Lionel Hollins’ Big Chance

By Jesse F. McClure | Published  02/26/2009 | Sports | Rating:

‘My chance to prove what I can do’ Head Coach Lionel Hollins signals in a play during the Grizzlies recent game against Sacramento, a losing effort that left Hollins far from satisfied. (Photos by Warren Roseborough) An 18-month contract as the Memphis Grizzlies’ headman is very short by NBA standards, an observation that new head coach Lionel Hollins brushes aside with ease. “Look at Terry Porter the former coach of the Phoenix Suns. He had a three-year contract but was just fired long before he finished his first season,” says Hollins. “Even Mark Iavaroni, the man I am replacing had more than a year and a half left on his three year contract.” At 55, Hollins has almost twenty years experience as an assistant coach. Along the way, he’s watched many younger coaches with less experience become NBA head coaches. “I have interviewed for several head coaching jobs before without success. It only takes one person to choose you and this time Michael Heisley (the Grizzlies’ owner) picked me.” Coach Hollins’ ability to whistle often comes in handy. Coach Hollins gives his team instructions after a time out. Young teams have to learn to win, he says. Memphis Grizzlies Head Coach Lionel Hollins (left) attended the Staxtacular event Saturday (Feb. 21) along with his wife, Angie, and his son, Anthony. This, he said, “is my chance to prove what I can do.” For Hollins, the journey to NBA head coach has not been a straight shot. As a guard in high school in Las Vegas, Hollins was a solid player.  Most college coaches, however, thought he was too small to play at the collegiate level. “I thought that the best thing I could do was to get a job at one of the Las Vegas casinos when I finished high school,” he says. Hollins’ high school coach challenged him to take a chance, attend a junior college in Utah, and see if he could succeed at both basketball and academics. Hollins enrolled at Dixie Junior College in Saint George Utah in 1971. In the predominantly white, Mormon community where African Americans such as Hollins were virtually non-existent, he found in Dixie Junior College Coach Doug Allred a “surrogate father” with whom he still enjoys a very special relationship. While he experienced “some racial heckling, the community as a whole was very supportive” says Hollins, who counts the experience in Utah and his upbringing in a multi-cultural environment in Las Vegas as preparation for learning how to respect people regardless of their backgrounds. The lesson learned has helped him in the all-important arena of relating effectively to different players. His task with the Grizzlies, involves coaching coach players not only from the United States, but also from Spain, Serbia, and Iran. After two years of success at Dixie Junior College both on and off the court, Hollins was recruited by a number of colleges that only two years before had ignored him. He’d led Dixie College team to a league championship, netting junior college All- American honors in 1973. Armed with choices, Hollins passed over his hometown college, the University of Nevada Las Vegas, and accepted a basketball scholarship at Arizona State University (ASU). Why? It was not very far from Las Vegas but it was far enough away so that his grandmother would not be able to ask him to do chores at home, he says. Coached by the late Ned Wulk, an ASU legend, Hollins became a West Coast college basketball star. He led his team to a conference championship in 1975 and Sporting News named him to its 1975 All-American first team. His play was so outstanding that Hollins was the sixth overall pick in the 1975 NBA draft, going to Portland’s Trailblazers. In his second year with the team, legendary NBA coach, Dr. Jack Ramsey, took over.  The year was a magic one as Hollins along with Bill Walton, Dave Twardzik, Maurice Lucas and others won the 1976-77 NBA championship beating Dr. J (Julius Erving) and the Philadelphia 76’ers in the finals. Soft spoken and heady as player, Hollins enjoyed a ten-year career in the NBA, returning to ASU in 1985, where he completed his bachelor’s degree. “I would have stayed at ASU and gotten my master’s degree, but they didn’t offer the major I wanted,” he says. Instead, Hollins accepted an assistant coaching position with Cotton Fitzsimmons and the NBA’s Phoenix Suns in 1987. In addition to his time with the Suns, Hollins coaching resume includes stays with the Bandits of the International Basketball League, the St. Louis Sky Hawks of the U.S. Basketball League, the Harlem Globetrotters and the Grizzlies. He was the Griz interim coach for sixty games during the team’s 1999-2000 season in Vancouver and later for four games in the 2004-05 season. When the Grizzlies hired Mark Iavaroni as the coach for the 2007-08 season, Hollins found himself on the outside of basketball coaching for the first time in years. At the beginning of the 2008-09 season, the Milwaukee Bucks hired Hollins as an assistant coach and that’s where he was when the Griz gave him a call. Hollins had kept his home in the Memphis area because he did not want to uproot his family. He and his wife, Angie, have a son, Austin, who is junior at Germantown High School, where he’s developing his own reputation as “a very good basketball player.” Daughter Jacqueline is a student at Miami University of Ohio, while son Anthony is finishing his M.D. degree at the University Of Tennessee College Of Medicine and plans to become an orthopedist. Hollins’ eldest son, Christopher, lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. As head coach, meeting the challenge of proving what he can do includes making sure his players are giving maximum effort, even when things are not going well. “I can live with losing a game, but I can’t live with not playing hard,” he says. “We are a young team with a lot of talent; my job is to help them learn how to win. A lot of talented teams and talented players never quite figure out how to win.”

