commodore nation, february 2011
DESCRIPTION
http://vucommodores.com/nation Commodore Nation, February 2011 issueTRANSCRIPT
February 2011
A TALE OF T WO
TAYLORS
C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 1vucommodores.com
table of contents8
14
2 Compliance Corner What are extra benefits?
4 National Commodore Club Always a Commodore event
7 More from McGugin By the numbers
8 My Game Junior slugger Jason Esposito
10 The Taylor Tradition Jeffery Taylor follows father’s footsteps
13 My Turn: Rod Williamson What’s in a name?
14 Smith and the Family Sport Siblings aid Gabby Smith’s development
16 Project One Four David Price’s foundation hosts dinner
17 Women’s Basketball Reunion Balcomb talks Anderson, history
19 Mentor of QBs Franklin molds elite signal callers
20 FB Staff Additions Franklin introduces staff, part one
23 February Calendar This month’s athletic schedule
24 Last Shot WBB seniors close out careers
10
VUCOMMODORES.COMTo submit a letter to Commodore Nation, you can e-mail: [email protected] or write to Commodore Nation, 2601 Jess Neely Drive, Nashville, TN 37212. Letters should include the writer’s name and address and may be edited for clarity and space.
19
C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 1vucommodores.com
table of contents8
14
2 Compliance Corner What are extra benefits?
4 National Commodore Club Always a Commodore event
7 More from McGugin By the numbers
8 My Game Junior slugger Jason Esposito
10 The Taylor Tradition Jeffery Taylor follows father’s footsteps
13 My Turn: Rod Williamson What’s in a name?
14 Smith and the Family Sport Siblings aid Gabby Smith’s development
16 Project One Four David Price’s foundation hosts dinner
17 Women’s Basketball Reunion Balcomb talks Anderson, history
19 Mentor of QBs Franklin molds elite signal callers
20 FB Staff Additions Franklin introduces staff, part one
23 February Calendar This month’s athletic schedule
24 Last Shot WBB seniors close out careers
10
VUCOMMODORES.COMTo submit a letter to Commodore Nation, you can e-mail: [email protected] or write to Commodore Nation, 2601 Jess Neely Drive, Nashville, TN 37212. Letters should include the writer’s name and address and may be edited for clarity and space.
19
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 12 C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 3vucommodores.com
Editorial
Publisher: Vanderbilt University
Editor-in-Chief: Chris Weinman
Director of Communications: Rod Williamson
Designers: Jeremy Teaford
Chris Weinman
Digital Image Specialist: Julie Luckett Turner
VU Photography: Mary Donaldson
Daniel Dubois
Steve Green
Joe Howell
Jenny Mandeville
Anne Rayner
John Russell
Susan Urmy
Contributors: Laina Balafas
Andy Boggs
Sterling Frierson
Larry Leathers
George Midgett
Ryan Schulz Jennifer Stevens
Donald Turnbaugh
Administrative
Chancellor: Nicholas S. Zeppos
Vice Chancellor for University Affairs: David Williams II
Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs: Beth Fortune
Vanderbilt University’s Mission, Goals and ValuesVanderbilt University is a center for scholarly research, informed and creative teaching, and service to the community and society at large. Vanderbilt will uphold the highest standards and be a leader in the quest for new knowledge through scholarship, dissemination of knowledge through teaching and outreach, and creative experimentation of ideas and concepts. In pursuit of these goals, Vanderbilt values most highly intellectual freedom that supports open inquiry, and equality, compassion and excellence in all endeavors.
Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity, affirmative-action university.
ON THE COVER: Jeffery Taylor photo by John Russell, VU Photography; Jeff Taylor Sr. photos courtesy of Texas Tech Athletics.
POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to National Commodore Club, 2601 Jess Neely Drive, Nashville, TN 37212.
SUBSCRIPTION: To subscribe to Commodore Nation, please contact Chris Weinman by phone at 615/343-0019 or by e-mail at [email protected]
ADVERTISEMENT: To advertise with Commodore Nation, please contact Vanderbilt ISP Sports.Jeff Miller, general manager 615/322-4468; [email protected]
Commodore Nation is printed using recycled paper.
Compliance questions? Please contact:Candice Lee George MidgettDirector of Compliance Compliance Coordinator615/322-7992 615/[email protected] [email protected]
John Peach Andrew TurnerCompliance Coordinator Recruiting/Compliance Coordinator615/343-1060 615/[email protected] [email protected]
CORNERC O M P L I A N C E
Q:
A:
Jim Bow is a huge supporter of Vanderbilt Athletics and owns a clothing store. Many members of the team shop at his store frequently. One of the team mem-bers does not have enough cash to complete his purchase, but Jim lets him slide because “they are both a part of the team.” Is this permissible?
No. Offering free or reduced-cost services to a student-athlete is considered to be an extra benefit. The term “extra benefit” refers to any special arrangement by a representative of athletics interests (i.e., booster) to provide the student-athlete or his or her relatives or friends with a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation.
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 12 C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 3vucommodores.com
Editorial
Publisher: Vanderbilt University
Editor-in-Chief: Chris Weinman
Director of Communications: Rod Williamson
Designers: Jeremy Teaford
Chris Weinman
Digital Image Specialist: Julie Luckett Turner
VU Photography: Mary Donaldson
Daniel Dubois
Steve Green
Joe Howell
Jenny Mandeville
Anne Rayner
John Russell
Susan Urmy
Contributors: Laina Balafas
Andy Boggs
Sterling Frierson
Larry Leathers
George Midgett
Ryan Schulz Jennifer Stevens
Donald Turnbaugh
Administrative
Chancellor: Nicholas S. Zeppos
Vice Chancellor for University Affairs: David Williams II
Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs: Beth Fortune
Vanderbilt University’s Mission, Goals and ValuesVanderbilt University is a center for scholarly research, informed and creative teaching, and service to the community and society at large. Vanderbilt will uphold the highest standards and be a leader in the quest for new knowledge through scholarship, dissemination of knowledge through teaching and outreach, and creative experimentation of ideas and concepts. In pursuit of these goals, Vanderbilt values most highly intellectual freedom that supports open inquiry, and equality, compassion and excellence in all endeavors.
Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity, affirmative-action university.
ON THE COVER: Jeffery Taylor photo by John Russell, VU Photography; Jeff Taylor Sr. photos courtesy of Texas Tech Athletics.
POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to National Commodore Club, 2601 Jess Neely Drive, Nashville, TN 37212.
SUBSCRIPTION: To subscribe to Commodore Nation, please contact Chris Weinman by phone at 615/343-0019 or by e-mail at [email protected]
ADVERTISEMENT: To advertise with Commodore Nation, please contact Vanderbilt ISP Sports.Jeff Miller, general manager 615/322-4468; [email protected]
Commodore Nation is printed using recycled paper.
Compliance questions? Please contact:Candice Lee George MidgettDirector of Compliance Compliance Coordinator615/322-7992 615/[email protected] [email protected]
John Peach Andrew TurnerCompliance Coordinator Recruiting/Compliance Coordinator615/343-1060 615/[email protected] [email protected]
CORNERC O M P L I A N C E
Q:
A:
Jim Bow is a huge supporter of Vanderbilt Athletics and owns a clothing store. Many members of the team shop at his store frequently. One of the team mem-bers does not have enough cash to complete his purchase, but Jim lets him slide because “they are both a part of the team.” Is this permissible?
No. