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PAGE 8 October 2024
Highly accomplished and nationally respected college athletics administrator Allen Greene has been appointed Director of Athletics at the University of Pittsburgh. He will begin his role at Pitt on Nov. 1, dividing his time between Pittsburgh and Knoxville as he fulfills any outstanding responsibilities at the University of Tennessee. “Pitt Athletics is the front porch of the University of Pittsburgh, serving as a crucial access point for so many across our campus, our region, our nation and the world,” said Chancellor Joan Gabel. “In Allen Greene, we have a proven national leader who exemplifies the Pitt way, and who has all of the experience and intangibles to elevate our athletics program in competition and in the classroom. In my conversations with Allen and with many others who know him well, it is clear that he will lead us successfully into the new world of intercollegiate athletics.” Greene has been a lead figure in the management of name, image and likeness (NIL) programs at three separate Southeastern Conference (SEC) institutions, including most recently at the University of Tennessee, where he has served as senior deputy athletics director since December 2023. He has played an integral role in the athletics department’s over 30% increase in annual revenue. Prior to his tenure with the Volunteers, he served a year at the University of Mississippi as senior deputy athletics director for external relations and business development. “Congratulations to the University of Pittsburgh and Chancellor Gabel on a home run hire! Allen is one of the most innovative, genuine and competitive leaders we have in college athletics. We are sad to lose Allen and his family on Rocky Top, but look forward to seeing their transformative impact at Pitt, commented Danny White, Director of Athletics at the University of Tennessee. From 2018 and 2022, Greene served as director of athletics at Auburn University, where his record of success included eight SEC championships and 47 programs achieving Top 25 finishes in national rankings. In 2021-22 alone, six Auburn athletic programs finished in the nation’s Top 10. During his tenure, the Auburn men’s basketball team earned the first No. 1 national ranking in program history and advanced to its first Final Four; the baseball team returned to the College World Series for the first time in 22 years; the equestrian team won two national championships; and student-athlete grade-point averages rose to a combined 3.25. Auburn Athletics also welcomed its four largest individual donations ever, and the Woltosz Football Performance Center—a $92 million football facility that stands as the largest athletics project in Auburn history—was constructed. “Congrats to my friend Allen on this next chapter of what has already been a successful career. I went to work every day at Auburn trying to reward my boss, Allen, for the confidence he showed and the support he provided. He’s a loyal and engaged leader with an unwavering commitment to excellence. I couldn’t be happier for the Pitt community because they landed a five-star human being," added Auburn head men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl. Prior to Auburn, Greene served the University at Buffalo as director of athletics from 2015 to 2018. His tenure was distinguished by historic success athletically and academically. In the competitive arena, four Buffalo teams advanced to their respective NCAA championships in a two-year span. The men’s and women’s basketball teams both won Mid-American Conference (MAC) championships in 2016—the first time that dual feat was achieved in the MAC since 2002—and earned automatic NCAA Tournament berths. The 2017-18 men’s basketball team went 27-9 and won its first-ever NCAA Tournament game by upsetting Pac-12 champion Arizona, 89-68. Under Greene’s watch, Buffalo student-athletes earned grade-point averages of 3.0 or better for 11 consecutive semesters, with the football team earning its highest team GPA in program history. Greene was instrumental in significantly enhancing donor and corporate support for Buffalo Athletics. He also negotiated the department’s first multimedia rights agreement. Greene was a three-year starter for the Irish baseball team at the University of Notre Dame, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in finance in 2000. He was a ninth- round selection in the 1998 Major League Baseball draft by the New York Yankees and played three years in the organization’s minor league system. He later earned a Master of Business Administration at Indiana University’s South Bend campus. He is highly regarded by his peers, having served on the executive committee of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and LEAD1 as 1st vice-chair. He and his wife, Christy, have three children: daughters Rian and Seneca and son Samuel. “I am tremendously grateful and honored to receive the opportunity from Chancellor Gabel to join the University of Pittsburgh, an institution and athletic tradition I’ve long admired,” said Greene. “It was apparent from my very first conversation with Chancellor Gabel that Pitt has the highest of aspirations in every endeavor it undertakes. That’s tremendously energizing to me and a challenge I fully embrace. I am inspired by the storied history of Pitt Athletics and am fully dedicated to helping our Panthers reach even greater heights in the future. I am looking forward to meeting and working on behalf of Pitt’s student- athletes, coaches, staff and campus leaders. The Greene family is incredibly thankful and excited to proudly wear Pitt’s blue and gold," said Greene. “We look forward to welcoming Allen Greene to the ACC and having him join our outstanding group of athletic directors. As a former student-athlete at one of our league institutions, Allen will be a tremendous advocate for Pitt and the ACC. To be certain, I applaud Chancellor Joan Gabel’s leadership, and Allen’s experience and skill set will be a tremendous addition to our conference. Collectively, they will continue the strong momentum surrounding the University of Pittsburgh," said Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner Jim Phillips. Pittsburgh Names Allen Greene Director of Athletics
Photo Courtesy of Alabama Athletics
Alabama Men Defeat Wake Forest Crimson Tide earns 98-77 preseason victory Alabama newcomer Aden Holloway (#2) scored 20 points in the Crimson Tides Preseason 98-77 victory over Wake Forest on October 18, 2024.