The Federal Reserve Bank and Memphis

Martha Perrine-Beard

Most people think the Federal Reserve Bank’s major purpose is to decide whether interest rates will rise or fall. More recently, the Federal Reserve Bank  has been actively involved in trying to address the nation’s economic collapse

For people in Memphis, the Federal Reserve Bank (the FED) is a major player in trying to educate people about the financial problems they face. In Memphis, the FED is especially concerned about people losing their homes in foreclosure.

This educational role is in addition to the Bank’s responsibility for providing for the cash needs of banks in the region, monitoring banks in the region, and analyzing economic activity in the region. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis is one of 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks in the nation. The St. Louis Bank has branches in Louisville, Little Rock, and Memphis.

Led by   Martha Perrine Beard, the Memphis Branch of the Federal Bank of St. Louis actively supports a number of community organizations and causes.

Perrine- Beard, who has been the Senior Branch Executive of the of the Memphis Branch of the  Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis since 1997, is responsible for the 150 Federal Reserve Bank employees in Memphis. She says that a major part of the FED’s role in community like Memphis, is to help educate low and moderate-income citizens about ways to improve their financial lives.

With growing numbers of people, losing their homes the FED is active in identifying areas of the community with high numbers of sub-prime mortgagees and mortgage delinquencies. Working with community organizations and coalitions the Memphis FED is attempting to help average citizens find ways to keep their homes.

Perrine-Beard says,” that a combination of bad choices by homeowners and in some cases misleading claims by lenders” have caused many people to lose their homes. She also feels that during the housing boom, “many first time home buyers tried to buy the largest and most expensive home for which they could get a loan often with no money down.” With home values falling and higher monthly payments for adjustable rate mortgages, too many people simply can no longer afford their house payments.

In addition to the current housing crisis, the Memphis area has a history of high numbers of people filing for bankruptcy each year. Perrine-Beard says that some of her efforts” are aimed at helping young people learn to handle their finances”.  The savings rate of people throughout the nation is so low that when people face unexpected bills they have no resources to tide them over. Perrine-Beard says that the FED has a consumer website (www.federalreserveconsumerhelp.gov) which can answer questions people have.

As the face of the Federal Reserve Bank in Memphis, Perrine –Beard is an active volunteer for a number of community agencies. She is on the boards of directors of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Memphis Regional Chamber, the United Way of the Mid South, the Baptist College of Health Sciences, the RISE Foundation, the Mid South Minority Business Council, the Better Business Bureau, the Leadership Academy, and United Housing Inc. While she admits that her volunteer activities are many, she says her “peers on the boards are also great resources if I need information regarding a certain segment of the Memphis economy”. She also says that all the boards she serves on are well organized and well run.

Regina Walker, the Senior Vice President for Community Impact at the United Way of the Mid South, says, “Martha-Perrine Beard is a phenomenal leader. She is remarkable in how she uses her time as both a community leader and an executive with the Federal Board. “Walker says that Perrine-Beard has helped “the United Way become more responsive to community needs and to become more efficient and effective in addressing those needs.”

Perrine-Beard received her bachelor’s degree in business from what is now Clark-Atlanta University and a master’s degree in economics from Washington University in St. Louis. She joined the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis after completing her master’s degree. Perrine –Beard is married and the mother of three children.

Black Golfers Swing Against Sickle Cell Anemia

During the summer in the Memphis, TN area, there are hundreds of charity golf tournaments. Few however, have been around as long as the Walter Evans Memorial Sickle Cell Golf Tournament that occurs the weekend before Labor Day. The late Walter Evans founded the two-day tournament in 1973 as a way to raise money for and educate about sickle cell anemia. This year’s tournament was the 36^th annual event to support sickle cell anemia treatment and education.

After Evans died in 1984, the tournament continued and is now hosted by the Pro Duffers South, a predominantly African American golfers’ group. Proceeds from the tournament support the Diggs-Kraus Sickle Cell Anemia Advocacy Council. The advocacy council is a part of the Diggs-Kraus Sickle Cell Center at the Regional Medical Center (The MED). There is no recognized cure for sickle cell anemia but institutions such as the Diggs-Kraus Center can help those afflicted by the disease live with the disease.

Sickle cell anemia is an inherited disease that disproportionately affects African Americans. According to the National Institutes of Health 1 in 500 African Americans in the United States has sickle cell anemia. The same study reports that 1 in 12 African Americans has the sickle cell anemia trait which means that they can possibly pass on the disease to any children they might have. With the large population of African Americans in the Memphis area, there is a continued need for both resources and education.

The Pro Duffers South group is part of a national organization of predominantly African American golfers. This year’s tournament at North Creek Golf Club, hosted nearly 90 golfers who paid $175 each to participate. Golfers came from Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, and Puerto Rico. In addition, a number of corporate sponsors supported the tournament.

Leon Griffin, Sr. who helped Walter Evans in the very beginning of the event was the oldest player in the field and showed many of the younger players that he can still compete at a high level. Griffin said he is “proud to see the tournament continue for so many years. It is our chance to help others who are afflicted by this terrible disease.”

At a luncheon following the end of play, Carl Herring, the president of the Pro Duffers South, announced the winners. The first award was one the no golfer wants to win because it represents the person with the worst score over the two days of play. This year’s “winner” was Duke Herenton, the son of Memphis Mayor Dr. W.W. Herenton. Herenton received the “Ball Beater” award for his score of 245 over the two days. He announced to the field that he will “work to improve my game so I will not win this award in next year’s tournament”.

The tournament was divided into five groups or flights based on the age and skill levels of the players. The winners were:

Senior Flight - John Brown – Memphis, TN

Third Fight - Joseph Sudduth – Memphis, TN

Second Flight - Kelvin Massey –San Juan, Puerto Rico

First Flight - Abdullah Hasan – Memphis, TN

Championship Flight- Kevin Jennings -Memphis, TN

Leon Griffin Sr. Prepares to Tee Off

New Memphis City Schools A.D. says ‘It’s all about the kids’

By Dr. Jesse F. McClure | Published 07/30/2008

David “Smokey” Gaines is the new Athletic Director for the Memphis City Schools. For Gaines, his new position is but the latest stop in a journey that has taken him all over the world.

For the past three years, Gaines – a former Harlem Globetrotter – served as men’s basketball coach and athletic director at LeMoyne-Owen College. While he enjoyed his time at his alma mater, Gaines said, “I am really excited about working with youngsters who attend Memphis City Schools and having the opportunity to improve their lives. It is all about the kids.”

Gaines is replacing long time city schools’ athletic director, Wayne Weedon. Gaines’ assistant will be Northside High School athletic director and girls’ basketball coach Donald Holmes. Both men declined to comment on any of the past controversies surrounding athletic programs in the city schools.

“I am only looking forward and not backwards,” Gaines said, referring to Memphis City Schools.

Gaines, however, does look back to trace the connection between education and athletics in his life. “All of the successes I have had in my life are a result of my education and my education has come because of my involvement with athletics,” he said.

He wants students to succeed both in their schoolwork and in their sports.

