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Third & Shorts

February Transactions

Head Coaches: Earlham named Gerry Keesling as head coach ... Elon appointed Paul Hamilton as head coach ... John Zernhelt was promoted to head coach at Citadel ... Paul Krohn stepped down after 11 seasons as head coach at Elmhurst to focus on responsibilities as athletics director at the school ... Dennis Darnell resigned after five years as head coach at East Central to become offensive coordinator at Southwest Missouri State ... Southwest Minnesota State chose Eric Eidsness as head coach. Eidsness, who succeeds Curt Strasheim, has been offensive coordinator at South Dakota State for five seasons.

Assistants: Akron selected Jim Fleming, Harold Goodwin and Matt Wallerstedt as assistant coaches. The school also selected Matt Williamson as director of football operations ... Charleston Southern appointed Jamie Chadwell as running backs coach and Darrell Perkins as secondary coach and special teams coordinator ... Mike DeBord was chosen as football recruiting coordinator and special teams coach at Michigan ... Nebraska released Bo Pelini, secondary coach Marvin Sanders, linebackers coach Jimmy Williams, defensive line coach Jeff Jamrog, running backs coach Tim Albin, wide receivers coach Ron Brown, and offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Barney Cotton. The school also announced Turner Gill will continue with the program as receivers coach and that Dennis Wagner, offensive line coach at Fresno State for the past six years, was chosen as offensive line coach ... David Reaves was elevated to assistant secondary coach at South Carolina ... Arizona hired Mike Canales as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and Mike Tuiasosopo as defensive line coach. Canales has been wide receivers coach with the NFL’s New York Jets and Tuiasosopo was defensive tackles coach at Utah last year ... Rusty Russell was released as defensive coordinator and Levorn Harbin was released as defensive ends and special teams coach at Georgia Southern. Russell has been with the program since 1997 and Harbin has been with the school since 2002 ... Iowa State added Barney Cotton as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach and Todd Fitch as quarterbacks coach. Cotton most recently was released as an assistant at Nebraska and Fitch has worked as quarterbacks coach at South Carolina for four years ... Washington hired Chris Tormey as linebackers coach to replace Tim Hundley. Tormey was head coach at Nevada for the past four years before being released this season ... Rick Minter, who was released as head coach at Cincinnati, was named as defensive coordinator at South Carolina ... North Carolina added John Gutekunst as defensive coordinator at Minnesota ... Tennessee named Trooper Taylor as running backs coach and Jason Michael as a graduate assistant coach. Taylor, who succeeds Woody McCorvey, was an assistant coach at Tulane for five seasons and Michael, who replaces Shane Beamer, has been an assistant with the program for a year ... Duke selected Marty Galbraith as offensive coordinator ... Mike Collins accepted duties as defensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee State ... Bo Pelini was hired as co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Oklahoma to replace Mike Stoops ... Nebraska chose Phil Elmassian as secondary coach, Kevin Cosgrove as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach and John Blake as defensive line coach ... Utah named Gary Andersen as defensive tackles coach ... Hardee McCrary resigned as defensive ends coach and recruiting coordinator at Texas ... North Carolina appointed Marvin Sanders as co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach ... Mike McCarty was awarded responsibilities as receivers coach at Arkansas State.

Transactions: Courtesy NCAA News

George Mason High School Sells Football Stadium Naming Rights to Moore Cadillac for $50,000

Joe Moore, VP/owner of largest Washington, DC, regional Cadillac & Hummer Dealership has possibly set a new trend in naming rights for high school stadiums and marketing for the automotive industry.
Moore Cadillac provided $50K over five years to name regional Fairfax County H.S.

stadium as “Moore Stadium.” George Mason H.S. has 700 high school and 600 middle school students. Fairfax County among highest per capita income counties in the U.S.

Naming the stadium allows Moore to reach adult Cadillac buyers (parents) and brand Hummer to young people (students). George Mason plays 11 varsity football games per season, but until now could only host 4 games at-home.

According to Moore Cadillac public relations, school systems are strapped for money for sports and extracurricular activities. In Virginia, state budget cuts and school under-funding has left it up to parents, PTAs and regional merchants to help fill the void. George Mason needs money for lights to host evening games. The school’s booster club and regional supporters have collected about $40K with Moore now committing $50K toward that cost.

Pacific Lutheran Names New Football Coach

Scott Westering has been hired to replace his father as football coach at Pacific Lutheran.

Westering takes over for Frosty Westering, who retired in November with 305 wins over a 40-year career, the last 32 at Pacific Lutheran.

Scott Westering has been his father’s offensive coordinator since 1983. The Division III Lutes won four national championships under Westering, who has a career record of 305-96-7.