October 2007
EARL BENNETT RACES THROUGH THE RECORD BOOK Meet Interim Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos
table of contents 4 6
National Commodore Club In My Words Earl Bennett
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Commodores Cubed Know your Commodores
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Point of View Taka Bertrand
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Coaches’ Corner Greg Allen
11 Commodore Tidbits By the Numbers
12 Ogilvy Arrives The Final 4 with Amy Baumann
15 D’Andre Hill Track program aims high
17 Nicholas S. Zeppos A look at the interim chancellor
20 Quick Hits A look at each Vanderbilt sport
21 Commodores In The Pros 22 Tate Rich Process to endow Peach Bowl Scholarship begins
23 It’s My Turn Rod Williamson
24 Sports Calendar
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Letter from the Editor
All New Commodore Nation By Ryan Schulz
I
want to welcome you to the newly designed Commodore Nation. Since joining the Vanderbilt family in August, it has been my No. 1 priority to transform Commodore Nation based on your feedback.
The make over of Commodore Nation begins with this issue, and it is our hope that you enjoy the new look and content of the magazine. What you see in this issue is by no means a finished transformation. The new look and design will be a continual process that will evolve over time. Through Commodore Nation, readers will learn facts and get insight into the personalities that make up Vanderbilt athletics. Included in this publication will be content that raises your familiarity not only on the field but also off the field with Vanderbilt student-athletes, coaches and administrators. This publication also will provide you with content that keeps you informed of the goings on within Vanderbilt athletics, while providing information that is quicker and easier for the reader to maneuver through.
Editorial Publisher: Vanderbilt University Editor-in-Chief: Ryan Schulz Director of Media Relations: Rod Williamson Designers: Ryan Schulz Jeremy Teaford
Digital Image Specialist: Julie Luckett Turner Photographers: Neil Brake Steve Green Paul J. Levy
Contributors: Taka Bertrand Andy Boggs Chad Crunk Larry Leathers
Throughout the continual process of improving the magazine, I also will be looking for feedback from readers. One opportunity to provide your input is by filling out the survey by visiting the link below, which is under the Commodore Nation link on VUCommodores.com.
Will Matthews Thomas Samuel Chris Weinman
www.vucommodores.com/cnsurvey.com You also can contact me directly by sending letters to the editor at ryan.schulz@vanderbilt.edu.
Interim Chancellor: Nicholas S. Zeppos
I hope you enjoy the new look and content of Commodore Nation. The 2007-08 school year should be an exciting time in Vanderbilt athletics, and I look forward to providing you with the best coverage of the Commodores. Go ‘Dores!
Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs: Michael J. Schoenfeld
Vanderbilt University’s Mission, Goals and Values
COR N ER A:
Vice Chancellor for University Affairs: David Williams II
Exec. Director National Commodore Club: Jeff Ulmer
COMPLIANCE
Q:
Administrative
Johnny Touchdown is a prospective student-athlete getting ready to begin his senior year of high school. The football coaches at Big Time University would like to send Johnny a text message wishing him good luck in the upcoming season. Is this permissible?
By Candice Storey
No. NCAA Bylaw 13.4.1.2 states that electronically transmitted correspondence that may be sent to a prospective student-athlete is limited to electronic mail and facsimiles. (See Bylaw 13.1.7.2.) All other forms of electronically transmitted correspondence (e.g., Instant Messenger, text messaging) are prohibited. Color attachments may be included with electronic mail correspondence sent to a prospective student-athlete, provided the attachment only includes information that is not created for recruiting purposes, except for items that are specifically permitted as printed recruiting materials (e.g., questionnaires). In addition, attachments shall not include any animation, audio or video clips, and there shall be no cost (e.g., subscription fee) associated with sending the item attached to the electronic mail correspondence. (Adopted: 4/28/05 effective 8/1/05 for publications prepared for the 2005-06 academic year and after, Revised: 12/12/06, 4/26/07 effective 8/1/07)
Vanderbilt University is a center for scholarly research, informed and creative teaching, and service to the community and society at large. Vanderbilt will uphold the highest standards and be a leader in the quest for new knowledge through scholarship, dissemination of knowledge through teaching and outreach, and creative experimentation of ideas and concepts. In pursuit of these goals, Vanderbilt values most highly intellectual freedom that supports open inquiry; and equality, compassion and excellence in all endeavors. Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action university. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to National Commodore Club, 2601 Jess Neely Drive, Nashville, TN 37212. SUBSCRIPTION: To subscribe to Commodore Nation, please call 615/322-4114
Compliance Questions? Please contact: Candice Storey Director of Compliance 615/322-7992 candice.storey@vanderbilt.edu
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OCTOBER 2007
George Midgett Compliance Coordinator 615/322-2083 george.d.midgett@vanderbilt.edu
VUCommodores.com
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C O M M O D O R E C LU B
C OR N E R
PHONE: 615/322-4114 vucommodores.com
Benchmarking to Achieve Excellence
McMinn Hosts Houston Commodores Mr. Bill McMinn hosted more than 100 Commodores for an Astros game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
By Jeff Ulmer NCC Executive Director
Any successful collegiate athletic program relies heavily on the financial resources provided by its alumni, benefactors and fans. Vanderbilt benchmarks with schools that embrace similar values, goals and high achievements. As we go on the road, meeting with our fans, alumni and prospective donors, we point to the success Vanderbilt University has achieved academically. Much of that success has come as a result of private giving from our alumni and friends. In years past, Vanderbilt’s administration directed the majority of those private contributions toward its academic initiatives. As a result, the university’s academic standing grew in quality and stature unequaled by any of our peer SEC institutions. We can see, first hand, how those private gifts have taken Vanderbilt from a really good regional university to a world-renowned academic institution. Now we are working to elevate the stature of our athletic programs through private giving. I cannot think of a better example of the impact of private giving than by illustrating the tremendous success our university has achieved in academics. Athletics is benchmarking with the best – Vanderbilt academics! Our student-athletes need and deserve your support of our scholarship endowment campaign. With your help, we can place Vanderbilt athletics on a trajectory equal to that of our academic programs, and that spells championships!
Bobby Johnson, Bill McMinn and David Williams pose in a suite at Houston’s Minute Maid Park.
Gene and Susan Vaughan visit with Doug and Veronica Atnipp.
Barrett Family Establishes Another Scholarship Endowment This is the second athletic scholarship established by the Barrett family.
Dorothy, Jacob and Joe Barrett pose with Joe’s mother, Betty, after being honored during Vanderbilt’s win over Richmond.
JOIN THE BLACK AND GOLD ENDOWMENT SOCIETY JOIN THE NCC OR RENEW TODAY! Call (615/322.4114), click http://vucommodores. com or stop by the office in the McGugin Center to make your gift to the National Commodore Club. Every gift is allocated toward the goal of funding student-athlete scholarships. Your Membership Matters!
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Vanderbilt Athletics and the National Commodore Club endeavor to endow all athletics scholarships. To help in that task, the NCC has created a new endowment level called the Black and Gold Society. Black and Gold Society members create an opportunity for a student-athlete while receiving full benefits of the Dudley Society with a five-year, $100,000 commitment. For more information on the Black and Gold Society and Athletic Scholarship Endowments, please contact John Erck at john.erck@vanderbilt.edu or 615/322.7922.
Alabama Game The Davis family made a lead gift toward the Kwane Doster Memorial Scholarship. t Joe Davis (left) and his nephew, Roscoe Davis, are honored by NCC Executive Director Jeff Ulmer at halftime of the Alabama football game.
q Vanderbilt fans fill up Vandyville before the Alabama game.
ROAD GAME TAILGATES Tailgate parties for away games are in the planning process, so check vucommodores.com for updates on times and locations. Tailgate parties are scheduled for games at Auburn (Oct. 6), South Carolina (Oct. 20) and Florida (Nov. 3). A party at Tennessee (Nov. 17) is currently being planned, as well.
UPCOMING EVENTS • The NCC will have a reception for parents of student-athletes during Family Weekend at 1:00 p.m. on Sept. 28. The reception will be in the Admiral’s Room in Memorial Gymnasium and will feature a question-and-answer session with Vice Chancellor David Williams. • The Commodores and Gators take to the field in Gainesville on Nov. 3 and we want to see you there! We’ve planned a great trip with Total Sports Travel that includes airfare, two-night hotel stay and a pre-game party. For pricing information or to make reservations, please call Total Sports Travel at 888/367-8781. • Letter Winners Day and National Commodore Club Day will be celebrated on Nov. 10 during the Kentucky football game. Mark your calendar and check back later for details.
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In My Words
Earl Bennett H
e is closing in on the all-time Southeastern Conference record for most receptions and receiving yards in a career, but there is much more to Earl Bennett than just the numbers he puts up on the gridiron. A native of Birmingham, Ala., the junior wide receiver has remained committed to giving back to his hometown. So much so that the city presented Bennett with the Outstanding Citizen Medal in July. In addition to giving back to the community off the field, Bennett has given opposing defenses nothing but nightmares. A two-time first team All-SEC selection, Bennett is the only player in SEC history with two seasons of 75 catches or more. He entered the 2007 season just 48 catches shy of becoming the league’s all-time receptions leader and 1,071 yards short of the SEC receiving yardage mark. On receiving his Outstanding Citizen Medal from the Birmingham City Council It was great to receive the award. I was definitely honored to get it. I didn’t expect it, so I was surprised when they told me. On why he enjoys being involved in the community It really means a lot to me, and it is a big deal. I just enjoy helping out as much as I can. I believe that it is important to help in the community as much as possible. On being mentioned with some of the top receivers to ever play in the SEC That means a lot to me. It is an honor to be mentioned among some of the great receivers who have played in this league. There have been so many great receivers that have been through this league, and I am just delighted to be mentioned along with all of them. On deciding to attend Vanderbilt It was close to home, and my family really liked it. Vanderbilt has great academics and great athletics, so it seemed like a perfect fit. On going to college in Nashville It is great. You meet so many people, including celebrities. It is a great campus and a great university. It is just terrific to be here in Nashville. On what it would mean to help get Vanderbilt to its first bowl game since 1982 It would be very special not only for the university, but also for the city of Nashville. I would love to help get Vanderbilt back to a bowl game.
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Commodores Cubed
On how he developed his receiving skills growing up I’d play catch with my brothers. They would try to throw the ball real hard at me so I wouldn’t catch it, but I somehow managed to catch it. They really helped me develop my hands. On having two brothers and two sisters It was cool growing up with them. I was the youngest, so I pretty much got anything I wanted. My other brothers used to get mad at me about that. I love my brothers and sisters, and they helped me become the man that I am today. I owe them a lot.
jonathan GOFF
ryan PRESTON
rachel BACHTEL
julie ECKERLY
Football
Tennis
Soccer
Cross Country
Biology
Major
Mechanical Engineering
Economics
I am going to double major in art, and I am undecided on my second
Last movie I watched
The Simpsons Movie
Superman Returns
Tommy Boy
Superman Returns
Favorite musician
Outkast
Mat Kearney
Tim McGraw
They Might Be Giants
Sport I would like to play in college besides my own
Tennis
Basketball
Basketball or Tennis
Soccer
Fly
Fly - I would never be late for anything again
On his mom, Sarah I love my mom to death. We’ve been through a lot together, and I wouldn’t trade her for anything in the world. On his childhood idol growing up Jerry Rice was the person I followed growing up. He was just such a great player and person. I just enjoyed watching him play. On his favorite team as a kid I used to love the San Francisco 49ers and Giants. I used to love Barry Bonds, too. I didn’t play baseball until I got into high school, but I used to just love Barry. I had a beanie doll with No. 25 on the back. On playing basketball growing up I used to love playing basketball. My eighthgrade year in middle school, I averaged 25 points per game. When I got to high school everybody was taller and bigger, so it was a growth process that I had to go through. I started playing football my ninth-grade year, and then I started playing baseball. Basketball kind of got left behind. On his favorite off-day activity I like to go bowl, or me and some guys will go and shoot pool at the rec center. Mostly, we will go bowling and just hang out and have fun. I kind of have a bowling form that is opposite from most. I use my right arm to bowl, and I also step with my right foot. It is kind of weird. To learn more about Earl Bennett, visit mynameisearlbennett.com. ■
vucommodores.com
I would rather be able to fly or be invisible
Window or aisle seat on A plane
Fly
Fly
Window
Aisle - Have to have the leg room
Window
Window I love the scenery from the sky
Mandolin or fiddle in a bluegrass or country band
Shoes
Instrument I would play in a band
Guitar
Trumpet
Acoustic Guitar
Favorite piece of clothing
Jeans
Nothing beats a good pair of shorts
Shoes
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Point of View
2007 Dore Jam By Taka Bertrand Editor’s Note: Each month Commodore Nation will ask a varsity athlete to sound off on a point of personal interest. A native of Great Falls, Va., Bertrand is a senior on the Vanderbilt women’s tennis team. She was the 2006 SEC Player of the Year.
he first time I saw John Isner I was inside the players’ lounge at Stanford University’s tennis complex, getting ready to play my first round of the 2006 NCAA singles tournament. He was a foot taller than most players around him and wearing khaki shorts, a polo shirt and sunglasses. He looked more like a frat boy than the No. 1 college tennis player in the country.
T
Isner has since emerged as the hottest American on the ATP tour. Since turning pro last spring, he made the finals of the ATP Master Series before losing to Andy Roddick. Recently he lost to superstar Roger Federer in the U.S. Open. Isner’s success contradicts a problem with American tennis today; too many top juniors are persuaded by United States Tennis Association funding or small endorsements to turn down college scholarships. Many of these players are not physically or mentally ready for professional tennis. Having played tennis since the age of 10, I cannot count the number of times I’ve seen a junior pass up a scholarship to turn pro early. Sadly, most end up spending the majority of their careers in lower-level events, where prize money is modest. Isner took a different path. His resume lacks the long list of minor events that typically mark the early years of a professional’s career. So where was he? Playing tennis in the Southeastern Conference and making a name for himself as the 6’9” kid with the untouchable serve. Isner, now 22, recently completed his eligibility at Georgia. By most tennis standards he is old enough to be a veteran. But with American tennis starving for the next Pete Sampras and the USTA struggling to produce top prospects, Isner could not have arrived at a better time. His overpowering serve appeals to the younger generation, and his traditional serve and volley style reminds our seniors of what the game used to be. And like most college graduates, he seems eager to work hard at his first job. Isner helps prove that juniors can go to college and then compete professionally. Elite collegiate conferences provide tremendous competition, especially with the growing influx of foreign players. A scholarship also offers free coaching, training and facilities. Most juniors would benefit from this environment. Vanderbilt’s Bobby Reynolds left after his junior year and still is having success on the tour. Others, like Isner, have chosen to stay four years. But college tennis is not just about playing tennis. It’s about going off to a different place, making new friends and growing up. Whenever I see Isner on television, I am reminded of the first time I saw him. Even if he didn’t beat Federer at the U.S. Open, he has options in his life – such as attending a Georgia football game, where he’ll feel at home in his khaki shorts, polo shirt and sunglasses. ■
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Frame by Frame
Richmond & Alabama Games
COACHES’
C OR NE R Greg Allen Head Women’s Golf Coach Greg Allen is in his first year at Vanderbilt after serving as head coach at Arizona from 2000 to 2007. At Arizona, Allen led the Wildcats to two Pac-10 titles and an NCAA runner-up finish in 2002. He also coached 10 All-Americans, including current LPGA star Lorena Ochoa. Why did you ultimately decide VU was the place for you? It really came down to my family and getting my children back to the southeast where my wife and I grew up. Being around our family was really important to us. Once I got here for the interview and started to meet people and really learn about the university and Vanderbilt athletics, it made the decision pretty easy. What was the hardest part about leaving Arizona? The relationships that were built with the team and people at the University of Arizona. It was home for seven years and having to say goodbye is never easy. The relationship I had with our team was pretty special, and it is one that I hope I can have with this team.
2007 Homecoming/Reunion Weekend Schedule Oct. 12-13 Friday, Oct. 12
Did you know you wanted to be a golf coach when you were younger? No. I was a huge basketball fan growing up. Basketball was the sport that I always thought would be my life.
Meet the Faculty Reception Hosted by Interim Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
How did you get into coaching?
Class-Sponsored Educational Events Noon - 4:00 p.m.
can Junior Golf Association from an opera-
University Update with Interim Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos 4:15 p.m.
me and realized that me working at the AJGA
Undergraduate Class Parties Begin 6:30 p.m.
much of what we do is about recruiting, and
I got involved in golf working with the Ameritions standpoint. John Fields at Texas hired tied in well with the junior golfers because so he took a chance on me.
All-Class Party: Pat Patrick Band on Alumni Lawn 10:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
What is the best advice a coach ever
Saturday, Oct. 13
“Sometimes the best things you do for golfers
Homecoming Tailgate sponsored by the Nashville Vanderbilt Chapter 2 1/2 hours before kickoff Homecoming Game: Vanderbilt vs. Georgia TBA *Check VUCommodores.com for game time as the date nears Registration: You can register for Reunion events online. Visit Vanderbilt.edu/alumni/reunion and follow the link to your class web site.
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gave you? is just get out of their way.” – legendary Texas golf coach George Hannon What is more difficult to coach in golf – the mental part of the game or the physical part? Mental
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COM MODOR E
TIDBITS • With 15,063 season tickets sold for the 2007 football season, Vanderbilt topped its highest total since 1997. • Head women’s golf coach Greg Allen announced the hiring of assistant coach Nicki Cutler on Aug. 21. Cutler was a four-year letterwinner at Vanderbilt from 1999-2003, where she earned honorable mention All-America honors and was named twice to the All-SEC team. • Michael Thompson, who was recruited by and played for current Vanderbilt men’s golf coach Tom Shaw at Tulane, finished second at the 2007 U.S. Amateur Championship. Shaw and Thompson left Tulane following the 2005-06 season after the program was eliminated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Thompson now is in his senior season at Alabama. • All of Vanderbilt’s football games are being broadcast free on the Internet this season. Fans can listen to the games by visiting the Commodore Nation All Access link on VUCommodores.com. All of the content on Commodore Nation All Access is available free, just by creating a user name and password. In past seasons, fans had to pay to listen to the games on the Internet. Content is also available for mac users by using the Safari web browser. • Head baseball coach Tim Corbin was named 2006-07 Vanderbilt Coach of the Year. Corbin was honored during the Richmond football game on Sept. 1. In 2007, Corbin led Vanderbilt to an SEC title and the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
By The
NUMBERS 3.012
Cumulative grade point average of all Vanderbilt varsity athletes in 2006-07.
10
of Vanderbilt’s athletic teams qualified for the NCAA Tournament during the 2006-07 school year.
16
The number of varsity athletic teams at Vanderbilt.
93%
The overall academic Graduation Success Rate for Vanderbilt student-athletes, the highest in the SEC.
98
The number of years since Vanderbilt last played eight home football games. Vanderbilt plays eight home games in 2007.
7
The overall rank Vanderbilt received in the fifth annual National Collegiate Scouting Association Power Rankings. Vanderbilt was ranked 25th in 2006.
15,063
season tickets sold for the 2007 football season, the highest total since 1997.
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Player Spotlight
The Final
Ogilvy Arrives t may be more than a month until the court starts to heat up inside Memorial Gym, but the excitement for the 2007-08 season already is mounting. Along with three returning starters, Kevin Stallings and his staff welcome six freshmen into the mix, including highly touted Australian import Andrew Ogilvy.
I
A 6-foot-10, 250-pound, post presence from Canberra, Australia, Ogilvy has yet to play a Division I game, but that hasn’t kept him from being labeled as a potential NBA prospect in the 2008 NBA Draft. One web site – NBADraft.net – has Ogilvy slated to be drafted No. 17 overall in the 2008 NBA Draft. Ogilvy’s rising stock is a direct correlation to his play at the 2007 FIBA U19 World Championships in Serbia, where he wowed scouts by finishing third at the tournament in scoring (22.3) and rebounding (9.8). He also was fourth in the tournament in blocks (2.3), while shooting a robust 68.6 percent from the field. Ogilvy prepped at the Australian Institute of Sport, which has produced a long line of collegiate and professional players, including 2005 No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Bogut. The list of current college players from AIS includes Indiana’s Ben Allen, Nebraska’s Aleks Maric and Baylor’s Aaron Bruce.
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AMY BAUMANN
4
#33
After also being recruited by Saint Mary’s, New Mexico and UNLV, Ogilvy ultimately decided to become a Commodore.
• Soccer • Senior • Midfielder
A dominating presence on the block, Ogilvy had been on the radar of college coaches from the start, but it wasn’t until the Douai Tournament in France this past June that NBA scouts began discussing the big man.
Amy Bauman is a senior from Highlands Ranch, Colo., who is majoring in human organizational development with a focus on human services and child development.
At the tournament, Ogilvy established himself as the top center prospect at the event after averaging 20 points per game in leading Australia to a 5-1 record. Other accolades received by Ogilvy include being named to the Oceania Under 19 Championship All-Star team in 2006. At the event, Ogilvy averaged 15 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. He also represented the country at the Youth Olympics and was named the 2005 New South Wales Junior Basketball Player of the Year. With the departure of Derrick Byars to the NBA, Ogilvy and the rest of the freshmen will be counted on to help fill his void. Ogilvy’s first test against Division I competition will come on Nov. 10, when the Commodores open their 2007-08 season at home against Austin Peay. ■
Is it harder to score a goal on a penalty kick or on a one-onone breakaway? On a breakaway because if you are coming at a goalie, she can cut off your angles. On a penalty kick you have the whole goal to to work with. What is your favorite off-day activity? I like to do crafts. I don’t get to do it as often as I’d like to in season, but I like to color. Sometimes I will bring my markers with me on road trips. I just have a good time doing crafts. When did you begin playing soccer, and how did you get into it? I was four when I started playing soccer. My dad always played, so he kind of got me involved. He was my coach my whole life when I was younger. Once you finish playing soccer at Vanderbilt, what do you want to do next? I’d really like to get into doing some missionary work outside of the country. I’d also like to get my master’s degree in elementary education, but that might not happen right away.
