Athletic Program

Days after Towson University's athletic director recommended cutting two men's sports to make the remaining programs more competitive and comply with federal law requiring athletics opportunities for women, parents of the baseball team's players raised thousands of dollars to launch a public relations blitz. They paid $1,600 for a plane to fly over a Ravens game trailing a banner that read, "HELP SAVE TOWSON BASEBALL," and planted fans holding #saveTUbaseball signs behind home plate — where they could be seen by television viewers — during the Orioles-Yankees series.

Here's another great example of Gov. Martin O'Malley's cost cutting: He has turned an issue he should never have gotten involved in - Towson University's athletic program - into a $2 million additional cost to Maryland taxpayers. In addition, nobody has explained why baseball received the dollars rather than men's soccer, not to mention troubled programs at other schools. Come on Sun, help us out on this. Lyle Rescott, Marriottsville Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

UMES president Juliette B. Bell today announced her acceptance of a task force recommendation that the university not restart its football program, which has been dormant since 1980. Bell had commissioned a task force to evaluate a study conducted by an independent consultant that weighed the pros and cons of adding a football program at UMES. “The university is not currently in position, with either human or fiscal resources, to reinstate football at this time,” the task force report said.

Mike Gottlieb feels like the Death Row inmate who gets a last-minute reprieve from the governor. Only in this case, the governor came up with $300,000 out of the state budget to keep Gottlieb's Towson University baseball team alive for a couple more years. So there was Gottlieb on Wednesday afternoon at Towson's Schuerholz Park, standing in the bright sunshine and biting wind before the Tigers' 5-3 loss to Navy, marveling at what a close call it had been for his team. "I remember growing up in the 60's," he was saying now, "and there was a Superman episode where they found out a guy who was on Death Row was innocent.

Former Maryland coach Gary Williams said today that the school's proposed move to the Big Ten would be a tremendous boost for the Terps' athletic program. In a telephone interview with The Baltimore Sun today, Williams said the school's long history with ACC doesn't pay the bills. "You look around today with what's going on, and those schools [in the Big Ten] are certainly in keeping with what Maryland feels about academics. You look at a school like Notre Dame that signed its own TV contract and are now partially joining the ACC. They're looking out for their university.

Mike Hermann, who has served as director of athletics at Niagara University for the past eight years, was today named director of athletics at Towson University. He succeeds Dr. Wayne Edwards who is retiring at the end of June after 11 years at Towson. The appointment becomes effective July 1. "Towson University is focused on its future, and a very competitive athletic program is a big part of that future," Towson University President Dr. Robert L. Caret said in a release. "I know that Mike Hermann has the background, skills and vision to build on what we have accomplished and help make that future a reality."

Despite receiving its biggest single payday in the history of the athletic program last week, Towson University  might not be able to avoid the financial reality that has affected many larger schools in recent years. Three days after taking home a check for $510,000 from its nationally televised football game at LSU on Saturday, Towson announced Tuesday that it is recommending cutting the school's baseball and men's soccer as part of the athletic program's reorganization. Third-year athletic director Mike Waddell said in an interview that he began meeting with the coaches and athletes of the teams involved around 8 a.m. Tuesday and continued to meet with staff members and athletes who had morning class later in the day. Waddell said the athletic department has been studying possible changes for about 18 months but kept coming to the same answer.

Here's another great example of Gov. Martin O'Malley's cost cutting: He has turned an issue he should never have gotten involved in - Towson University's athletic program - into a $2 million additional cost to Maryland taxpayers. In addition, nobody has explained why baseball received the dollars rather than men's soccer, not to mention troubled programs at other schools. Come on Sun, help us out on this. Lyle Rescott, Marriottsville Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

John Blake has reclaimed his job as head basketball coach at Mervo High School, Blake said yesterday.Blake apparently had lost his job to Woody Williams, the former Lake Clifton coach and current Mervo athletic director, in an agreement with Mervo principal Christolyne Buie and Williams. But Blake filed a grievance with the Baltimore Teachers Union, and was given back the job yesterday.Williams was an administrative assistant in the University of Maryland athletic department until resigning last year.

Sometime in the next two weeks Morgan State president Earl Richardson will receive an internal report on the state of Golden Bear athletics, but he began making changes of his own Friday, when he fired football coach Ed Wyche.Wyche's dismissal means that for the ninth time in the last 16 years, Morgan State will have a new head coach charged with turning around its football fortunes, which have slumped considerably since Earl Banks retired from sideline duties in 1973. No Morgan State coach since has lasted more than three seasons.

