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Longtime head coach — and former Navy LB — leaves D-III school for director of football ops job at Army

By John TaylorJul 27, 2018, 6:33 AM EST
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With a little over a month until they kick off the 2018 season, one Division III football program suddenly finds itself in need of a new head coach.

Following up on speculation that first surfaced earlier this month, it has been confirmed that Clayton Kendrick-Holmes has been hired to join Jeff Monken‘s coaching staff. Specifically, Kendrick-Holmes will serve as the Black Knights’ director of football operations

Kendrick-Holmes had spent the past 13 seasons as the head coach at SUNY Maritime College, and would’ve been headed into his 14th season at the D-III school prior to taking his first job at the FBS level. With a 63-55 record, he leaves as the football program’s all-time winningest coach.

“We would like to thank Coach Kendrick-Holmes for his years of continuous service to our football team and athletics program,” Maritime athletic director Kristofer Schnatz said in a statement. “His dedication and leadership has had a positive impact on our students, team and alumni. Coach Kendrick-Holmes’ focus on individual growth, team execution and program tradition has left a lasting influence on the experience of our student-athletes.”

“On behalf of our students, staff, faculty and alumni, I would like to thank Coach Kendrick-Holmes for his leadership and commitment to Maritime College,” a statement from the college’s president, Admiral Michael Alfultis, began. “We fully support the entire Kendrick-Holmes family during this transition period and wish them future success.

Kendrick-Holmes played his college football at service academy rival Navy, where he was a two-year letter winner at the linebacker position. His oldest son, Bo, meanwhile, is currently a Midshipman at the United States Naval Academy.

According to Sal Interdonato of the Hudson Valley Times, “Kendrick-Holmes is first Navy graduate on Army’s staff since I began covering the team in 2007.” Interdonato added that he’s “[n]ot sure if he’s the first Navy graduate on staff in the academy’s illustrious history.”

Below is Kendrick-Holmes’ full statement on his move to what was his former rival:

I’d like to thank everyone at Maritime for allowing our family to be a part of the fabric of the college for all these years. We have been supported by everyone and every department on campus and have developed lifelong friendships along the way. A special thanks to Admiral and Kim Alfultis, Kris Schnatz and our strong and growing alumni group who helped make so much possible.”

“There is a unique work ethic and character surrounding the Maritime Family and I was proud to be a part of this. My goal each day was to do my best to create a championship environment for our team which would allow our players and coaches to reach their full potential on and off the field. No success would have been possible without the dedication and commitment of the many players, coaches and parents over the years. They have made this job incredibly rewarding.

Mike Riley came off Nebraska’s books with $6.2 million buyout in January

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By John TaylorNov 17, 2018, 9:44 AM EST
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It was thought that Nebraska had been paying three current/former head coaches throughout the 2018 season.  Instead, it was just two.

When Mike Riley was fired by the Cornhuskers in late November of last year, he was owed a buyout of just over $6.6 million that was to be paid in monthly installments of nearly $166,000 through February of 2021.  However, Nebraska officials confirmed this week, the university paid Riley a $6.2 million buyout in January of this year that wiped the former coach off NU’s books.

Riley took a job at Oregon State shortly after his dismissal by Nebraska, with his $50,000 salary very slightly mitigating his buyout number.

“We went ahead and absorbed it [earlier this] year to get it behind us, and we felt that we had a good enough year revenue-wise that we could handle that,” athletic director Bill Moos said by way of the Lincoln Journal Star. “Those things, for the most part, are behind us, and we’re moving forward at this point.”

Bo Pelini, fired by the Cornhuskers in November of 2014, is being paid nearly $130,000 every month through February of next year to pay off his $6.54 million buyout.  Riley’s replacement, Scott Frost, is in the first year of a seven-year, $35 million contract.

After Week 12 results, Houston-Memphis to decide AAC West

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By John TaylorNov 17, 2018, 9:03 AM EST
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It wasn’t pretty, but it did the job.

Coming out of a first half that was at times head-scratching… and odd… and downright weird with a 7-5 lead on SMU, Memphis put up a touchdown in the third quarter and another two in the fourth to pull away for a 28-18 road win.  Running back Patrick Taylor accounted for two of those second-half touchdowns on nine- and six-yard runs as he finished with a game-high 112 yards, his third 100-yard effort of the season.