“Too many athletes are not succeeding in school and do not have options after they finish playing. I had options and I want all our student athletes to have options.”

Gaines earned his Bachelor of Science degree at LeMoyne-Owen and a Master of Arts degree at Eastern Michigan University.

Parents can expect to hear from Gaines whosaid he will try to get them more involved with the school system’s athletic programs. And while Gaines said it is too early for him to get specific about program changes, he’s looking forward to working with the Memphis Redbirds in supporting baseball and softball programs.

Gaines and Holmes are both avid golfers and would like to get younger students learning to play. Gaines says they will explore opportunities to work with the First Tee program in Memphis.

A native of Detroit, Gaines first came to Memphis in 1959 to attend LeMoyne -Owen and play basketball for legendary coach Jerry C. Johnson. After leaving LeMoyne-Owen, Gaines became a world traveler, playing for the Harlem Globetrotters. He was the Globetrotters’ “dribbling whiz” before “Curly” Neal.

After almost four years with the Globetrotters, Gaines played in the old American Basketball Association (ABA) for a season. He returned to Memphis when his playing days ended and spent a year as an assistant coach at LeMoyne-Owen. Later, he served as an elementary teacher, high school teacher and as an athletic director for a Job Corps program.

Gaines big break came in 1973 when he joined then University of Detroit head basketball coach and current ESPN basketball analyst, Dick Vitale. After serving four years as Vitale’s assistant, Gaines became head coach at Detroit in 1977. He had two successful seasons in Detroit and joined the ranks of John Thompson, Fred Snowden and George Raveling as one of the few African-American head coaches at Division 1 colleges.

In 1979, Gaines left Detroit to become head basketball coach at San Diego State University. He broke the hearts of many Memphis Tiger fans when he successfully recruited West Memphis high school basketball star,Michael Cage. At the time, most observers thought Cage would take the short trip across the river to play for the Tigers.

“When Michael saw the San Diego State campus, the ocean and students sun bathing, I knew he would be playing for me,” said Gaines.

Cage became a star at San Diego State followed by a long and successful career in the NBA.

In 1987, Gaines left coaching to become an assistant athletic director at San Diego State. Two years later, he joined the NBA’s Denver Nuggets as a professional scout. He left the Nuggets in 1994 and until moving to Memphis in 2005, headed a number of business ventures in San Diego and Las Vegas.

“All of my experiences will help me in my new position with the Memphis City Schools,” Gaines said.

David

Kids emerge as victors in ‘bout’ between mayor, superintendent

By Jesse F. McClure | Published 07/24/2008

Memphis Mayor Dr.W. W. Herenton and new Memphis City School Superintendent Dr. Kriner Cash met last Friday at Ridgeway High School in what was billed as an event “settling their differences on the court.”

They met before more than four hundred youngsters attending the Shelby Metro Sports and Awareness Basketball Clinic and more than one hundred spectators. The face off on the basketball court between Dr. Herenton and Dr. Cash was happening at the same time lawyers for the city and lawyers for the school system were in Chancery Court fighting over a proposed cut in the city’s funding for schools.

While the lawyers were arguing in court, Dr. Cash and Dr. Herenton engaged in a good-natured competition – first with boxing gloves and then with basketballs. Both men said the purpose was to show students and the community that they will work well together.

Ninth District U.S. Congressman Steve Cohen was an interested spectator as was City Council member Janice Fullilove.

Besides the mayor and the superintendent, the person who drew the most attention was former University of Memphis basketball star and head coach Larry Finch. Finch, who was disabled by a stroke several years ago, was greeted warmly by many of those in attendance.

Leonard Draper, one of Finch’s closest friends, said, “Sometimes Larry does not like to go out in public, but he was really excited about seeing the youngsters play ball here.”

The “competition” between Dr. Herenton and Dr. Cash was limited to each shooting a few free throws and demonstrating shooting skills.

Dr. Cash first showed some pretty good ball handling and to the delight of the boys and girls, hit several three-point shots. Not to be outdone, Dr. Herenton wowed the crowd with several strong drives to the basket and then hit several long jump shots.