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OCTOBER 2007
Hill Aims To Take Track & Field Program To New Level ust as winning can be contagious for a program, losing can be as contagious, if not more. Having inherited a Vanderbilt women’s track and field program that is starving for success in the Southeastern Conference, first-year head coach D’Andre “DeeDee” Hill understands the challenges ahead.
said. “It recruits itself. If you can come into this conference and be a conference champion or make the finals, you pretty much can finish in the top 10 or 15 in the country.”
J
In addition to returning to the conference where she once competed, the Cincinnati, Ohio, native also is returning to the head coaching ranks for the first time since serving as head coach at Dayton from 2002 to 2004.
“I think the main challenge is changing the mentality of this program,” Hill said. “Vanderbilt has been down for so long, and it is very convenient to get locked into that defeatist mentality when you are trying to change the mentality of the program.“
“I think my experience at Dayton is a great tool to pull from while moving into my role at Vanderbilt,” Hill said. “Having the opportunity to do things my way at Dayton and also being at TCU under coach (Darryl) Anderson were great learning experiences. Coach Anderson taught me a lot about the organization and day-to-day running of a top20 program, and I think that is the direction we need to move Vanderbilt.”
The Vanderbilt track and field program has produced a multitude of individual success stories at the conference and national level, including nine All-Americans, but what has eluded the Commodores more than anything has been team success. In 22 outdoor seasons and 18 indoor seasons in the SEC, the Commodores have yet to finish higher than eighth. Hired on July 17 after spending the past three seasons as an assistant at TCU, Hill is poised to turn Vanderbilt into a contender in the highly competitive SEC. “The prospect of moving this program excites me,” Hill said. “In the past, this program has been very mediocre in the SEC, and this is a great opportunity to really take this program to new places and establish ourselves in the SEC as a contender.” Contending in the SEC is a challenge for any program. Regarded as the top track and field conference in the nation, the SEC is responsible for more than half of the women’s all-time indoor and outdoor titles. Nationally, the SEC has won 15 of the 26 outdoor titles and 13 of the 25 indoor titles.
“This is a great opportunity to really take this program to new places and establish ourselves in the SEC as a contender.” Thankfully for Hill her first season at Vanderbilt will be anything but a crash course in the SEC. As she returns to the league for the first time since competing at LSU, where she was a 15-time All-American and six-time NCAA Champion. Hill’s success at LSU helped vault her to the 1996 Olympics, where she reached the semifinals in the 100 meters. “I am kind of prejudiced, but I believe the SEC is the best conference in the country,” Hill
The D’Andre Hill File Age
34 (born April 19, 1973)
Hometown
Cincinnati, Ohio
High School
Mount Healthy High School (Cincinnati)
Education
Bachelor’s Degree, Louisiana State University (1998) General Studies with two minors in Fitness Science
Family
Children - Kiandra (8)
Coaching Exp.
2001-2004 Dayton (Head Coach) 2004-2007 TCU (Assistant Coach) 2007-present Vanderbilt (Head Coach)
Awards
Hill was a 15-time All-American at LSU
vucommodores.com
1993-1997 Six-time NCAAChampion 1995 Team member - World Championships 1996 Olympic 100m Semifinalist 1996 Honda NCAAAward recipient as the Women’s Track & Field Athlete of the Year
As the Flyers’ head coach she mentored numerous All-Atlantic 10 Conference performers, on the track and in the classroom. Her team maintained a GPA of 3.0 or better in each of her three years at Dayton. At TCU, Hill coached the women’s sprints and relays under Darryl Anderson, while helping the women’s team increase its NCAA finish in each of her three seasons in Fort Worth, Texas. Just last June, Hill helped the women’s team earn its highest finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships since 1993 by placing in a tie for 27th with nine points. Gathering what she learned from her time at Dayton and TCU, Hill believes that her experiences at both universities have helped her become an even better person and coach. “I think I have softened a lot,” Hill said. “I’m not as hardcore as I used to be. And even being with Darryl (Anderson) has taught me that. I used to have a hard line on things, and it was my way or the highway. I still hold a little bit of that, but you’ve got to be able to embrace the kids and understand their points.” Despite all of the challenges that surround a first-year coach at any school, Hill knows that she has the necessary support at Vanderbilt, and she is eager to make winning contagious to the point that it becomes synonymous with Vanderbilt track and field. “Vanderbilt is very committed to being supportive of this team,” Hill said. “The administration wants to see the track and field team do well, and that is what we want to give back to them. Having that support to move the program to different heights is very important to us.” ■
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Zeppos Committed To Building On Vanderbilt’s Success By Will Matthews
N
ick Zeppos still remembers as if they were yesterday the times during his childhood when he and his two older brothers would spend endless summer hours at the old County Stadium in his native Milwaukee watching his beloved Braves play. For a kid growing up in one of America’s most enduring sports towns, there was nothing more exciting than the opportunity to watch the iconic Hank Aaron carve out his place in history as baseball’s greatest home run hitter of all time. “I was an incredible baseball fan.” Zeppos said. “My brothers and I, we’d go to Braves games all the time. I must have gone to hundreds of those games. Rain or shine we were at the ballpark.” The Braves organization jilted Milwaukee by relocating to Atlanta in 1965, but by that time a love not only of baseball but of all things athletic had long been ingrained in Zeppos’ psyche. It is a love that Zeppos, Vanderbilt’s new interim chancellor, says has been nurtured and expanded during his 20-year career at the university. “We had overlapping seasons in Milwaukee, but if we didn’t have multiple sporting events in a day growing up, then it wasn’t a day growing up,” said Zeppos, who earned his B.A. and law degrees from the University of Wisconsin. “I always have loved sports. I just very much enjoy athletics and athletic competition. To be a part of that at Vanderbilt, one of the greatest universities that has had so much success in athletics, so many great kids, great coaches and which competes in the Southeastern Conference, it is like a dream come true.” When Zeppos – who came to Vanderbilt in 1987 as a professor of law and has subsequently served as associate dean of the Law School and, for the last six years, as provost and chief academic officer – rose to succeed former Chancellor Gordon Gee who left the post after seven years in July, there was some concern over what would become
of the university’s athletics department under the stewardship of a man who largely had been known as the keeper of the school’s academic standards. But in fact Zeppos was a key co-orchestrator of the once controversial move to fold Vanderbilt’s athletics department under the auspices of student life – a move that has yielded unprecedented competitive success for many of the university’s sports programs. And, like Gee, Zeppos sees no reason why success in the classroom cannot happen in concert with success on the playing field. An unabashed sports fan, Zeppos said he relishes the fact that Vanderbilt athletics now is an important part of his new role as interim chancellor and is quick to reassure anyone and everyone that it is only onward and upward from here for Commodore sports. “I’m going to have to budget my time very carefully because I would probably spend 90 percent of my time with the teams if I could,” Zeppos said. “I’m excited about being able to have a hand in the continued success of our athletic program.” It will be a role that is not altogether unfamiliar to the 53-yearold Zeppos. In his role as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, Zeppos sad he had a direct hand in recruiting many of the athletes that have matriculated at Vanderbilt in recent years. “One thing I considered the ultimate compliment is when a coach would call me and say, ‘I’ve got a couple of recruits here. Could you meet with them?’” Zeppos said. “So I have always tried to stay involved and supportive in so many different ways, from recruiting to admissions to academics. So while my involvement has not been as visible as it certainly is going to be, it was a significant and very exciting and enjoyable part of my job. Nothing made me happier than to be able to hear from Kevin [Stallings] or Bobby [Johnson] that we got a kid we had been after.” Zeppos said he has been as excited as anyone to witness the kind of national success that Vanderbilt sports teams have enjoyed in recent years, and that in many ways one of his primary roles as the interim chancellor will be to work hard to mitigate the impact that change at the top of Vanderbilt’s administration will have on the athletic program. “I don’t do the operations, I don’t call the plays, I don’t throw the passes,” Zeppos said. “I see my job as simply trying to do whatever I can do to support all of the talented people who do those things. What can I do for them? What can I do for them to help them Zeppos prepares to lead the class of 2011 onto the field for the annual Freshmen Run.
