Latest news with #UCF
New York Times
an hour ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Nebraska's Matt Rhule defends Scott Frost over comment that coaching Huskers was ‘wrong job'
LAS VEGAS — Nebraska coach Matt Rhule on Tuesday stood up for his predecessor Scott Frost, who faced criticism in the wake of his assessment earlier this month that the Huskers job was wrong for him. Speaking at Big Ten media days, Rhule said Nebraska displayed a large photo of Frost, taken during his time as a quarterback at the school, this offseason in the coaches' area at the football facility. Advertisement 'I have a ton of respect for Scott,' Rhule said. 'And I've always been very empathetic for what he went through, because this was his home. If you guys fire me tomorrow, I'm just going to go back to Cape May and sit on the beach — go back to where I'm from. But this was his home.' Frost, in the first year of his second stint as head coach at UCF, was fired by Nebraska in September 2022, finishing 16-31 in four-plus seasons. On July 8 at Big 12 media days, Frost said that he learned from his experience with the Huskers not to 'take the wrong job.' In hindsight, Frost said, 'it wasn't a good move.' Rhule said he understood. And he agreed with Frost. 'I know what it felt like to get run out of Carolina,' said Rhule, who was fired after two-plus seasons with the Panthers in the NFL. 'And I would say to people, 'I don't think I took the right job for me. It wasn't the right fit.' That doesn't mean it's a bad job.' Rhule said that when he accepted Nebraska's offer in November 2022 from Trev Alberts, the athletic director who fired Frost, 'this was not a good job.' 'We were behind on NIL,' he said. 'The facilities, everything was behind.' Alberts convinced Rhule they could transform the conditions in Lincoln. Rhule said he recognized a strong foundation. Financial resources as a result of commitments from Lincoln's Peed family — which founded the school's collective, 1890 Nebraska — have improved dramatically, Rhule said. Nebraska has invested in nutrition and sports science over the past three years. It opened the $165 million Osborne Legacy Complex last year and replaced the grass and artificial turf surfaces that were outdated when Rhule took over. The Huskers won their first bowl game since 2016 at the end of last season. 'We've made it a good job,' Rhule said. 'And we're about to make it a great job. This will be one of the best jobs in the country.' Advertisement After his news conference at Big Ten media days and a 45-minute side session with reporters, Rhule told The Athletic that he made a deliberate choice to embrace Frost, rather than to remain mired negativity. 'I just think the only way Nebraska can become a championship-caliber team again, in this world, is to live in positive, not toxic things,' Rhule said. 'I need an investment from everyone. The only chance we have is to be united.' He said he wants Frost to know that he's appreciated in Lincoln. 'The things he did at this school, I want him to always feel like he could come back and has a home here,' Rhule said. Even if Lincoln wasn't the right spot for Frost as a coach. 'That being said,' Rhule said, 'it's the right job for me.'
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Notre Dame will be one of four teams to compete in the 2026 Jax Baseball Classic
Notre Dame will be one of four teams participating in the 2026 Jax Baseball Classic, which will be an early test for them next spring. The Fighting Irish will compete with 2025 national champion LSU, UCF and Indiana in one of the premier early-season tournaments. The event will be held February 20-22 at VyStar Ballpark in Jacksonville, home of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. Each team will play the other three opponents once across the weekend slate in a round-robin style tournament. Past Jax Baseball Classic champions include Alabama in 2025 and Virginia in 2024. The weekend will reunite UCF head coach Rich Wallace with the Irish. He spent three seasons with the team from 2020-22. Notre Dame finished the 2025 season with a 32-21 record, including a 14-16 mark in ACC play, and missed the postseason. The Irish picked up an intriguing grad transfer over the weekend in Andrew Graham, a Division II All-American who hit .446 with 14 home runs and 78 RBI in 2025. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions. Follow Dave on X: Miller_Dave
The Wire
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Wire
Rights Group Writes to Vatican Over Rise in Violence Against Christians in India
