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 Caleb Campbell, a safety out of West Point, has been drafted in the 7th round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions.
At 218, he’s going to be one of the last players chosen this year but, because of the circumstances surrounding the pick, ESPN has been featuring him heavily in its coverage today. The Army has changed its rules to allow its graduates to go directly to the NFL and, if they can make the team, to fulfill their obligation via recruiting duty and service in the Army Reserve. I discussed this rule change almost exactly two years ago at OTB. Since its inception, this is the first time that it has been invoked.
Only a handful of elite athletes have gone on the play major sports. Navy’s Roger Staubach (Dallas Cowboys) and David Robinson (San Antonio Spurs) are the most prominent examples. Air Force’s Chad Henning (Dallas Cowboys) and Navy’s Napolean McCallum (Los Angeles Raiders) are other. All of them except McCallum, who was granted waivers because he was too tall after a growth spurt as a sophomore, were required to serve five years of active duty before joining their teams. Obviously, this both impedes the ability of the academies to recruit blue chip athletes and hinders the pro sports potential of graduates.
The ESPN coverge on Campbell focused on the fact that his classmates will graduate and serve in Iraq and Afghanistan, risking death, while he’s just going to have to risk concussions. But the amount of positive coverage his story is generating shows why the military thought this rule change worth making.
His gaining coach at Detroit, Rod Marinelli, is a Vietnam vet. His first coach at Army, Bobby Ross, is also a veteran — and, oddly enough, a former head coach of the Detroit Lions.
He won his 900th game as a head coach last month. From AP-
LUBBOCK, Texas - Bob Knight resigned Monday at Texas Tech, a stunning midseason move by the winningest men’s coach in major college basketball.
Known as much for his fiery temper as his basketball brilliance, Knight gave no hint a change was coming. He will be replaced by his son, Pat, a Red Raiders assistant.
Chris Cook, a spokesman for athletic director Gerald Myers, confirmed the resignation, which was first reported by the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
Related links
Bob Knight’s milestone wins
In September, Knight signed a three-year contract extension that runs through the 2011-12 season. In 2005, Pat Knight was appointed his father’s successor.
“Coach Knight has had a great career. His coaching record speaks for itself. His love for basketball is clear, but most importantly his love for teaching and the students has been a hallmark of his tenure here at Texas Tech,” said Sally Logue Post, a spokeswoman for Texas Tech.
Bob Knight has 902 career wins, more than any coach in the history of Division I men’s basketball. Win No. 900 came last month against Texas A&M. The Red Raiders are 12-8 this season.
Knight arrived at Texas Tech in March 2001, six months after being fired by Indiana for what school officials there called a “pattern of unacceptable behavior.”
I expect Knight is done with coaching. He certainly was a successful if controversial coach. Good luck in retirement Bobby.
Bobby Ross is resigning as head coach of Army Football.
Army coach Bobby Ross will announce his resignation at a 3 p.m. news conference Monday.
Ross’ impending resignation was first reported by The Times Herald-Record. The newspaper reported that offensive line coach Stan Brock is expected to replace Ross as head coach.
Army finished the 2006 season with six straight losses, including a 26-14 loss to Navy in the Black Knights’ season finale. In three seasons with Army, Ross was 9-25.
His highlight was a 4-7 record in 2005 — Army’s most victories in a season since 1997.
Ross has a 103-101-2 record in 18 collegiate seasons, including tenures at The Citadel, Maryland and Georgia Tech. He led the Yellow Jackets to a share of the national title in 1990.
Ross was 77-68 in the NFL, including guiding the Chargers to the Super Bowl in 1994. He walked away from his job as head coach of the Lions midway through the 2000 season.
It’s amazing that a man with a college national championship and a trip to the Super Bowl on his head coaching resume has such mediocre career records. It’s surprising, too, that he couldn’t resurrect the Black Knights. While it’s no doubt difficult to recruit blue chippers to the service academies, Navy and Air Force have been much more successful in recent years.
Army women’s basketball coach Maggie Dixon died suddenly last night from heart arrhythmia. She was 28.
 Coach Maggie Dixon, who at age 28 led the Army women’s basketball team to its first NCAA Tournament berth last month, died after suffering heart arrhythmia. Dixon died Thursday night at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, N.Y., U.S. Military Academy spokesman Lt. Col. Kent Cassella said. A memorial service was scheduled for Friday afternoon at West Point. Dixon was hospitalized in critical condition after suffering an “arrhythmic episode to her heart” Wednesday at the U.S. Military Academy, said her older brother, Pittsburgh men’s basketball coach Jamie Dixon.
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Army gave Dixon her first head coaching job last October. Six months later, she led the team to its first bid in the women’s field. The rookie coach’s accomplishment gained extra attention because her brother led the Panthers to the men’s tournament at the same time. The Dixons are believed to be the first brother and sister to coach in the NCAA Tournament in the same year. Army lost 102-54 to No. 6 Tennessee in the first round.
Tragic.
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