Flournoy was a part of two-straight NCAA Tournaments and two-consecutive Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championships. The 2003-04 team finished the season with a 28-4 record and won the regular-season MVC Championship.
At Georgia, Williams-Flournoy was recruiting coordinator for the program during a time when Georgia made six-straight NCAA Tournament appearances. During Williams-Flournoy's tenure, the Bulldogs won SEC titles in 1997 and 2000, the SEC Tournament in 2001 and produced seven WNBA players.
Williams-Flournoy's four-year stint at Georgetown as an assistant saw the Hoyas achieve great success in her first season (1992-93), as Georgetown earned a Big East championship and its first-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament, finishing the year with a 23-7 overall mark, advancing to the Sweet 16. Williams-Flournoy was responsible for all aspects of recruiting and scouting along with conditioning, game planning and academic monitoring.
A 1991 graduate of Penn State University with a degree in business management, Williams-Flournoy was a four-year letterwinner player for the Lady Lions under former coach Rene Portland. Penn State won the Atlantic 10 Conference championship in each of Williams-Flournoy's last two seasons as a player and was a participant in the NCAA Tournament in three of Williams-Flournoy's four seasons. In 1988, 1990 and 1991 Williams-Flournoy and the Lady Lions advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and in 1991, Penn State was ranked No. 1 in the country.
Williams-Flournoy, sister of basketball guru Boo Williams of Hampton, Va., and her husband, Eric, have a daughter, Maya, 11, and a son, Eric, Jr., 8.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Beating MSU
The Tigers beat Mississippi State to win the weekend series. The team is tied for first in the West at 6 & 3 with an overall record of 17 & 11. So far, so good.
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