As a graduate of Towson University, I have been ashamed of my alma mater just three times in the past 47 years. The first time was during the 10-month tenure of a previous president who squandered both funds and public trust by running up huge bills on his lavish home. The second was when Towson's Minnegan Stadium was renamed to "raise funds" in 2002, dishonoring my beloved coach and lowering my respect for the university. The third occurred on March 8, when Towson President Maravene Loeschke announced the school was cutting baseball and men's soccer from its athletic program ("Ire grows after Towson president cuts teams," March 24)

If Towson University President Maravene Loeschke believes what she wrote in her commentary ("Painful cuts TU needs," March 17), then she is basing her decision on false information and without regard to the motives of the athletic department led by Mike Waddell. First, it has been clearly proven that Title IX compliance is not an issue and never was. Second, how are you improving the competitiveness of the entire athletic program by eliminating two of the most competitive teams which have been part of Towson athletics for 80 years.

Varsity boys basketball Gilman seeks to join MIAA A Conference Gilman has petitioned for its basketball team, which has been competing in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference, to make the jump to the A Conference. The school has applied to the conference's competition committee, which will consider the petition at a meeting set for March 18. After capturing the B Conference championship in the 2011-12 season, the Greyhounds went 16-15 and advanced to the title game this year.

UMES president Juliette B. Bell today announced her acceptance of a task force recommendation that the university not restart its football program, which has been dormant since 1980. Bell had commissioned a task force to evaluate a study conducted by an independent consultant that weighed the pros and cons of adding a football program at UMES. “The university is not currently in position, with either human or fiscal resources, to reinstate football at this time,” the task force report said.

Former Maryland coach Gary Williams said today that the school's proposed move to the Big Ten would be a tremendous boost for the Terps' athletic program. In a telephone interview with The Baltimore Sun today, Williams said the school's long history with ACC doesn't pay the bills. "You look around today with what's going on, and those schools [in the Big Ten] are certainly in keeping with what Maryland feels about academics. You look at a school like Notre Dame that signed its own TV contract and are now partially joining the ACC. They're looking out for their university.

Days after Towson University's athletic director recommended cutting two men's sports to make the remaining programs more competitive and comply with federal law requiring athletics opportunities for women, parents of the baseball team's players raised thousands of dollars to launch a public relations blitz. They paid $1,600 for a plane to fly over a Ravens game trailing a banner that read, "HELP SAVE TOWSON BASEBALL," and planted fans holding #saveTUbaseball signs behind home plate — where they could be seen by television viewers — during the Orioles-Yankees series.

Morgan State University has submitted to the NCAA an internal review of its athletic program, in which the school reportedly admits to scores of violations, primarily within its football and men's basketball programs.A source at Morgan State said the school sent the report to the NCAA earlier this week, and that the report lists more than 100 violations, the majority of them minor infractions.According to the source, some of the more serious alleged transgressions involve football coach Ricky Diggs and former men's basketball coach Michael Holmes, who each reportedly allowed ineligible players to participate in games.

As a graduate of Towson University, I have been ashamed of my alma mater just three times in the past 47 years. The first time was during the 10-month tenure of a previous president who squandered both funds and public trust by running up huge bills on his lavish home. The second was when Towson's Minnegan Stadium was renamed to "raise funds" in 2002, dishonoring my beloved coach and lowering my respect for the university. The third occurred on March 8, when Towson President Maravene Loeschke announced the school was cutting baseball and men's soccer from its athletic program ("Ire grows after Towson president cuts teams," March 24)

There were 22 players, seven on scholarship, on the Towson University baseball roster when Mike Gottlieb took over as the coach at his alma mater in 1988. The Tigers won the East Coast Conference championship that season. There will be 35 players on the roster, 15 on scholarship, when Towson plays its next -- and presumably last -- season of baseball next spring. In hearing the news Tuesday that a program that has been a big part of his life since he came to Baltimore in the mid-1970s from Long Island will likely be cut as part of the athletic department's proposed reorganization, Gottlieb's emotions swirl in a mix of sadness and anger.

Despite receiving its biggest single payday in the history of the athletic program last week, Towson University  might not be able to avoid the financial reality that has affected many larger schools in recent years. Three days after taking home a check for $510,000 from its nationally televised football game at LSU on Saturday, Towson announced Tuesday that it is recommending cutting the school's baseball and men's soccer as part of the athletic program's reorganization. Third-year athletic director Mike Waddell said in an interview that he began meeting with the coaches and athletes of the teams involved around 8 a.m. Tuesday and continued to meet with staff members and athletes who had morning class later in the day. Waddell said the athletic department has been studying possible changes for about 18 months but kept coming to the same answer.