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05-11-2005, 10:58 PM
'Necessary changes' forthcoming for Racer football
http://www.murrayledger.com/articles/2005/05/11/sports/sports01.txt
By SCOTT NANNEY
Sports Editor
Copyright © 2005Murray Ledger
Vowing to make "necessary changes" to the structure of the football program, Murray State athletics director Allen Ward officially reinstated Racer coach Joe Pannunzio during an afternoon press conference at the school on Tuesday. ...
Pannunzio was placed on paid administrative leave on April 29 - a day after one of his players, junior running back Ron Lane, and a former Racer, Terrence Biggers, were charged with trafficking marijuana within 1,000 yards of a school and possession of drug paraphernalia. The charges are enhanced with possession of firearms. ...
Hired in March to replace former athletics director E.W. Dennison, Ward was appointed to clean up an athletics department that has suffered a rash of off-the-field brushes with the law in the last year. Also, the department was lagging behind other Ohio Valley Conference athletics programs in academic progress. ...
The new [drug] policy, Ward said, would include counseling for a first offense, a one-year suspension for a second offense and permanent dismissal for a third offense. Those new standards are scheduled to be effective July 1. ...
Ward also reiterated his intentions to beef up the department's efforts to improve team grade-point averages - not only for the football program, but for all MSU programs. ...
Among the expected changes specific to the football program include an increased effort to recruit from within "a five-state area", which emphasizes surrounding states. ...
In past seasons, Pannunzio and his staff have relied heavily on transfer athletes to replenish the program. However, he expressed his willingness to change the Racers' recruiting policies. ...
Ward acknowledged the program may take a step back in the next couple of years as a result of the new recruiting guidelines ...
http://www.murrayledger.com/articles/2005/05/11/sports/sports01.txt
By SCOTT NANNEY
Sports Editor
Copyright © 2005Murray Ledger
Vowing to make "necessary changes" to the structure of the football program, Murray State athletics director Allen Ward officially reinstated Racer coach Joe Pannunzio during an afternoon press conference at the school on Tuesday. ...
Pannunzio was placed on paid administrative leave on April 29 - a day after one of his players, junior running back Ron Lane, and a former Racer, Terrence Biggers, were charged with trafficking marijuana within 1,000 yards of a school and possession of drug paraphernalia. The charges are enhanced with possession of firearms. ...
Hired in March to replace former athletics director E.W. Dennison, Ward was appointed to clean up an athletics department that has suffered a rash of off-the-field brushes with the law in the last year. Also, the department was lagging behind other Ohio Valley Conference athletics programs in academic progress. ...
The new [drug] policy, Ward said, would include counseling for a first offense, a one-year suspension for a second offense and permanent dismissal for a third offense. Those new standards are scheduled to be effective July 1. ...
Ward also reiterated his intentions to beef up the department's efforts to improve team grade-point averages - not only for the football program, but for all MSU programs. ...
Among the expected changes specific to the football program include an increased effort to recruit from within "a five-state area", which emphasizes surrounding states. ...
In past seasons, Pannunzio and his staff have relied heavily on transfer athletes to replenish the program. However, he expressed his willingness to change the Racers' recruiting policies. ...
Ward acknowledged the program may take a step back in the next couple of years as a result of the new recruiting guidelines ...