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realize their dreams? I want our coaches and student-athletes to understand that this change doesn’t have to have a negative impact. I view myself as working with them. They are not working for me. If anything, my role is to support them and work for them.” Vanderbilt’s recent athletic success has enabled the university to make increasing strides toward garnering significant support from within the greater Nashville and Midstate areas, something else Zeppos hopes will continue under his watch. “I think that Vanderbilt’s success in athletics is a great source of pride to this neighborhood, this city and this region,” Zeppos said. “I go out to those baseball games, and it is really something to go to, to see a family out there enjoying a ballgame. That’s really heartening to know that we are touching people in the community. I’m proud to be able to welcome sons and daughters and fathers and mothers and grandparents to an athletic event whether they went to Vanderbilt or not. It is great for me to hear people say things like, ‘I saw Jay Cutler play in the NFL last week and I am so proud’ or ‘What a great player David Price is.’ And these aren’t people from the class of ’58, ’68 or ’78. They are people who live in Nashville, and that’s great.” Zeppos said he understands why there might be some unease over the ramifications of the departure of Gee, who was widely seen as a fer-
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vent cheerleader for Vanderbilt athletics and the creator of the new model. But Zeppos also is quick to point out that the vision for Vanderbilt sports that was developed at the turn of the century was created by a cadre of university administrators – almost all of whom remain in place and who maintain their commitment to seeing the vision come to full fruition. “It was a team approach that did that,” Zeppos said. “Gordon talked to the management team, and we decided this was the right way to go. But it has been the leadership of all the vice chancellors, the deans, the coaches, the staff, the assistant coaches that has really built the incredible momentum coming off a fairly controversial decision that many people thought was hair-brained, frankly. If it ain’t broke, I’m not going to tamper with it.” Indeed, the only substantive change that Zeppos anticipates will be positive ones: “more ticket sales, more wins and more championships from the smartest, best athletes in the country. I’m getting ready for our bowl game. And I’m expecting that bowl game to be in January, not December.” ■
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Quick Hits MEN’S SPORTS
• A sellout crowd of 39,773 attended the Alabama game. The sellout was Vanderbilt’s second in its last three home games.
Baseball
Men’s Golf
• Outfielder Dominic de la Osa will return for his senior year at Vanderbilt after he was unable to come to terms with the Detroit organization. Tim • De la Osa, a first-team All-AmeriCorbin can in the 2007 campaign, was drafted by the Tigers in the 10th round of the amateur baseball draft in June but did not reach an agreement with them before the Aug. 15 deadline. • The coaching staff announced the addition of transfer Drew Hayes to the Commodore program. Hayes, a sophomore pitcher, comes to Vanderbilt from Bethel College in McKenzie, Tenn. • Hayes went to McKenzie High School and was the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association Player of the Year in 2006. He also was a firstteam all-state selection and the district’s most valuable player. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound athlete also was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 29th round of the 2006 amateur baseball draft.
• The men’s golf team will play host to the annual Mason Rudolph Intercollegiate this October at the Vanderbilt Legends Club. The tournament is scheduled to run Sunday the 21st through Tues- Tom Shaw day the 23rd. • Jon Curran and Chris Rockwell qualified for the 2007 United States Amateur Championship at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. Both Commodores advanced to match play, with Curran winning his first round match over University of Washington graduate Alex Prugh. • Two other current Commodores notched impressive performances this summer. Hudson Johnson captured medalist honors at the Spirit of America Classic, while incoming freshman Adam Hofmann won the Pennsylvania State Amateur. • Former All-American Brandt Snedeker captured his first PGA Tour victory in August by winning the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C. In his first year on the tour, Snedeker is a leading candidate for PGA Rookie of the Year honors.
Basketball Tennis
• The 2007-08 schedule was released (see page 24). Highlighting the schedule are games against 15 teams that made postseason play last year. • Vanderbilt also well make 11 apKevin pearances on national or regional Stallings tevelvision this season. • Head coach Kevin Stallings announced the signing of Festus Ezeli, a 6’-11”, 245-pound center from Nigeria. • Ezeli is the sixth member of this year’s freshman class. He graduated from high school at the age of 14 before moving to Northern California.
• The men’s tennis team opened its 2007-08 season at home with the Vanderbilt Invitational Sept. 14-15. • Led by third-year head coach Ian Duvenhage, the Commodores Ian have a young team that includes Duvenhage seven underclassmen on a 10man roster. • Individually, Ryan Preston is ranked No. 29 in the preseason ITA singles poll, while Nick Cromydas is ranked No. 74. The doubles team of Preston and Vijay Paul is ranked No. 44.
Cross Country
WOMEN’S SPORTS
• The men’s team finished third at the Belmont/Vanderbilt Invitational on Aug. 31. • Senior Austin Williamson led the way for the Commodores team Steve and finished seventh overall in the Keith 5k event in a time of 15:32.87. • Despite an injury, sophomore Thomas Davis finished 25th overall in 16:03.03. • Not too far behind Davis was senior Rick Semones. Semones finished in 27th place in 16:10.57.
Football • The 41 points scored by the Commodores in their win over Richmond was the most in a season opener since scoring 47 against Middle Tennessee State in 1950. Bobby • Wide receiver Earl Bennett earned Johnson SEC Player of the Week honors on Sept. 3 after catching 13 passes for 223 receiving yards and three touchdowns against Richmond. • Bennett’s yardage total broke the previous Vanderbilt single-game mark of 222 yards achieved by Clarence Sevillian against Tennessee (Nov. 28, 1992). • Bennett’s 13 receptions is a new SEC standard for opening-game performances by a receiver, bettering the former mark of 12.
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Basketball • The women’s basketball team spent a week in Spain this summer, playing three international exhibitions during a tour of Barcelona, Valencia and Madrid. Melanie Vanderbilt’s nine returning playBalcomb ers won all three games by 40 or more points. • Highlights of Vanderbilt’s 2007-08 schedule, announced earlier this month, include home games against Duke, Tennessee and Georgia, and a December trip to Berkeley, California. The Commodores will defend their SEC Tournament title at Nashville’s Sommet Center in March 2008. • Chanel Chisholm (Long Island, N.Y.), Jence Rhoads (Slippery Rock, Pa.), Rebecca Silinski (Birmingham, Ala.) and Hannah Tuomi (Thornton, Colo.) make up the 2007-08 Commodore freshman class. With four freshmen and six sophomores (including redshirt Amy Malo), the Commodores will be a young team this season.
Cross Country • The women’s team finished in second place at the Belmont/ Vanderbilt Opener. They were runners up by only 8 points to Tennessee. Steve Keith
• Two freshmen, Rita Jorgensen and Adrienne DiRaddo, led the pack for the Commodores and finished fourth and ninth overall, respectively. • Jorgensen’s time of 14:28.31 was the fastest time ever for a freshman in the 4k course. • Four of the top 11 finishers in the 4k race were from Vanderbilt. In addition to Jorgensen and DiRaddo, junior Carmen Mims finished 10th overall, while senior Julie Eckerly took 11th.
