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He was ACC Defensive player of the year last year. From AP-
Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich, the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year, revealed Thursday that he is battling cancer.
Herzlich, a senior, was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a cancer most often found in bone or soft tissue.
“Obviously, I was shocked. I had been extremely focused on preparing for my senior season at Boston College and for life beyond that. Now, I must channel all that energy into facing my toughest opponent yet, and that is exactly what I will do,” Herzlich said in a statement released by the school.
Herzlich has returned to his native Pennsylvania to be near his family and undergo tests to determine a course of treatment.
Herzlich was a finalist for the Butkus Award, given to the nation’s top linebacker, last season. He led the Eagles with 110 tackles, six interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
I’m a cancer survivor myself. As one I wish Herzlich the best and hope he beats the dragon.
Paul Johnson, who turned Georgia Southern and then Navy into respectable football teams, has been hired to restore Georgia Tech to prominence.
 Navy coach Paul Johnson, who turned one of the country’s worst teams into an annual bowl participant, has agreed to become Georgia Tech’s next football coach, Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk confirmed Friday morning. Johnson, who had a 45-39 record in six seasons at Navy, replaces Chan Gailey, who was fired as Georgia Tech’s coach Nov. 26.
After turning Navy into a regular bowl contender, Paul Johnson is leaving for ACC country.
“Paul is fixated on what Paul wants to do and that’s the next step and new challenges at Georgia Tech,” Gladchuck said. “We appreciate what Paul has done and we’ll always remember him as one of the great coaches in Navy history. But we’re very respectful of his wishes for new challenges at Georgia Tech.”
Johnson informed the team at an 11:45 a.m. meeting at the Navy’s Ricketts Hall, where the football offices are located, said Scott Strasemeier, Navy’s associate athletic director for sports information.
Georgia Tech has scheduled a 5:30 p.m. ET news conference to announce the hiring of Johnson.
Johnson, who is perhaps best known for his potent triple-option spread offense, led the Midshipmen to unprecedented success during his tenure at the academy. Under his watch, Navy was 11-1 against Army and Air Force and won the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy five consecutive seasons. Navy went 8-4 this season and beat Notre Dame 46-44 in triple overtime, ending an NCAA-record 43-game losing streak to the Fighting Irish.
Navy plays Utah in the Dec. 20 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. Gladchuk said Johnson will not coach in the bowl game.
Johnson previously worked at Division I-AA Georgia Southern, where he led the Eagles to a 62-10 record and two consecutive I-AA national championships.
Johnson was also considered a candidate for vacancies at Duke and SMU but informed both of those schools Friday morning that he wasn’t taking either job.
Georgia Tech also considered former Washington coach Rick Neuheisel, former Auburn coach Terry Bowden, Georgia Southern coach Chris Hatcher and Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong. Connecticut coach Randy Edsall also interviewed for the job but quickly removed himself from consideration.
A great hire by Tech. I’m surprised Johnson lasted as long as he did at Navy, honestly. Indeed, he was reportedly on Alabama’s short list last year before they ultimately lured Nick Saban away from the Miami Dolphins.
Photo credit: James Lang/US Presswire
Another Division I coach is looking for new employment.
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech fired coach Chan Gailey on Monday, two days after a sixth straight loss to rival Georgia ended a disappointing season.
Athletic director Dan Radakovich called an afternoon news conference to discuss the football program. A person familiar with the situation, speaking on condition of anonymity because an official announcement had not been made, said Radakovich would announce Gailey has been dismissed after six seasons as the Yellow Jackets coach.
The move was widely expected after Georgia Tech (7-5) came up far short of another run at the Atlantic Coast Conference championship one year after winning its division. Also, Gailey never beat the school’s biggest rival, losing 31-17 to the Bulldogs on Saturday.
Gailey was both head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphin Offensive Coordinator before taking his gig at Georgia Tech. Make a bet he is back coaching in the NFL in 2008.
Wake Forest’s Jim Grobe easily outpaced Rutgers’ Greg Schiano for AP coach of the year honors.
In his sixth season at Wake Forest, Grobe took the Demon Deacons (11-2) from worst to first in the Atlantic Coast Conference without their starting quarterback and top tailback. Wake Forest set a school record for victories and won the ACC for the first time in 36 years.
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The 54-year-old Grobe beat out a strong group of contenders for coach of the year, receiving 39 of 65 votes from the AP Top 25 voters.
Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, who took the once-laughable Scarlet Knights within a victory of the Bowl Championship Series, finished second with 12 votes.
I should note that both are high on the list of candidates in the prolonged search to replace Mike Shula at Alabama. Either of them would be an outstanding choice, as would Navy’s Paul Johnson. Instead, the Capstone Brain Trust is holding out hope of luring Miami Dolphins coach Nick Saban away from the NFL into the most thankless job in college sports.
NC State has chosen BC’s Tom O’Brien, a Naval Academy graduate, over Paul Johnson, Navy’s current coach.
Boston College coach Tom O’Brien has been hired as North Carolina State’s new football coach, multiple sources close to the situation said Wednesday night.
The Wolfpack chose O’Brien over Navy coach Paul Johnson, who was contacted about the job earlier this week. O’Brien, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, led the Eagles to a 9-3 record this season. He had a 75-45 record in 10 seasons with the Eagles. Boston College plays Navy in the Dec. 30 Meineke Car Care Bowl.
Interesting. Johnson’s name has been tossed about in the Alabama search, although he has apparently not been interviewed and West Virginia’s Rich Rodriguez is reportedly all but locked up that job. It would be quite odd if he were in the running for jobs of that caliber but wound up not getting any offers.
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