The Tigers’ Darrell Henderson, who came into the game second in the nation averaging 8.74 yards per carry, was held to 4.7 yards on his 16 carries.  That was his second-worst yards per carry average of the season, behind only the 3.8 (4-15) put up against Missouri Oct. 20.

The Mustangs had even less success on the ground, rushing for just 25 yards on 26 carries.  Ben Hicks passed for 344 yards, his third 300-yard game in the past four games, in a losing effort.

With the win, Memphis improved to 4-3 in the conference, one game behind Houston, which moved to 5-2 with a win Thursday night, for first place in the AAC West.  Those two teams will square off next Friday, with the winner advancing to the conference championship game and playing either UCF, Cincinnati or Temple. The undefeated Knights hold the edge in the East heading into tonight’s huge matchup with the Bearcats, although a loss would leave all three, including the Owls, in play for the East crown.

Prior to last night’s loss, SMU (4-3) could’ve staked its claim to the West by winning its last two games.  SMU could still finish in a three- or four-way tie for the division, Tulane (4-3) included, although Memphis would win all tiebreakers regardless of how many teams are involved.

Major Applewhite, Ed Oliver issue statements addressing sideline flap

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By John TaylorNov 17, 2018, 8:24 AM EST
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We can all move on because apparently there’s nothing to see here.

Ed Oliver, who had missed the previous three games because of a knee injury, was sidelined for a fourth Thursday night as Houston squared off with Tulane in a key AAC West matchup.  Shortly before the half, Oliver, who was on the sidelines of the game supporting his teammates, was approached by head Major Applewhite about what was later learned to be the lineman’s choice of jacket, which according to the head coach is reserved for players who are active in the game.

Oliver took exception to Applewhite’s directive — and the fact that the coach put his hands on his jacket — leading to a heated confrontation heading into the halftime locker room in which the star defensive tackle had to be physically restrained from going after Applewhite by a UH football staffer.

After the game, Applewhite explained that “[t]here’s a rule for our team. Everybody follows the rule.”  Friday night, both of the involved parties issued statements through the school in which they stated they’re ready to “move forward together.”

MAJOR APPLEWHITE
“Ed is a passionate human being, and that is why he is the best player in the country. Last night was not indicative of his character and it was a passionate moment within our program. We can, and we will, both learn from this situation as we move forward together.”

ED OLIVER
“Last night is not who I am. I’m very passionate about the game of football and last night there was a misunderstanding. I was caught in an emotional moment. I have the utmost respect for Coach Applewhite and I appreciate the support of Coach Applewhite and my teammates during this time. I love my brothers, my team and my city and I’m looking forward to moving forward with them together. Go Coogs!”

It’s expected that, if healthy, the All-American defensive tackle will play in the regular-season finale next week.

After $1 million donation, UCF is adding a lazy river to new athletes village that will be open for tailgating

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By Bryan FischerNov 16, 2018, 7:24 PM EST
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College football traditionalists will have none of this, but Wet ‘n Wild may soon be a term you hear to describe future UCF football games.

Thanks to a $1 million donation this week from a pair of alumni, the school announced that they are finalizing plans for ‘Recovery Cove’ as part of a new $30 million UCF Athletics Village. As the name implies, the area will be for athletes of all sports to come to relax and recover and now will feature a pool, a lazy river and various other amenities.

“Florida weather is one of our greatest competitive advantages,” athletics director Danny White said. “UCF student-athletes have very demanding schedules. Having a recovery and leisure space so close to the Wayne Densch Center for Student-Athlete Leadership and the Garvy Center for Student-Athlete Nutrition will significantly enhance the UCF student-athlete experience. Recovery Cove will also deliver one of college football’s most unique game-day premium experiences for UCF fans.”

Yes, it that last little bit wasn’t clear, Recovery Cove will be opened up before football games for tailgating. The school eventually expects to even make quite a bit of money off the project as fans and others pay to get in and use the facilities before and after the Knights take the field at nearby Spectrum Stadium.

A timeline for the project was not released but any construction will naturally begin in the offseason. While we’ve seen pools at stadiums in the state before (such as Jacksonville’s TIAA Bank Field), Recovery Cove certainly is stepping things up in a new and unexpected way in Central Florida.