The on-court session ended with the two men showing team work by demonstrating give-and-go plays for each other. Northside High School, athletic director and coach, Donald Homes, declared the competition a tie.

Both men then gave short “pep talks” to the boys and girls attending the basketball clinic.

Dr. Herenton shared familiar words of his grandmother who told him “get something in your head. Get a good education.” He reminded the youngsters that “no one can ever take your education away from you.”

Stay in school and stay away from gangs and drugs, said Dr. Herenton, who also expressed his support for Dr. Cash as the new head of the Memphis City Schools.

Dr. Cash said he is excited to be in Memphis and that he looks forward to working with Mayor Herenton. In his talk to the boys and girls, Dr. Cash stressed behavior. He urged the students to take their schoolwork seriously, but to also take their behavior seriously.

“What you do is what you are,” he said.

Mayor, superintendent ready to ‘shoot’ it out

By Jesse F. McClure | Published  07/17/2008 | News | Rating:

Mayor, superintendent ready to ‘shoot’ it out Dr. Kriner Cash Dr. Willie.W. Herenton The Mayor of Memphis and the new superintendent of the Memphis City Schools will settle their perceived “differences” in court – with a basketball. Memphis Mayor Dr. Willie.W. Herenton and new superintendent Dr. Kriner Cash will compete against each other on Friday, July 18 at Ridgeway High School at 11:30 a.m. According to Northside High School athletic director, Donald Holmes, the basketball game is a friendly way to demonstrate that the two leaders will be supportive of one another. Dr. Herenton, a former Memphis school superintendent and a former college basketball player, would appear to have the edge in the game, but we are told that Dr. Cash loves competition and will give the mayor a challenge. The match comes in the wake of competing lawsuits over funding of Memphis City Schools.  The event is open to the public.

Fundamentals still at core of seasoned basketball program

By Jesse F. McClure | Published  06/19/2008 | Sports | Rating:

Memphis Mayor Dr. Willie.W. Herenton, a former college basketball player, told the young hoopsters what his grandmother told him: “If you get a good education, you can be somebody.”  (Photo by Wiley Henry) For hundreds of boys and girls at Northside High School last week, it must have been basketball heaven. The 475 youngsters, ages 10-19, participated in the first of four, weeklong basketball clinics as part of the Shelby Metro Sports and Awareness Program. The program is the brainchild of Donald Holmes, the athletic director and girls’ basketball coach at Northside High. The City of Memphis Summer Youth Initiative funds the program, which over the years has involved thousands of area youngsters in the skill building sessions.  The other three clinics are being held at Carver High School, Ridgeway High School and Kirby High School. Area coaches and college basketball players staff the program. Holmes says the goal is “to provide each boy and girl instruction in the fundamentals of basketball.” From 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. each day, the players worked with coaches in groups and one on one. During the final day on Friday, there were free-throw shooting contests as well as 3-on-3 games. ­­Xavier Henry, the number one high school recruit in the nation, made a brief appearance. Dozens of colleges are recruiting the 6’6” shooting guard from Putnam City High School in Oklahoma. In town for a basketball camp at the University of Memphis, he did not participate in drills, but showed off his shooting skills on a side basket in the Northside gym. Over the years, the Shelby Metro Sports and Awareness program has involved thousands of area youngsters in skill building sessions. (Photo by Wiley Henry) Several college coaches came to observe, no doubt on the lookout for future talent. A new assistant coach at the University of Memphis, Orlando Antigua was among those who stopped by. Antigua, who moved to Memphis a week or two ago, appeared to enjoy watching the youngsters go through their drills. He was the first Latino player on the Harlem Globetrotters. Also watching the action was David “Smokey” Gaines, the current LeMoyne-Owen coach and former coach for University of Detroit and San Diego State. Gaines also played for the Harlem Globetrotters. The highlight of the closing session was a rousing talk by Memphis Mayor Dr. Willie.W. Herenton. A former college basketball player, Herenton stressed the need to get a good education and stay away from gangs and drugs. “If you get a good education, you can be somebody,”  said Herenton quoting his grandmother. The mayor said education changed his life and urged the boys and girls to follow his example. Participants enjoyed a brief exhibition game between staff coaches and the Memphis Blues of the World Basketball Association (WBA), an exposure league that gives former college players an opportunity to show their talents to scouts from professional leagues, such as the NBA, NBDL, CBA, and international leagues. The session ended with an awards ceremony in which boys and girls received trophies for outstanding performances during the week. copyright tri-state defender 2008