Women’s Golf • The women’s golf team is preseason No. 10 in the GolfWorld/ NGCA preseason poll. • Junior Jacqui Concolino is the No. 4 ranked “Golfer to Watch” in Greg 2007, according to GolfWorld. Allen • Concolino also was named Team USA’s MVP in the 32nd Annual Fuji Xerox USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championship in July at Tijeras Creek Golf Club in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. • The Vanderbilt women’s golf team hosted the 2007 Mason Rudolph Women’s Championship Sept. 14-16 at the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin, Tenn. • Twelve out of the 17 teams in the tournament were ranked in the preseason top 15, including the No. 1-ranked team and three-time defending NCAA champ Duke, No. 2-ranked Arizona State, No. 3 UCLA, No. 4 USC, No. 5 Auburn, No. 7 Purdue, No. 8 Georgia, No. 9 Stanford, No. 10 Vanderbilt, No. 11 Oklahoma State, No. 14 Wake Forest, and No. 15 Florida. Other teams in the tournament include Arizona, Kentucky, LSU, Ohio State and South Carolina.
Lacrosse • Senior goalkeeper Brooke Shinaberry earned a spot on the 2007-08 United States Developmental women’s lacrosse team. Shinaberry beat out a host of collegiate talent in a three-day Cathy tryout this summer. Swezey • Former VU All-American Jess Roguski also had success in Baltimore, earning a place on the U.S. Elite squad. Roguski helped lead the Commodores to the 2004 NCAA Final Four. • Coach Cathy Swezey’s Commodores will host their annual Alumni Game at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 12, as part of Vanderbilt’s homecoming weekend.
Soccer • Senior Sarah Dennis recorded her first collegiate hat trick in the Commodores 6-0 victory over Tennessee Tech on Sept. 9. She leads the team in scoring (four Ronnie goals), already surpassing last Coveleskie season’s total of two. • The Commodores recorded three shutouts in their first four games and led the SEC in that category (0.48) through Sept. 10. The club recorded nine shutouts a year ago and are using five newcomers this season including redshirt Lindsay Ratterman. • VU’s goal in the offseason was to be a more aggressive offensive team and through the early slate, the team has responded with 23.2 shots per game.
Swimming • The Vanderbilt swimming and diving team was named a Division I Academic All-American Team as it posted the third-highest Jeremy GPA among Division Organ I swim programs. For the spring 2007 semester, the Commodores attained a 3.563 team GPA. The University of South Carolina had the highest GPA with a 3.606, while Iona College came in second with a 3.580 GPA. • The Commodores released their 200708 schedule, which features the first home meet since the program was reestablished last year. Vanderbilt welcomes Miami (Fla.) to the Centennial Sportsplex on Jan. 11 for a dual meet. The ‘Dores open up the season on Oct. 13 at Southern Illinois.
Tennis • Vanderbilt senior Amanda Taylor made the semifinals at the 2007 ITA National Summer Championships Presented by the USTA. Geoff Taylor lost a hard-fought Macdonald match in the semifinals to Notre Dame’s Brooke Buck. Incoming freshman Katie Kilborn also competed in the event, falling in the second round.
• Sophomore Catherine Newman spent some of her summer in France competing in professional events. Newman, who was competing as an amateur, won two events in France and made the finals in two others. Joining Newman on the trip was senior Taka Bertrand and former Commodore Amanda Fish. • Former Vanderbilt standout Aleke Tsoubanos was named Assistant Women’s Tennis Coach on July 27. Tsoubanos comes to the program after competing professionally for the past three years. The St. Louis native enjoyed a very successful career as a Commodore, earning numerous NCAA and ITA AllAmerican honors. • Senior Amanda Taylor is ranked No. 20 in the preseason ITA rankings, while Catherine Newman is ranked 28th and Taka Bertrand is ranked 73rd. The doubles teams of Taylor and Courtney Ulery and Newman and Bertrand are ranked No. 21 and No. 58, respectively.
Track and Field • D’Andre Hill was named head track and field coach on July 18, becoming the first African-American coach in school history.
D’Andre Hill
Commodores In The Pros
Baseball Name Mike Baxter Matt Buschmann Cody Crowell Ty Davis Brian Hernandez Matt Kata Ryan Klosterman Jensen Lewis Tony Mansolino Greg Moviel Ryan Mullins Cesar Nicolas Josh Paul David Price Robert Ransom Tyler Rhoden Antoan Richardson Ryan Rote Jeremy Sowers Jeff Sues Casey Weathers
Pos. OF P P P C 2B 3B P DH P P 3B C P P P OF P P P P
Level A A A R A MLB AA MLB A R AA AA MLB A A R A A MLB A A
Team (Parent Club) Lake Elsinore (SD) Lake Elsinore (SD) Auburn (TOR) Missoula (AZ) Eugene (SD) Pittsburgh Pirates New Hampshire (TOR) Cleveland Indians Lynchburg (PIT) Arizona (SEA) New Britain (MIN) Mobile (AZ) Tampa Bay Devil Rays Columbus (TB) Palm Beach (STL) Billings (CIN) San Jose (SF) Kannapolis (CHW) Cleveland Indians Hickory (PIT) Modesto (COL)
Pos. G/F
League NBA
Team Philadelphia 76ers
Pos. C G/F F
League WNBA WNBA WNBA
Team San Antonio Silver Stars Indiana Fever Chicago Sky
Pos. SS QB DT LB LB LB TE
League NFL NFL NFL NFL NFL NFL NFL
Team St. Louis Rams Denver Broncos Tampa Bay Buccaneers Chicago Bears Cleveland Browns Tampa Bay Buccaneers Washington Redskins
Men’s Basketball Name Derrick Byars
Women’s Basketball Name Chantelle Anderson Sheri Sam Carla Thomas
Football Name Corey Chavous Jay Cutler Jovan Haye Hunter Hillenmeyer Matt Stewart Jamie Winborn Todd Yoder
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Men’s Golf Name Brant Snedeker Luke List
Tour PGA Professional Golfer
Women’s Golf Name Sarah Jacobs Graham Meredith Ward May Wood
Tour Futures LPGA Futures
Men’s Tennis Name
Tour
Bobby Reynolds
ATP
Women’s Tennis Name Julie Ditty
Tour WTA
C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N
21
Tate Rich Leads Endowment Initiative
I
mmediately on the right when you walk through the front door of the Delta Coals Inc. office suite in southwest Nashville, you’ll find a picture from the 1975 football season that would make any Vanderbilt fan smile. The picture eloquently captures the scoreboard and the celebration on the Vanderbilt sideline as the clock struck zero in the Commodores’ 17-14 victory at Neyland Stadium. “That right there was an exciting moment, and one that I will never forget,” said Tate Rich, the current president of Delta Coals Inc., as he pointed at the image. As a four-year letterman at defensive end from 1972 to 1975 for the Commodores, Rich was a part of two of the biggest games in school history. Not only was Rich a member of the 1975 team that beat Tennessee in Knoxville for the first time since 1959 and the single time from 1959 to 2005, but he also was a starter on the 1974 team that became just the second team in school history to earn a trip to a bowl game, playing Texas Tech in the Peach Bowl. A second-generation graduate, whose father, John, also played football and baseball for the Commodores, Rich has remained a loyal supporter of Vanderbilt athletics. Rich’s continued support of the athletics program has led him to his latest challenge of spearheading the initiative to endow a $300,000 scholarship in the name of the Peach Bowl Scholarship. The scholarship will honor the Commodores 1974 Peach Bowl team and will be fully funded by members of the team. As the cost of attending college continues to rise, the importance of endowed scholarships has grown exponentially to the point where they have become the life-blood of success in college athletics. As a former student-athlete who earned a bachelor’s degree in 1976 and a law degree in 1979 from Vanderbilt, Rich understands the importance of endowing scholarships from a firsthand experience. “Most of my friends on the team wouldn’t have had the opportunity to attend Vanderbilt without the assistance that scholarships provide,” Rich said. Having graduated from Vanderbilt 31 years ago, Rich believes that he understands the benefits a scholarship provided him more now than when he was in school. “While athletes work hard and certainly earn their room and board for as hard and as much work that is put into being a student-athlete in the Southeastern Conference, it’s probably a benefit that only sinks in years later,” Rich said. “You realize the kind of experience you had and just how meaningful it was.” The idea behind the creation of the Peach Bowl Scholarship was brought up to Rich during the 2006 football season by Lucy Jones, senior
