Bro. Askia
New Member
Go after Knotts
If JCSU should make coaching switch
http://www.thecharlottepost.com/sports2.html
By Herbert L. White
<a href="mailto:herb.white@thecharlottepost.com" target="_blank">herb.white@thecharlottepost.com</a>
The wait is on for Johnson C. Smith football coach Tim Harkness as to whether he'll have the same job next season. After five years and 10 wins, there's growing sentiment among alumni that a change is needed.
OPINION
Frankly, no change would be worth a heap of salt without some tangible commitment to boost football scholarships, something the school has been loathe to do. Harkness' job is in danger because he's saddled with a paltry 15 scholarships, an embarrasingly small number for a Division II program. If so, Smith President Dorothy Yancy should work quickly to set football in a positive direction with scholarships and personnel who'll make it worth the investment.
Even with senior leaders like receiver Dwan Thomas (1) Johnson C. Smith went 1-9, the fifth straight losing season under head coach Tim Harkness.
photo/calvin ferguson
I'm not proposing a change in coaches - Lord knows Harkness hasn't had the resources to win - but the list of potential successors is bound to be short. Smith alums are sweet on N.C. A&T offensive coordinator Daryl McNeil, a former Golden Bulls head coach. He spent just two seasons in Charlotte, including a 7-3 campaign in 1996 with a win over Division I-AA S.C. State. McNeil credits JCSU with giving his career a boost, but said earlier this season he's interested only in a school that's willing to put money into football.
But I think Smith should take a run at Independence High coach Tom Knotts. He knows the Charlotte area, won four N.C. 4A championships and obviously molds talent into winning programs. He's made no secret his interest in being a college coach at some point in his career, so why not now? It's Division II, which is lower on the radar screen, but he wouldn't have to move and Smith could be a launching pad to bigger and more profitable gigs down the road.
Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Why Knotts, and why can't a brother get the job if one becomes available? Hiring Knotts would send a powerful signal that's got nothing to do with affirmative action. First, the man's a winner, which no one can deny. Bringing him to Beatties Ford Road means someone at Smith is smart enough to put aside its football indifference. Second, it means the school is serious about producing a winner. Knotts at Smith would also be a marketing coup, guaranteed to create a buzz around college football in Mecklenburg County like you've never seen. Envision all that curiosity: Can the high school legend translate his vision to the college game? Can he make it happen for a habitual loser?
If anybody is really thinking about making a change, why not make it a change for the better. One way or the other, Harkness would agree.
If JCSU should make coaching switch
http://www.thecharlottepost.com/sports2.html
By Herbert L. White
<a href="mailto:herb.white@thecharlottepost.com" target="_blank">herb.white@thecharlottepost.com</a>
The wait is on for Johnson C. Smith football coach Tim Harkness as to whether he'll have the same job next season. After five years and 10 wins, there's growing sentiment among alumni that a change is needed.
OPINION
Frankly, no change would be worth a heap of salt without some tangible commitment to boost football scholarships, something the school has been loathe to do. Harkness' job is in danger because he's saddled with a paltry 15 scholarships, an embarrasingly small number for a Division II program. If so, Smith President Dorothy Yancy should work quickly to set football in a positive direction with scholarships and personnel who'll make it worth the investment.
Even with senior leaders like receiver Dwan Thomas (1) Johnson C. Smith went 1-9, the fifth straight losing season under head coach Tim Harkness.
photo/calvin ferguson
I'm not proposing a change in coaches - Lord knows Harkness hasn't had the resources to win - but the list of potential successors is bound to be short. Smith alums are sweet on N.C. A&T offensive coordinator Daryl McNeil, a former Golden Bulls head coach. He spent just two seasons in Charlotte, including a 7-3 campaign in 1996 with a win over Division I-AA S.C. State. McNeil credits JCSU with giving his career a boost, but said earlier this season he's interested only in a school that's willing to put money into football.
But I think Smith should take a run at Independence High coach Tom Knotts. He knows the Charlotte area, won four N.C. 4A championships and obviously molds talent into winning programs. He's made no secret his interest in being a college coach at some point in his career, so why not now? It's Division II, which is lower on the radar screen, but he wouldn't have to move and Smith could be a launching pad to bigger and more profitable gigs down the road.
Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Why Knotts, and why can't a brother get the job if one becomes available? Hiring Knotts would send a powerful signal that's got nothing to do with affirmative action. First, the man's a winner, which no one can deny. Bringing him to Beatties Ford Road means someone at Smith is smart enough to put aside its football indifference. Second, it means the school is serious about producing a winner. Knotts at Smith would also be a marketing coup, guaranteed to create a buzz around college football in Mecklenburg County like you've never seen. Envision all that curiosity: Can the high school legend translate his vision to the college game? Can he make it happen for a habitual loser?
If anybody is really thinking about making a change, why not make it a change for the better. One way or the other, Harkness would agree.