Honors for a Legend

By Dr. Jesse F. McClure | Published 06/12/2008 | Sports | Unrated

Legendary LeMoyne-Owen College basketball coach Jerry C. Johnson said he takes the greatest pride in seeing the youngsters who played for him “grow and develop into contributing members of their communities.” (Photo by Wiley Henry) The college basketball coach with the most victories and direct ties to Memphis is on this list: Gene Bartow, John Calipari, Larry Finch, Jerry C. Johnson and Vertis Sails Jr. If you selected Johnson, the legendary coach of the LeMoyne-Owen College Magicians, you’re on your game. On June 20, the Memphis Chapter of the LeMoyne-Owen College Alumni Association will host a citywide toast of Johnson and a celebration of the coach’s 90th birthday. The special evening at the Holiday Inn Select on Democrat Road will also launch the Jerry C. Johnson Scholarship Program at the college. Johnson is one of only 10 college basketball coaches in history to win more than 800 games. During his 46-year coaching career at LeMoyne-Owen, Johnson won 821 games, a national championship, 10 conference championships, and made several N.C.A.A. tournament appearances. Three years ago, Johnson retired from coaching. Since then he has received numerous honors for his outstanding career. He was inducted into the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (S.I.A.C.) Hall of Fame, the Fayetteville State University Hall of Fame, and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. The coach of the year award for the S.I.A.C. is now The Jerry C. Johnson Coach of the Year Award. And in 1991, LeMoyne-Owen College awarded Johnson an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. With all his victories and awards, Johnson said he takes the greatest pride in seeing the youngsters who played for him “grow and develop into contributing members of their communities.” Memphis Mayor Dr. Willie W. Herenton is among the most recognized of Johnson’s former players. “Herenton had not played much basketball before joining my team. Over time (he) became a good rebounder and valuable member of the team,” said Johnson, who chuckled as he recalled that Herenton, a champion boxer, was a real asset sometimes in the small Southern towns where a team from Memphis was not welcomed with open arms. David “Smokey” Gaines is another of Johnson’s high profile former players. After LeMoyne-Owen, Gaines played for the Harlem Globetrotters and the Kentucky Colonels of the old A.B.A. Later, Gaines was one of the pioneering African American coaches at so-called majority institutions when he became the head coach at the University of Detroit and at San Diego State. “Johnson was so successful that he almost didn’t have to recruit players because so many wanted to play at LeMoyne-Owen,” said Gaines. That observation draws a smile from Johnson. “Gaines must have a bad memory because recruiting was always one of my strengths,” he said. Several of Johnson’s former players have become outstanding basketball coaches. That list includes Vertis Sails, the legendary coach at Southwest Tennessee Community College. Robert Newman, the leading scorer on Johnson’s national championship, heads the successful girls basketball program at Melrose High School. Coach Johnson also had a hand in the development of Tony Johnson (no relation), who is considered one of the best athletes to attend LeMoyne-Owen. Tony Johnson earned All American honors in basketball and baseball, and played major league baseball for the Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays. LeMoyne-Owen board chairman Robert Lipscomb did not play basketball at LeMoyne-Owen, but he was a member of the cross-country team that Johnson coached. Lipscomb now runs the Memphis Housing Authority and the Division of Housing and Community Development for the City of Memphis. Johnson said he landed in Memphis and LeMoyne-Owen almost by accident. While a student at Fayetteville State University, Johnson met John McClendon, the renowned African-American basketball coach who was then at North Carolina Central College. McClendon, who learned his basketball from Dr. James Naismith, the recognized inventor of the game, took Johnson under his wing. McClendon – the first African American to coach a professional basketball team – left North Carolina to take the head coaching position at Tennessee State University in Nashville in the late 1950’s. Johnson planned to follow McClendon to Nashville, but McClendon learned the LeMoyne-Owen coaching position was open and almost demanded that Johnson accept the job. During his early years at LeMoyne-Owen, Johnson’s teams played all comers, including several that now would be considered Division 1 schools. That prepared his teams for the smaller colleges in LeMoyne-Owen’s conference. Johnson’s 1974-75 team won a national championship, and as he recalled they “had a pretty easy time winning because we were battle tested.” With so many good teams during his 46-year tenure, Johnson said he is not sure which was the best. One of the better teams, he said, was the 1999-2000 team that won the S.I.A.C. championship and made the NCAA Tournament. That year, Johnson coached against the current University of Tennessee Coach, Bruce Pearl. Pearl was then the coach of the University of Southern Indiana. LeMoyne-Owen lost narrowly after center Wade Evans fouled out just after the second half began. Johnson had opportunities to coach elsewhere, including at a Big 10 Conference offer that he and his family vetoed because they loved Memphis. Family is a big deal to Johnson. For 53 years, he was married to the late Vaster Johnson, an elementary school teacher for over 50 years. The couple had three children, Wandra Johnson Haywood, a nurse with the Veterans Administration in Florida, Dr. Jerry Johnson Jr., a physician in Philadelphia, and Oliver Johnson, a computer professional who lives in Atlanta. Mayor Herenton will headline next week’s event in recognition of Johnson. Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, Tennessee House Speaker Pro Tempore Lois Deberry, U of M Coach John Calipari, and Southwest Tennessee Coach Vertis Sails Jr. will be among the many dignitaries paying tribute to Johnson. Many of Johnson’s National Championship team members will attend, along with dozens of former players from other years. “The celebration on June 20 will not only recognize Coach Johnson’s lifetime of achievement, but will insure that his legacy will continue forever,” said Jeffrey Higgs, the executive director of the Lemoyne-Owen College Community Development Corporation. The scholarships named for Coach Johnson will help future student athletes pursue both their athletic and educational goals. copyright Tri-State Defender 2008

