Latest news with #A&T
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
A&T offering free cycling sessions to girls
Astley and Tyldesley Cycling Club is delivering a programme of cycling sessions exclusively for girls this summer. A&T is working in collaboration with British Cycling to deliver the Girls Summer Cycling Campaign. The club's qualified coaches are running free sessions for six weeks, every Tuesday from 4.30-5.30 pm, until September 2, at the cycle speedway track at the Astley & Tyldesley Miners' Welfare Club, at Gin Pit Village. Bikes and helmets are available for riders to use, free of charge. The club already boasts a cycle speedway superstar in 21-year-old Emily Burgess, the current European Women's silver medalist, three times British Women's champion and GB and England Women's international. Local Astley girl Burgess started racing for A&T in 2012 and has risen through the ranks at the club from a complete beginner to such levels of success. The opportunities are there for girls to enjoy riding bikes in a safe, fully enclosed, off-road facility, with a mix of fun activities, improving their bike handling skills and the chance to have a go at cycle racing on the track, as well as making new friends and improving their health and fitness - all free. For more details, visit the club website at
Miami Herald
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
HBCU HC Ready to Defy Preseason Polls and Restore Glory
Shawn Gibbs isn't backing down. The first-year head coach of North Carolina A&T football may be inheriting a program picked dead last in the 2025 Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) preseason poll, but don't expect any excuses from the man now at the helm of one of HBCU football's proudest traditions. "This is home," Gibbs said after being introduced as head coach in December. "We're not afraid to say it: we want to be the best. And we believe the CAA gives us a chance to show the world what HBCU football is really about." That quiet confidence isn't just coach-speak-it's rooted in the legacy he helped build. From 2015 to 2019, A&T dominated the HBCU football landscape. Under head coach Rod Broadway and later Sam Washington, the Aggies won four MEAC championships and took home four Celebration Bowl trophies in five years. Their ground game, powered by stars like Tarik Cohen, was elite-and Gibbs, as the team's running backs coach, helped engineer it. However, after leaving the MEAC for the Big South in 2021 and then the CAA in 2023, A&T's golden era faded. In a controversial move, the university parted ways with Washington. Choosing to go in a 'different direction' from the Rod Broadway coaching tree by hiring former NFL linebacker Vincent Brown. In two years under Brown, the Aggies won just two games and failed to notch a single CAA conference win-a far cry from their dominance just a few years prior. With Gibbs returning to Greensboro, the program is doubling back to the foundation that brought national success. Shawn Gibbs knows the CAA isn't the MEAC. But he also doesn't buy into the doom-and-gloom. "We get to play great teams week in and week out," he said at media day. "And we get to show ourselves in a region of the country that probably doesn't know much about HBCU football. So let's go do that." While the CAA was once considered an FCS juggernaut, recent exits by James Madison, Delaware, Richmond, William & Mary, and Villanova (in 2026) have thinned its ranks. Some now question whether A&T's move from the MEAC-where they were a dynasty-to a CAA that's losing prestige was worth it. That debate flared again after HBCU Gameday reported on the 2025 CAA preseason poll, where A&T landed at last at No. 14. The Facebook comments? Brutal, with some blaming HBCU Gameday articles for stoking a flame of discourse that they want extinguished. While many fans are still asking: Should A&T come home to the MEAC? Others want to move forward and make peace with their place in the CAA. But for now, Gibbs is focused on building-not debating. Shawn Gibbs made it clear that his mission isn't just to win games. It's to restore Aggie Pride as a way of life. "Aggie Pride is what's going to help these guys graduate, be great fathers and husbands, and leaders in the community," he said. "That is my purpose. My job is to win football games." Despite being underfunded compared to their CAA peers, Gibbs isn't fazed. "We've always had to find a way to be great with less," he said. "We're going to do the most with what we have-and we're going to get players who believe in what we're building." North Carolina A&T opens its season on August 30 at Tennessee State, another HBCU with a proud tradition, that plays football in a non-HBCU conference. It's a fitting place for this new era to begin. A&T might be at the bottom of the preseason poll-but with Gibbs back on Benbow road, you shouldn't bet on them staying there for long. The post HBCU HC Ready to Defy Preseason Polls and Restore Glory appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Miami Herald
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
HBCU Great Hired to Restore Historic HS Football Program
T.W. Andrews High School in High Point, NC, is turning to a local HBCU legend from nearby Greensboro to bring back its football glory. The Red Raiders were once dominant in North Carolina high school football and are tapping into a pipeline of Aggie excellence in their push to reclaim elite status. The school announced hiring former North Carolina A&T standout Doug Brown as its new athletics director. Brown, a product of nearby Ragsdale High and a former All-MEAC receiver for the Aggies, will return to his hometown with championship DNA and a mission to restore a proud program. "I am honored to join Andrews High School in this role," Brown said. "As a native of this community and a product of Guilford County Schools. I'm passionate about creating opportunities for young people to grow, compete, and succeed." Brown's hire is more than symbolic-it's strategic. He brings big-game experience from both the high school and HBCU levels. Brown lit up scoreboards at Ragsdale before setting records at A&T. His Aggie resume includes 99 receptions, 1,684 yards, 10 touchdowns, and a MEAC championship under Hall of Fame coach Bill Hayes. His 202-yard performance against South Carolina State remains the single-game receiving record in Aggie history. In addition to his athletic legacy, Brown has stayed close to the program through the media. He's been a longtime contributor to Blue Death Valley, a leading North Carolina A&T fan site, where he served as co-host of the talk show "Inside the Valley." His media work gave him a platform to engage with alumni and offer insight into the program's trajectory, skills that now translate into leadership off the field. Doug Brown isn't coming alone, either. Joining him on staff as an offensive analyst is another Andrews and A&T legend: Marquell Cartwright. A 2-AA state champion and Mr. 2AA Football at Andrews, Cartwright was a walking highlight reel in high school. Rushing for 2,650 yards and 38 touchdowns in his senior year alone. He carried that momentum into college, where he stepped into Tarik Cohen's shoes and carved out his own HBCU legacy. Over his final two seasons at A&T, he tallied 2,149 rushing yards, 21 touchdowns, and an MVP performance in the 2017 Celebration Bowl. "I've always wanted to go back and help out however I can," Cartwright said of returning to Andrews. "It ain't no better place to get my first experience at than the place where it all started for me." The moves signal a culture shift at Andrews. Once a football factory that claimed four state championships and produced 11 NFL players, including Hall of Famer Ted Brown, the program has struggled with consistency in recent years. After a dominant stretch in the early 2010s, highlighted by title runs in 2013 and 2015, Andrews has faded from statewide prominence. But the ingredients for a comeback are all here. Andrews plays its home games at the 10,000-seat A.J. Simeon Stadium, the largest in High Point. Its history is decorated with legendary coaches and players, and its recent appointment of Mook Reynolds as head football coach solidifies the school's intent to rebuild the right way. Reynolds, a former 4-star recruit and two-time state champion at Northern Guilford. The Guilford County native starred at Virginia Tech under Frank Beamer and Bud Foster. Showcasing versatility and toughness at whip linebacker and defensive back. After an impressive college career, Reynolds turned to coaching, most recently serving as the defensive coordinator at Southeast Alamance. His unit allowed just 3.4 points per game last season. 'I am thrilled to join the T.W. Andrews community and bring my passion for football, leadership, and mentorship to the students and athletes here,' said Coach Reynolds. 'I look forward to building a strong and successful program that will not only develop talented football players but also foster character and discipline that will serve them on and off the field.' Like its HBCU counterparts at North Carolina A&T-which recently brought back running backs coach-turned-head coach Shawn Gibbs to lead its own resurgence-Andrews is leaning into its identity. The message is clear: championship culture starts with people who know what winning looks like. "We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Doug Brown to the Andrews family," said principal Darell Baker. "His experience as a high-performing student-athlete and his commitment to excellence both on and off the field make him the ideal leader." The pieces are falling into place with Reynolds leading the way, Cartwright bringing championship experience to the offense, and Doug Brown overseeing the vision. The Red Raiders are no longer just hoping to return to the top-they plan on it. And with HBCU football roots running deep through the halls of T.W. Andrews High School, this return to prominence might be the beginning of a new era in High Point. The post HBCU Great Hired to Restore Historic HS Football Program appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
