Connect with us

Uncategorized

Louisiana Tech fires Skip Holtz: Bulldogs opt for coaching change after nine years amid 3-8 season

Published

on


USA Today Sports Images

Louisiana Tech has fired coach Skip Holtz after nine seasons, the program announced on Friday. Holtz will coach the season finale against Rice on Saturday. He was 64-49 with the Bulldogs and led the program to seven consecutive bowl games before this down season. 

“Skip and I talked and agreed it was time for a change for both parties,” Louisiana Tech athletic director Eric Wood said. “Louisiana Tech owes Skip a debt of gratitude for his loyalty and dedication to our football student-athletes, our University, and our community over the past decade. He has been able to accomplish some things that weren’t previously done here on a consistent basis prior to his arrival. We continue to be committed to winning conference championships, and that expectation is stronger than ever.”

Just two years ago, Holtz led the program to its first ever 10-win season as Louisiana Tech split a share of the Conference USA West Division with UAB. However, the Bulldogs bottomed out in 2021 with a 3-8 record pending the results against Rice, Holtz’s first losing season since his La. Tech debut in 2013. The record included three losses against Mississippi State, SMU and NC State by a combined 10 points. 

Advertisement

Louisiana Tech regressed in conference play after the tight nonconference performances. The Bulldogs handed Southern Miss its only FBS win of the season in a 35-19 loss to the Golden Eagles despite the fact that USM has played more than 10 players at quarterback. 

“This is the right time for me to evaluate a new start in my career,” Holtz said. “I’ve had the privilege of mentoring young people and building football programs for more than 30 years, including the last nine as head coach of Louisiana Tech. The past two seasons have brought additional challenges to our program, and I simply think it is time for someone else to have the chance to lead this special group of young men.”

The news comes months after several of Conference USA’s top programs announced they would leave for the American Athletic Conference and the Sun Belt, leaving Louisiana Tech, UTEP, FIU, Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky as the only remaining members. Conference USA has since added Liberty, New Mexico State and FCS transitioning members Jacksonville State and Sam Houston. 

Louisiana Tech plays Rice at 1 p.m. on Saturday in Houston. Both teams enter at 3-9. 

Advertisement





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

18 + nine =

Uncategorized

Cowboys look dominant again, but the real test is waiting in San Francisco

Published

on




The Cowboys looked elite again in a 38-3 pounding of the Patriots. Now comes the hard part: A trip to San Francisco to avenge last season’s playoff loss.



Source link

Continue Reading

Uncategorized

49ers Teammate Has Bold Prediction About Christian McCaffrey’s Season

Published

on


(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

 

The San Francisco 49ers remain undefeated after the first month of the regular season.

And while their team is obviously stacked on both sides of the field, star RB Christian McCaffrey has been their best offensive player by a significant margin.

Advertisement

That’s why OT Trent Williams believes he has a legitimate shot to become the first non-quarterback to win MVP honors since Adrian Peterson did it in 2012, via Around The NFL.

“Hey, all them streaks come to an end eventually, right?” Williams said, via ESPN. “This might be the year. I can see it.”

Peterson needed to rush for more than 2,000 yards to get the nod, and CMC will have plenty of competition, including his own teammate, Brock Purdy, who’s still undefeated as a starter.

It’s hard to ignore McCaffrey’s video-game-like production.

Advertisement

He had 106 yards on 20 carries and three rush touchdowns, all while hauling in seven passes for 71 receiving yards and another score.

That performance put him right by Jerry Rice as the only player with 150+ scrimmage yards and four+ TD in a game in franchise history.

It was also a career-best performance from a touchdown perspective, and the second-most scrimmage touchdowns in team history.

On top of that, the former Carolina Panther is now the seventh player to score at least one touchdown in 13+ straight games — including playoff — passing Rice for team history.

As of now, he just trails a plethora of legends and Hall of Famers, such as Emmitt Smith (14), O.J. Simpson, John Riggins, and Lenny Moore (15 each).

Advertisement

As of now, he has the most rushing yards (459) in the league and is tied for most rushing touchdowns as well (six), and has a grand total of 600 scrimmage yards through four games, which is also the highest number in the league.

The post 49ers Teammate Has Bold Prediction About Christian McCaffrey’s Season appeared first on The Cold Wire.





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Uncategorized

Disgruntled Harden no-show at 76ers’ media day, training camp status unclear

Published

on


CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — James Harden skipped the Philadelphia 76ers’ media day and his status for training camp this week in Colorado is unclear because the franchise has yet to meet the disgruntled guard’s demand for a trade.

“He’s not here today,” team president Daryl Morey said Monday. “He continues to seek a trade and we’re working with his representation to resolve that in the best way for the 76ers and hopefully all parties.”

Morey said Harden was being treated like any other player on the roster and was expected to attend training camp.

Advertisement

.acf-block-preview .br-snippet {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 200px 1fr;
gap: 20px;
width: 100%;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 16px;
border: 1px solid #CECECE;
background-color: #FFF;
border-radius: 4px;
}
.acf-block-preview .br-snippet-info a {
text-decoration: none;
}
.acf-block-preview .br-snippet-info .br-snippet-title {
color: #343434;
font-family: ‘roboto’;
font-size: 20px;
font-weight: 600;
line-height: 22px;
margin-bottom: 10px;
top: -3px;
}
.acf-block-preview .br-snippet-info .br-snippet-body {
color: #343434;
font-family: ‘urw-din’;
font-size: 16px;
line-height: 20px;
margin-bottom: 12px;
}
.acf-block-preview .br-snippet-info .br-snippet-link-title {
display: inline-block;
font-family: ‘urw-din’;
font-size: 16px;
list-style-type: none;
width: auto;
}
.acf-block-preview .br-snippet-info .br-snippet-link-title:not(:last-child):after {
content: ‘ | ‘;
color: #343434;
}

Advertisement

The 34-year-old Harden’s relationship with the Sixers has been obliterated following an off-season in which he was fined $10,000 for publicly calling Morey a liar. Harden did picked up his $35.6 million contract option this season in June with the expectation the team would try to trade him. When no deal materialized for the seven-time All-NBA player, he blasted Morey at a promotional event in China.

“Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of,” Harden said at the event. “Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”

Harden has been one of the league’s top players for the past decade, having won three scoring titles and the 2018 league MVP award. He led the league in assists last season.

‘He’s on the roster. We’re excited for him to help him if he chooses that,” Morey said.

Harden is a 10-time All-Star but essentially forced his way with trades out of Houston and Brooklyn and now seems intent on adding the Sixers to the list. It appears playing as the second option behind NBA MVP Joel Embiid and chasing a championship in Philly is no longer seriously on the table.

Advertisement

“We’ll either move James for a player of a calibre that helps our championship contention or for draft picks that will let us go in short order go get a player like that,” Morey said.

Morey said Embiid remained committed to winning a championship in Philadelphia.

“We have to show all the time that we’re putting the team in a great position to win,” Morey said.

The Sixers are set to open camp under new coach Nick Nurse, who was hired to replace Doc Rivers, who never led the Sixers past the second round of the playoffs. Harden’s play last season was a pivotal reason why the Sixers’ championship run stalled.

Harden, acquired at the 2022 trade deadline from Brooklyn for Ben Simmons, scored 45 points in Game 1 and 42 in Game 4 victories against the Boston Celtics. Harden was 0 for 6 on 3s in Game 2 and Game 6 losses. He scored only nine points in Game 7, and he went scoreless in the second half.

Advertisement

Without Harden, or an able replacement, the Sixers are suddenly well behind in the Eastern Conference after the Milwaukee Bucks added seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard and the Boston Celtics on Sunday pulled off a deal for All-Star guard Jrue Holiday.

The Sixers were set to leave Monday for camp at Colorado State.

“We have a lot of questions,” Morey said. “Obviously, James is the big one.”

.acf-block-preview .br-related-links-wrapper {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(2, 1fr);
gap: 20px;
}

.acf-block-preview .br-related-links-wrapper a {
pointer-events: none;
cursor: default;
text-decoration: none;
color: black;
}



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending