As Purdue rumors swirl, P.J. Fleck won’t talk other jobs until after MAC title game

By John TaylorNov 26, 2016, 12:56 PM EST

With all of the LSU-Texas head coaching drama dominating headlines for the past week or so, some have forgotten that Purdue too is searching for a new head coach — or that they even have a football team for that matter. That search, though, could be coming to an end sooner rather than later. Maybe.

Along with Les Miles, P.J. Fleck has been the name most mentioned in connection to the opening with the Boilermakers. The 35-year-old Western Michigan head coach has also been connected to the opening at Baylor.

The Big Ten school, though, may have the inside track over the controversy-laden one from the Big 12.

This is not etched in stone, but I’m hearing that PJ Fleck will soon be named as Purdue’s next football coach.

— Bob Kravitz (@bkravitz) November 26, 2016

While Fleck is interested in the job, he’s not expected to talk to any other university, including Purdue, until after the MAC championship game. WMU will face Ohio at Detroit’s Ford Field next Friday night.

Just because Fleck doesn’t want to talk about any other job until then doesn’t mean his agent will be held to the same standard, however. That said, any movement on the Fleck front won’t come until next weekend at the earliest.

Other schools, including Oregon, could come into play for Fleck as well, depending on how things play out over the next several days.

After a one-win first season at WMU, Fleck guided the Broncos to a pair of eight-win seasons before this season’s breakout year. At 12-0 ahead of the league title game, WMU is poised to grab the Group of Five’s berth in a New Year’s Six bowl game.

Utah State player upgraded to fair condition after collapse

Associated PressMar 25, 2023, 1:50 AM EDT

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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

Associated PressMar 20, 2023, 10:32 PM EDT

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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.