Tournament volunteer rolls on with a love for golf and St. Jude

By Jesse F. McClure | Published 06/5/2008 | Sports | Rating:

Tournament volunteer rolls on with a love for golf and St. Jude Wendell Berry, the “captain” on hole number seven at this year’s Stanford St. Jude Championship, has been a volunteer at the Memphis tournament for 21 years. He loves golf, but it’s his passion for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital that drives him. (Photos by Warren Roseborough) Wendell Berry will be all over the TPC Southwind golf course during the Stanford St. Jude Championship this week. If Berry fulfills his role as expected, players and spectators will cross paths with relative ease. No African Americans are in the tournament field this year. There will, however, be a number of African Americans involved in other aspects of the tournament. Berry, an employee of FEDEX Corporate Services for the last 22 years, has been a volunteer with the Memphis golf tournament for 21 years. Berry enjoys golf, a game he has played since 1971. That’s not why he volunteered. “I fell in love with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” he said. There’s a story behind that love. It goes backs to the 1980s when Berry returned to Memphis after serving almost seven years in the U.S. Marine Corps. The son of Berry’s former fiancé was diagnosed with cancer and money was tight. St. Jude – one of the world’s foremost research and treatment institutions for children with catastrophic diseases – stepped in with state of the art treatment, and never asked for any payment. Berry said that experience made him determined to “give back to St. Jude” as a volunteer and as a financial contributor. “St. Jude is a special place and all Memphians should be grateful to have it here,” he said. Many of the tournament volunteers have stories to tell about how St. Jude helped someone in their family or someone they know, Berry said. Song Writer David “I’m A Soul Man” Porter Gets A Tip Before Teeing Off in the SSJC Pro-Am So each year, Berry lends a hand while watching many of the world’s best golfers perform. A member of Memphis National Golf Club, Berry plays as often as he can, but he said there is nothing like watching the pros. Although he still considers himself a very good golfer, Berry said he once had a two handicap, which would make him just a few notches below some of the last minute additions to the field of the Stanford St. Jude Championship. Outside of T. O. Fuller State Park, the Memphis of Berry’s childhood afforded few opportunities for African Americans to learn the game of golf. As children, he and his friends made their own clubs from sticks and created their own “course” in fields near their homes. Berry honed his game on courses on military bases while in the Marines. He’s played a lot of rounds at the course at the old Naval Air Station in Millington. Every year, meeting the world’s top golfers adds to Berry’s tournament memories. He vividly remembers meeting Calvin Peete and Lee Elder, two African American pioneers on the professional golf circuit. Berry sees golf as a tool to teach children many positive things about life. He and his wife, Lesa, have supported the First Tee Program and a number of other efforts to get more African American youngsters to play golf. This week at the Tournament Players Club Southwind, Berry will spend his mornings as the “captain” on hole number seven. copyright 2008 Tri-State Defender