New Delhi: Civil society group United Christian Forum has submitted a memorandum highlighting targeted attacks against the Christian community in India to the Vatican, the Hindu reported. The letter was given to Vatican foreign minister Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, who is on a week-long visit to India to meet with church officials in the country. The letter urged the Vatican minister to bring up rising crimes against the minority community during his talks with Indian officials. Gallagher held a meeting with Union external affairs minister S. Jaishankar last week. The Indian minister took to social media after the meeting on Thursday and said that he was pleased to meet the archbishop, adding that they had 'good conversation about the importance of faith, and the need for dialogue and diplomacy to address conflicts'. In January, UCF had released a report which stated that 2024 witnessed 834 hate crimes against Christians, up from 734 such incidents in 2023. In the Modi decade, such crimes had increased from 127 in 2014, the report further said. 'The alarming frequency of attacks translates to more than two Christians being targeted every day in India simply for practising their faith,' UCF had said. In their submission to Gallagher, UCF said that the 'primary reason for these attacks has been false allegations of fraudulent conversions'. According to the report, the highest number of incidents in 2024 were reported from Uttar Pradesh (209), followed by Chhattisgarh (165). In many of these cases, rights activists have pointed out, no First Information Report is filed – sometimes despite there being a police complaint on the matter. In other situations, victims are afraid to approach the police because they believe that the police will try to turn the matter around, and side with the perpetrators while filing false charges against the victims.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
University of Central Florida launches new online space-focused MBA program
The University of Central Florida is now accepting applications for its new Space MBA program. The new 24-month program is set to begin in the spring of 2026. UCF's Space MBA will be an online graduate program designed to support the commercial space industry and the global space economy. Students enrolled in the Space MBA program will take core MBA courses alongside space-related electives, providing a comprehensive education tailored to the needs of the space sector. The University of Central Florida will accept applications for this program until Dec. 1, giving prospective students ample time to apply for this unique educational opportunity. UCF was originally founded in 1963 as Florida Technological University to support NASA and the 'space race' during the Apollo era. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Solve the daily Crossword
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Sharp rise in attacks on Christians in northern India casts a shadow on BJP's outreach in Kerala
Even as the State leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intensifies its outreach to the Christian community ahead of the upcoming local body and Assembly elections, a sharp rise in attacks on Christians in northern India is casting a shadow on the initiative. According to data compiled by the United Christian Forum (UCF), a Christian movement, the number of reported incidents targeting Christians has surged dramatically over the past decade — from 127 cases in 2014 to 834 in 2024 — raising concerns about the safety and inclusivity of the political landscape. Demanding immediate intervention, the UCF has approached the Vatican, seeking its support over the growing number of such attacks in India. 'A memorandum about the targeted violence and hostility towards the Christian community in India was handed over to Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Foreign Minister of the Vatican, who is on a visit to India, by Anil J.T. Couto, Archbishop of Delhi and Secretary General of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, on behalf of the UCF,' said A.C. Michael, national coordinator of the UCF. 'In 2024, the UCF recorded 834 incidents of violence and hostility towards Christians or individuals, compared to the 734 cases reported in 2023. The primary reason for these attacks has been false allegations of fraudulent conversions. Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are the top two States where such allegations have led to either attacks on people at prayer or their illegal arrest by the police,' stated the memorandum. 'A large number of Catholic priests and nuns faced arrests, attacks, and legal actions in northern India. It is an alarming situation for missionaries.' 'It's a reality that in India religious persecution of minorities, particularly of Christians, has rose significantly in the past decade. This is evidenced by data both of government institutions as well as private organisations. While physical and mental torture is abominable, what is more alarming is the denial of religious rights of Christians. That's a constitutional violation, ' said Fr. Jose Vallikkatt, a Catholic priest based in Bathinda. 'These attacks are not just random acts of violence; they are carefully orchestrated and perpetrated with impunity. The perpetrators, frequently affiliated with extremist nationalist groups, seek to intimidate and marginalise the community, undermining their right to freedom of religion and belief,' said Fr. Suresh Mathew, former editor of Indian Currents Weekly and a Catholic priest based in Punjab. 'Despite repeated assurances of protection and justice, authorities have failed to take decisive action against the perpetrators, allowing a culture of impunity to thrive,' he said.