North Carolina A&T makes historic coaching hire
The post North Carolina A&T makes historic coaching hire appeared first on ClutchPoints. North Carolina A&T has made a historic hire that looks to further grow the trajectory of their golf program. The institution announced Tuesday the hiring of Mesha Levister as the new director of both the men's and women's golf programs. With the hire, Levister becomes the first female head coach of a men's varsity sport at A&T and the first woman to lead the women's golf program. Advertisement 'I am excited to, first off, be coming back to my great home state,' Levister said in a statement. 'That's always the first thing in mind, to be close to family and close to friends and in a great place – the Triad area. The Triad area is a great place for golf, too, so in all honesty, I'm honored and incredibly excited to join North Carolina A&T.' North Carolina A&T Director of Athletics Earl M. Hilton III also commented on her hire, saying, 'Mesha Levister has established herself as a pioneer throughout her life and certainly in the world of golf. We look forward to having her join our team in Aggie Athletics. She knows golf, the area, and is passionate about academic and athletic accomplishments.' Levister's resume boasts a remarkable legacy in the golfing world. From starting her career at North Carolina Central as the lone female on the men's golf team and later serving as a coach, to earning the 2004 Virginia Women's Amateur title as the first African American to achieve the feat, Levister has consistently broken boundaries. After turning professional in 2006, she spent three seasons on the LPGA Futures Tour (now the Epson Tour), competing globally and securing multiple top-10 finishes. She transitioned to coaching with notable success. During a three-year stint at Prairie View A&M University (2022-2025), Levister earned SWAC Women's Golf Coach of the Year honors in 2023 and led her teams to significant academic and athletic achievements. Her tenure there saw nine players receive All-SWAC honors while maintaining a high standard in academics, with the men's team consistently achieving a GPA of 3.1 or higher. Related: Six HBCUs partner to create first virtual university Related: David Banner and other notable alumni of Southern University
Miami Herald
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
NCAT hires first ever female coach to lead men's program
North Carolina A&T State University, a proud HBCU, has named Mesha Levister as the new director of men's and women's golf. Director of Athletics Earl M. Hilton III announced the hire on Thursday. Levister is the third director in program history and the first woman to lead A&T's golf programs. She also becomes the first female head coach of a men's varsity sport at A&T. "I'm excited to return to my home state of North Carolina," Levister said. "Being close to family, friends, and coaching in the Triad-a great golf community-is an incredible opportunity. I'm honored to join North Carolina A&T and look forward to leading these teams with purpose, passion, and integrity." Levister played golf at North Carolina Central University, another respected HBCU. She helped launch the women's golf program there in 2020. She later thrived at Prairie View A&M University. In 2023, she led the Panthers to a second-place finish at the SWAC Championship and earned SWAC Women's Golf Coach of the Year. She coached nine All-SWAC players and maintained a 3.1 GPA or higher for the men's team. This past season Prairie View A&M concluded the tournament with a team score of +144, placing them just behind leaders Alabama State, Southern, and Bethune-Cookman. This spring, Prairie View also finished fourth in the prestigious PGA Works Collegiate Championships. "Coach Levister is a trailblazer in the golf community," Hilton said. "We are thrilled to welcome her to Aggie Athletics." Levister's golf journey began early. In 2004, she became the first African American to win the Virginia Women's Amateur. That same year, she was named VSGA Golfer of the Year. She later joined the LPGA Futures Tour and competed worldwide before moving into coaching. "My coaching philosophy is built on service and accountability," Levister said. "I am committed to developing student-athletes on and off the course." The post NCAT hires first ever female coach to lead men's program appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