Tim Thompson Part Two

Thompson steps toward youth ministry amid off-season football controversy

By Jesse F. McClure | Published 05/29/2008 | Sports | Unrated

Thompson steps toward youth ministry amid off-season football controversy Former high school football coach Tim Thompson believes he can connect with the youngsters in the neighborhoods surrounding Cathedral of God Holy Word Temple in North Memphis and help in reducing drug use, gang membership and criminal activity. (Photos by Warren Roseborough) In the sanctuary of the Cathedral of God Holy Word Temple in North Memphis, Tim Thompson started to talk about doors last week. “As one door closes another one opens,” said Thompson, whose name for years has been associated with the words football and coach. The “old door” was his position as interim – on track to be fulltime – football coach at Ridgeway High School. The “new door” is the one that leads to youth ministry in North Memphis. Thompson believes he can connect with the youngsters in the neighborhoods surrounding Cathedral of God Holy Word Temple and help in reducing drug use, gang membership and criminal activity. He is confident that he has the charisma and coaching skills to turn lives around.” Such work will be much more rewarding than coaching football, said Thompson at a press conference he called to shed light on a predicament that lead to the closing of door number one. Ridgeway Principal Jim Long decided not to let Thompson coach football this fall after an investigation revealed that students from other schools participated in spring football practices. Thompson said he has been “betrayed and misled” by the Ridgeway administration. According to Thompson, an administrator at Ridgeway High School approved letting students who were enrolling at the school in August participate in spring football practice. He said that four students who were not enrolled at Ridgeway practiced with the Roadrunners’ squad during spring practice. Thompson said that he was volunteering his time as coach until August when he expected to join the faculty as a fulltime teacher and coach. He said current Ridgeway staff members were also involved with the off-season football practices and determination of which students were eligible to participate in the spring drills. Thompson said “I don’t take the full blame” in reference to an ineligible players controversy that derailed his plans to take over as Ridgeway High School head football coach. “I don’t take the full blame,” he said. Calls to Ridgeway and Memphis City Schools officials had not been returned by press time on Wednesday. Thompson said the loss of the Ridgeway job was tied to his previous problems as head football coach at Melrose High School. In 2001, the Memphis City Schools suspended Thompson for three years for accepting $1,400 from a University of Kentucky assistant football coach. Thompson said Ridgeway administrators at first time told him that letting non-Ridgeway students practice was not a big problem. Principal Long told him “not to worry about it,” he said. Thompson won two state football championships while coaching at Melrose High School, with a number of players going on to the National Football League. Part of the Ridgeway problem was that so many young men wanted to play for him, he said. At his news conference, Thompson said he was unaware that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating him for financial irregularities while he was coaching at Fayette Ware High School. According to a local news report, a parent of one of Thompson’s football players accused the coach of charging players for athletic equipment and the district Attorney General’s office has confirmed the investigation. Thompson said he did nothing wrong in his three years at Fayette Ware High. Although he said he has not been banned from future coaching positions in the Memphis City Schools, Thompson said he is moving on. Rev. Libra Mitchell is the senior pastor of the Cathedral of God Holy Word Temple and the sister of Thompson, one of the most successful high school football coaches in Memphis history. He won’t be alone. His sister, Rev. Libra Mitchell, is the senior pastor of the Cathedral of God Holy Word Temple – the base from which Thompson plans to extend his life into the North Memphis community.

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