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Leinart And Bush Among Finalists For Sullivan Award
Heisman Trophy winners Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart, Duke's high-scoring guard J.J. Redick and Winter Olympics bust Bode Miller are among 10 finalists for the Sullivan Award, given annually to the nation's top amateur athlete.
The 2005 winner will be announced April 12 in New York. Bush and Leinart helped Southern California win back-to-back national championships in 2004 and 2005. USC played for a third straight national title in January but lost to Texas and quarterback Vince Young, who is also a finalist for the award. In 2005, Bush won the Heisman after gaining an electrifying 2,890 all-purpose yards, outdistancing Young in the voting. Leinart won the 2004 Heisman, and was also a finalist for the Sullivan Award. Young rushed for 200 yards and three scores, including the game-winner, in the 41-38 win over USC in the Rose Bowl. The three players are expected to be among the top picks in the NFL draft in April. Last year, Miller became the first American man to win the overall World Cup title since 1983. He went into Turin as the most hyped athlete in the games. But he went 0-for-5 in his quest for a medal, quickly turning into a huge disappointment. Miller downplayed his failures on the Olympic stage in Turin, saying, "It's been an awesome two weeks," Miller said. "I got to party and socialize at an Olympic level." Redick, the All-American and 2005 ACC player of the year, set the league scoring mark Saturday. He passed Wake Forest's Dickie Hemric and now has 2,590 career points. The other finalists are: Seimone Augustus (women's basketball); Kerron Clement (track and field); Steven Lopez (taekwondo); Chellsie Memmel (gymnastics); and Laura Wilkinson (diving). The last five winners of the award have been Olympians. Paul Hamm, the gold-medal winning gymnast in Athens, won last year. The award is named after James E. Sullivan, the founder of the Amateur Athletic Union based in Orlando, and has been presented annually since 1930.
Nick Holt Returns To USC Football Staff As Defensive Coordinator And Defensive Line Coach
Nick Holt, who was the head football coach at Idaho the past 2 seasons and previously was an assistant at USC, has returned to the Trojan program as the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach, USC head coach Pete Carroll announced today.
"It's nice to have Nick back," said Carroll, who had doubled as USC's defensive coordinator the past 5 seasons. "He's an outstanding coach with great enthusiasm and fire. He's knows our system well and was using it at Idaho. A good part of his background has been working with the defensive line, so he'll contribute greatly there. And having him serve as the defensive coordinator will free me up and make us a much more efficient staff."
Holt replaces Jethro Franklin, who took an assistant's job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Holt spent the previous 2 seasons (2004-05) as the head coach at Idaho, going 5-18. The Vandals were 3-9 in 2004 and 2-9 in 2005.
He originally joined the Trojan staff in January of 2001 and spent 3 seasons (2001-03) as the linebackers coach. In 2002, linebacker Matt Grootegoed was an All-Pac-10 first teamer. USC played in the 2001 Las Vegas Bowl, 2003 Orange Bowl and 2004 Rose Bowl.
He was the defensive line coach at Louisville for the previous 3 seasons (1998-2000). In 2000, the Cardinals were fourth nationally in rushing defense (79.9), set a school record for sacks with 50 (second in the nation) and were second nationally in turnovers with 38. Louisville appeared in a bowl game each season (the 1998 Motor City Bowl, 1999 Humanitarian Bowl and 2000 Liberty Bowl).
Holt, 43, came to Louisville after 8 seasons (1990-97) at Idaho. He was in charge of the defensive line for the first 5 years and then was the linebackers coach the final 3 seasons. He also served as the defensive coordinator for the last 4 of those seasons. His 1994 unit topped Division I-AA in run defense (and was fifth in 1995).
He began his coaching career in 1986 as an assistant at St. Mary's High in Stockton (Calif.). He then was a graduate assistant at UNLV in 1987 before becoming the Rebels' linebackers coach the following 2 seasons (1988-89).
He lettered 4 years (1981, 83-85) at linebacker for Pacific. He was an All-American honorable mention selection in 1985, when he also earned All-AP West Coast and All-Pacific Coast Athletic Association notice. He was Pacific's MVP in 1985 and a team captain as a junior and senior.
He earned his bachelor's degree in political economics from Pacific in 1986.
He played football and baseball at Bellarmine Prep in San Jose, Calif.
He was born Oct. 15, 1962. He and his wife, Julie (who was the head women's basketball at Nevada Reno, Pacific, Gonzaga, Idaho and Los Angeles Harbor Junior College), have 2 sons, Nick, 13, and Ben, 9.
His maternal grandfather was Clarence "Buster" Crabbe, USC's first All-American swimmer (1931) who was a 1931 NCAA freestyle titlist and 1932 Olympic gold medalist (he won a bronze in 1928) before starring in Hollywood as Tarzan, Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers.
Prep All-American Wide Receiver Vidal Hazelton Signs With USC
High school All-American wide receiver Vidal Hazelton of Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., signed a letter of intent with four-time defending Pac-10 champion USC, Trojan head coach Pete Carroll announced today.
The 6-3, 200-pound Hazelton becomes the 25th player to join USC's 2006 recruiting class, giving the Trojans what many national recruiting publications have listed as one of the nation's top classes for the fourth consecutive year.
"All along, we counted on Vidal being a big factor in the strength of our recruiting class," said Carroll. "It's taken a while for everyone to come together on this decision, but we're pleased for him and his family that it is finalized. We expect him to play a big role on our team and to compete for playing time right away."
Hazelton was a 2005 Super Prep Elite 50, Prep Star Dream Team, ESPN 150, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, EA Sports All-American third team, U.S. Army All-American Game participant, Super Prep All-Mid Atlantic Offensive MVP and Prep Star All-Atlantic choice as a senior wide receiver and defensive back at Hargrave. He had 41 receptions for 942 yards (23.0 avg.) with 13 TDs in 2005.
As a junior in 2005 at Moore Catholic High in Staten Island (N.Y.), he caught 39 passes for 784 yards (20.1 avg.) with 17 TDs, ran for 240 yards with 4 scores and posted 38 tackles, 3 sacks and 2 interceptions for TDs.
