Irish’s Kelly claims Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award

0 Comments

A couple of weeks after putting the finishing touches on a perfect regular season that catapulted Notre Dame to an unlikely appearance in the BCS title game, Brian Kelly has landed another major piece of coaching hardware.

The Football Writers Association of America announced Thursday that Kelly is the 2012 recipient of the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award.  Kelly becomes the fourth Irish coach to take the honor since its inception in 1957, joining Ara Parseghian (1964), Lou Holtz (1988) and Charlie Weis (2005).

“Notre Dame, under Coach Kelly, has returned to national prominence in the college football ranks,” FWAA president Lenn Robbins said in a statement. “This award recognizes that accomplishment for the 2012 season, a season that began with 124 teams vying for an elusive undefeated campaign. Notre Dame was the only bowl-eligible school to accomplish that impressive feat.”

The award, named in honor of Grambling State coaching legend Eddie Robinson, is the second coaching honor Kelly has received since the end of this season.  Earlier this month, he was named the Home Depot Coach of the Year as well.

Kelly’s defensive coordinator, Bob Diaco, was also named the winner of the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach, earlier this year.

Utah State player upgraded to fair condition after collapse

utah state football
Stephen Lew/Getty Images
1 Comment

Utah State redshirt freshman wide receiver Josh Davis is in fair condition on Friday, one day after collapsing at spring football practice following sudden cardiac arrest, the university announced.

Davis, initially was listed in critical condition, was breathing on his own. He is in the intensive-care unit at McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah.

Davis’ parents arrived in Utah on Thursday evening.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Davis, who is from Carlsbad, California, collapsed at Merlin Olsen Field and was immediately treated by the training staff, the university said. He was taken to Logan Regional Hospital.

The university said Davis was stabilized in the Logan hospital before being moved to Ogden.

Alabama suspends freshman defensive back after drug arrest

alabama football
Getty Images
0 Comments

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama freshman defensive back Tony Mitchell has been suspended from the team following his arrest on a drug charge.

Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said Monday after the first practice of spring that Mitchell was suspended from the team “and all team activities until we gather more information about the situation and what his legal circumstance is.”

The Holmes County Sheriff’s Office arrested Mitchell and another man, Christophere Lewis, last week on a charge of possession of marijuana with the intent to sell or deliver, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page. Lewis also was charged with carrying a concealed gun without a permit.

“Everybody’s got an opportunity to make choices and decisions,” Saban said. “There’s no such thing as being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You’ve gotta be responsible for who you’re with, who you’re around and what you do, who you associate yourself with and the situations that you put yourself in. It is what it is, but there is cause and effect when you make choices and decisions that put you in bad situations.”

Mitchell, who is from Alabaster, Alabama, was a five-star prospect rated the 34th-best player and No. 3 safety in the 247Composite rankings.

Mitchell was driving the vehicle during a traffic stop. After deputies smelled marijuana, Mitchell picked up a baggie of marijuana from the passenger floorboard, according to the department’s Facebook post.

Sheriff’s deputies found “an additional significant amount of marijuana, a set of scales, a loaded handgun between the passenger seat and center console, and a large amount of cash,” according to the department’s Facebook post.