Cost of Endowed Scholarships at Vanderbilt Full Grant and Aid Endowed Scholarship ____________ Full Endowed Scholarship (Tuition) _________________ Partial Endowed Scholarship _______________________ Black and Gold Scholarship _______________________
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OCTOBER 2007
$900,000 $600,000 $300,000 $100,000
director of the National Commodore Club and John Ingram, chairman of the athletic committee. “Lucy (Jones) and John (Ingram) mentioned that the Gator Bowl team had funded a scholarship and suggested that it would be a great time for the Peach Bowl team to step up and fund a scholarship,” Rich said. With the goal in mind to raise $300,000 to endow the scholarship, Rich has taken the lead role of drumming up support by sending letters to former teammates on the 1974 team. “This was a very close-knit team,” Rich said of the ’74 squad. “We had a fabulous experience at Vanderbilt. My class in particular played under three head coaches, and we actually saw the depths of the program our freshman year and had the good fortune to be able to turn it around.” A native of Nashville, Rich grew up around Vanderbilt his entire life, having graduated from Montgomery Bell Academy just a few miles down the road from the campus. Rich’s love for the university extends far beyond just him and his father. Rich and his wife, Nora, a 1978 Vanderbilt graduate in civil engineering, have four children, two of whom are enrolled at Vanderbilt. “I inherited a lot of my love for Vanderbilt,” Rich said. “My dad has always been a strong Vanderbilt supporter, but I think people who play at Vanderbilt really recognize what a special place it is and what a tremendous opportunity it is for studentathletes to be on that campus and to be associated with quality people at Vanderbilt that you encounter every day. “My dad was a football and baseball player at Vanderbilt, and he impressed upon me pretty early that Vanderbilt is probably the best thing that ever happened to him. It allowed him to do things in his life that he was never able to do.” Having met people from all over the country through business, Rich has seen first-hand how his degree from Vanderbilt has helped his career. “In the business world, a degree from Vanderbilt gives you a little bit of credibility,” Rich said. “I think people from around the country understand the quality of school Vanderbilt is, and they respect people who graduated from there.” Rich has many fine memories from his time as a student-athlete at Vanderbilt and one of his most memorable moments was being selected to play in the Peach Bowl. “That was just a great day to hear our selection in the Peach Bowl,” Rich said. “It was about as good as it gets. We knew what an accomplishment it was for Vanderbilt to go to a bowl game, and we knew it was a tremendous accomplishment for the program.” Rich is excited about the opportunities the Peach Bowl Scholarship can present to future Vanderbilt students, but he’s also excited about the possibility having the ’74 Peach Bowl team reunite. “The main thing that I told John (Ingram) and Lucy (Jones) that I was interested in was having a team reunion because we went through a whole lot together as coaches and players,” Rich said. “I’m looking forward to a banquet with an open mic so that we could all tell the stories of that team.” ■
It’s My Turn By Rod Williamson y high school economics teacher, Mr. Shrum, used to say “figures don’t lie, but liars can figure.” Forty years later it is the only economics I’ve retained.
M
Not so long ago, non-productive players were run off the rosters of big-time football and basketball teams. “Recruiting mistakes” were encouraged to leave for greener pastures or their tutors quit showing up and they flunked out. With so much riding on a winning team, the coach wanted to replace them with better players. NCAA graduation rates were bleak. Vanderbilt led the Southeastern Conference in graduation by more than 20 percentage points with many, if not the majority, of league brethren under 50%. To put “student” back in the term student-athlete, the NCAA began a program charting each member’s retention and academic success. This system would penalize those falling short of minimum standards. At last, a way to even the playing field! Everyone would play by the same rules; mavericks would be set back significantly by loss of scholarships. The Vanderbilts and Stanfords expected they had an advantage with this new Academic Progress Report (APR). After all, they would not need to change what they were doing, while their competition would be forced to conduct business quite differently. Three years have passed, and while a few schools have lost scholarships because of poor APR rates, not much has changed. Suddenly those burly football powers that had been the subject of academic ridicule are posting passable numbers. How? Optimists will say coaches are not taking the risky prospects anymore. There is truth to that. Others point out that competitive studentathletes rise to meet any challenge. OK. But there is something else. In order to count toward a school’s APR total, a student-athlete must be on scholarship. Would it surprise anyone to learn that a lot of smart walk-ons are suddenly being awarded scholarships in their junior or senior years? Coaches will say Johnny has “earned” the scholarship, and that is true. But don’t ever expect a similar walk-on with mediocre grades to get that late scholarship. No gridiron power will stay that way giving gobs of grants to guys that could pass for Goober. But a handful of these mini-Einsteins filling roster gaps help “cook the books.” Sleight of hand is not limited to APR scores. Two years ago in a money-saving mood the NCAA ruled that team media guides could not exceed 208 pages. These publications had become blatant recruiting pieces. Two offenders in the Big 12 had yearbooks nearing 600 pages, and the arms race was heating up. Loopholes were openly discussed before the legislative ink was dry. One school produced a 550-page “Spring Outlook.” And another, I’m told, had a 500-page game program that looked a lot like the old media guide. Mr. Shrum was right, and he always will be as long as there is a scoreboard and we continue to worship “winners.” ■
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Vanderbilt Fall/Winter Sports Calendar MEN’S SPORTS Basketball Date
Opponent
11.5 11.10 11.13 11.20 11.23 11.24 11.29 12.1 12.5 12.8 12.12 12.22 12.29 12.31 1.3 1.5 1.9 1.12 1.17 1.19 1.27 1.30 2.2 2.6 2.9 2.12 2.16 2.23 2.26 3.1 3.5 3.8 3.13-16
Tusculum (Exhibition) Austin Peay at Toledo Valparaiso vs. Utah State (South Padre Island) vs. Iowa or Bradley (South Padre Island) South Alabama Georgia Tech Wake Forest Lipscomb at DePaul Tennessee State Tennessee-Martin Iona Rice UMASS South Carolina at Kentucky at Tennessee LSU at Florida at Ole Miss Auburn at Georgia at South Carolina Kentucky Florida Georgia Tennessee at Arkansas Mississippi State at Alabama at SEC Tournament (Atlanta)
Result TBA TBA 5pm 7pm 9pm TBA 7pm 12pm 7pm 3pm 7:30pm TBA TBA TBA 7pm 3pm 7pm 12:30pm TBA 12pm 12pm TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA 2pm 3pm TBA 3pm 7pm TBA TBA
Cross Country Date
Opponent
8.31 9.15 9.29 10.13 10.27 11.10 11.18
Belmont/Vanderbilt Opener Commodore Classic at Louisville Invitational at Arkansas Chile Pepper Inv. at SEC Championships at NCAA Regionals at NCAA Championships
Result 3rd (99) All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day
Football Date
Opponent
9.1 9.8 9.15 9.29 10.6 10.13 10.20 10.27 11.3 11.10 11.17 11.24
Richmond Alabama Ole Miss Eastern Michigan at Auburn Georgia (Homecoming) at South Carolina Miami (Ohio) at Florida Kentucky at Tennessee Wake Forest
Result W, 41-17 L, 10-24 6pm 6pm TBA TBA TBA 1pm TBA TBA TBA 1pm
Golf Date
Opponent
Result
9.14-16 9.24-25 10.14-16 10.21-23 2.17-19 3.2-4 3.16-17 3.28-30 4.6-8 4.18-20
at Carpet Capital Collegiate Classic at Shoal Creek Invitational at The Ridges Mason Rudolph Intercollegiate at Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Champ. at Seminole Intercollegiate Kauai Collegiate Cup at Furman Intercollegiate at The Reunion at SEC Championships (Sea Island, Ga.)