By Brandon K. Pierce The Sports Ledger
Overall, the Crimson Tide recorded 24 assists off 30 made field goals. The team also had 14 offensive rebounds, which led to 19 second chance points. Alabama’s trio of returners from last year’s squad all reached double figures in the game. Mark Sears scored 19 points, Mouhamed Dioubate and Jarin Stevenson added 10 points each. Labaron Philon reached double digits with 13 points for Alabama. Houston Mallette scored nine points, while teammates Clifford Omoruyi and Derrion Reid chipped in seven points each. Nass Cunningham had three points. Wake Forest had four players reach double-figures. Hunter Sallis led the Demon Deacons 16 points. Omaha Biliew had 15 points, Davin Cosby Jr., scored 12 points, and Ty-Laur Johnson contributed 10 points. Alabama will play in its second and final preseason game on Monday, October 28 against Memphis. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Huntsville at the Von Braun Center Propst Arena and can be seen on ESPN+. Alabama is scheduled to open the regular season on November 4 against UNC Ashville in Tuscaloosa.
The University of Alabama men's basketball program opened the 2024-25 season with a 98-77 preseason victory over Wake Forest on October 18, 2024 at the Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham. “It was good to get this group out together for the first time,” said Crimson Tide Head Coach Nate Oats. “We didn’t have four of our guys, but I thought we had enough of them to kind of see how we want to play. I thought the defensive intensity was better than what we had seen at points last year. I thought it had some lapses. But I thought the play Sears made – he kind of stood the guy up, got a steal and then they fouled him getting out. I thought the play Derrion Reid made with the block, the save and then we get the block on the other end. Those effort plays are what we’re trying to be about.” Alabama had six players score double-figures in the win. The Crimson Tide was led by newcomer Aden Holloway, who led all scorers with a game-high 20 points. He also made five three-pointers in the game.
NFCA 2024 Humanitarian Award
LSU Softball head coach Beth Torina is the recipient of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s 2024 Humanitarian Award for her tireless work to raise awareness and funds for ovarian cancer research. The Humanitarian Award recognizes an NFCA member coach who has selflessly dedicated their time toward the long-term betterment of the community and engages in charitable activities to serve others. Torina will be honored in front of her peers on Dec. 7 during the NFCA Awards Brunch at the 2024 NFCA Convention in Dallas, Texas. “Beth has rallied thousands of people over many years not to bring attention to herself or her program, but to use the sport of softball to defeat ovarian cancer,” said NFCA Executive Director Carol Bruggeman. “In doing so, her efforts have brought together not only people within the LSU community and the SEC, but also within the softball community nationwide. Her service to this cause has been an inspiration to all.” LSU has hosted an annual Strikeout Ovarian Cancer Teal Game since 2013, preceded by the Geaux Teal Ovarian Cancer Awareness walk. Torina, the founder of Geaux Teal, was accompanied by 216 walkers and raised $16,000 in the
inaugural walk in 2013. In 2019, the event set records with 1,080 participants and raised $87,198. In 2021, the awareness expanded to the entire Southeastern Conference softball community with the All for Alex campaign to honor the legacy of Mississippi State’s Alex Wilcox, a joint effort of Torina and Mississippi State head coach Samantha Ricketts. During the 2018 collegiate softball season, Wilcox inspired the nation with her courageous fight against ovarian cancer. Due to their collective efforts in supporting Wilcox in various forms throughout the 2018 season, the SEC honored the SEC softball teams with the 2018 Female Sportsmanship Award. Wilcox fought hard to the end, passing away in the summer of 2018. Torina has dedicated her time and talents to many initiatives surrounding this disease after the battle her mother, Betty Dieter, fought and survived. Witnessing this helped Torina appreciate time with family and made her more aware of how she treats her body. Today, Torina continues to incorporate these lessons into her everyday life and educate young women in her program.
SARDIS HOMECOMING QUEEN BAILY EDWARDS AND HER COURT Photo By Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
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