All Day All Day All Day All Day Al Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day
Tennis Date
Opponent
Result
9.14-15 9.21-24 10.1-7 10.5-7 10.12 10.19-22 11.1-4 1.26 1.27 2.2
Vanderbilt Invitational at Southern Collegiates at ITA All-American Championships at Georgia Tech Invitational Alumni Reunion at ITA Regional at ITA Indoors Tennessee-Chattanooga Michigan State Samford
All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day TBA 1pm 1pm
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OCTOBER 2007
2.3 2.7 2.9 2.10 2.16 2.17 2.23 2.29 3.2 3.7 3.9 3.21 3.23 3.28 3.30 4.4 4.6 4.12 4.17-20
Memphis New Mexico vs. North Carolina State (Ann Arbor, Mich.) at Michigan Furman Wisconsin Middle Tennessee State Florida South Carolina at Arkansas at LSU at Auburn Alabama Ole Miss Mississippi State at Tennessee at Georgia at Kentucky at SEC Tournament
1pm 2pm 2pm 12pm TBA 1pm 1pm 2pm 1pm TBA TBA TBA 1pm 2pm 1pm TBA TBA 1pm TBA
Golf
Result
Soccer
WOMEN’S SPORTS Basketball Date
Opponent
10.31 11.5 11.9 11.11 11.14 11.20 11.23
Cumberland (Exhibition) Anderson College (Exhibition) UAB Furman at Indiana State at Clemson Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tourn. (Belmont, Iowa State, Michigan) Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tourn. Consolation Game Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tourn. Championship Game Duke vs. St. Mary’s (Berkeley, Calif.) at California Western Kentucky Colorado Lipscomb Old Dominion South Florida at Princeton Mississippi State at LSU Georgia at Tennessee Ole Miss at Florida at Georgia South Carolina at Alabama Kentucky Tennessee at Arkansas at Auburn Alabama at SEC Tournament (Nashville)
11.25 11.25 11.28 12.1 12.2 12.6 12.9 12.22 12.30 1.2 1.5 1.10 1.13 1.17 1.20 1.27 1.31 2.3 2.7 2.10 2.14 2.17 2.21 2.28 3.2 3.6-9
7pm 7pm 7pm 2pm 6pm 6pm TBA
12pm 2pm 7pm TBA TBA 7pm 2pm 7pm 2pm 2pm 1pm 7pm 4pm 7pm 2pm 2pm 6pm 11am 7pm 2pm 7pm 3:30pm 7pm 8pm 2pm TBA
Bowling Date
Opponent
Result
11.9-11 11.17-18 1.18 1.19-20 2.1-3 2.9-10 2.16-17 3.1-2 3.15-16
at Wisconsin-Whitewater at UMES Hawk Classic at Central Region Duals at Greater Ozark Invitational at Lady Indian Invitational at Capital Classic at Morgan State Invitational at Holiday Classic Columbia 300 Music City Classic
All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day
Cross Country Date
Opponent
8.31 9.15 9.29
Belmont/Vanderbilt Opener Commodore Classic at Louisville Invitational at William & Mary at Arkansas Chile Pepper Inv. at Chattanooga Southeastern Classic at SEC Championships Race for the Cure at NCAA Regionals at NCAA Championships
10.13 10.20 10.27 11.3 11.10 11.18
Result 2nd (61) All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day
Date
Opponent
Result
9-14-16 9.24-26 10.5-7 10.19-21 11.4-6 2.25-27 3.9-11 3.21-23 4.4-6 4.18-20
Mason Rudolph Championship at NCAA Fall Preview at Lady Tar Heel Invitational at Stanford Fall Intercollegiate at Collegiate Match Play Champ. at Arizona Wildcat Invitational at UCF Challenge at Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic at Ping ASU Invitational at SEC Championships (Louden, Tenn.)
All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day
Lacrosse (Fall Schedule) Date
Opponent
10.6 10.6 10.6 10.12 10.20 10.25-26
vs. Lousiville (Loyola Hound Round Robin) vs. G. Mason (Loyola Hound Round Robin) vs. Cornell (Loyola Hound Round Robin) Alumni Game at George Mason Marathon Game
Date
Opponent
8.31 9.2 9.7 9.9 9.14 9.16 9.21 9.23 9.28 9.30 10.5 10.7 10.12 10.14 10.19 10.21 10.25 10.28 11.2 11.7 11.8 11.9 11.10 11.11
vs. Wisconsin (Georgia Bulldog Tourn.) vs. Texas Tech (Georgia Bulldog Tourn.) at UAB Tennessee Tech Gonzaga (Vanderbilt Tournament) Saint Mary’s (Vanderbilt Tournament) vs. Davidson (College of Charleston Tourn.) at College of Charleston (Col. of Charles. Tourn.) at Alabama at Auburn at Florida at South Carolina Georgia Tennessee LSU Arkansas at Ole Miss Mississippi State Kentucky at SEC Tournament at SEC Tournament at SEC Tournament at SEC Tournament at SEC Tournament
Result 8am 10am 11am 6pm TBA TBA
Result T, 0-0 W, 1-0 L, 1-2 W, 6-0 7:30pm 1pm 4pm 1:30pm 7pm 1pm 7pm 12pm 7pm 2pm 7pm 1pm 7pm 2pm 7pm TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA
Swimming Date
Opponent
Result
10.13 10.19 10.20 11.2 11.10 11.16-18 1.11 1.19 1.26 2.20-23 3.1
at Southern Illinois at North Florida at Georgia Southern at Alabama/LSU at Marshall at Western Kentucky Inv. Miami (Fla.) at Arkansas at Georgia Tech/Emory at SEC Championships (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) at Last Chance Meet
All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day
Tennis Date
Opponent
9.28-30 10.4-6 10.19-21 11.1-4 1.18 1.20 1.26 1.27 2.20 2.29 3.2 3.5 3.7 3.9 3.13 3.21 3.23 3.28 3.30 4.4 4.6 4.12 4.17-20
at Furman Fall Classic at ITA All-American Championships June Stewart Invitational at Fall SEC Championships at New Mexico vs. Colorado (Albuquerque, N.M.) Michigan Notre Dame Middle Tennessee State at Florida at South Carolina at Georgia Tech Arkansas LSU Furman Auburn at Alabama at Ole Miss at Mississippi State Tennessee Georgia Kentucky at SEC Tournament (Auburn, Ala.)
Result All Day All Day All Day All Day TBA TBA 2:30pm 2:30pm 2:30pm TBA TBA TBA 2:30pm 2:30pm 2:30pm 2:30pm TBA TBA TBA 2:30pm 2:30pm 2:30pm All Day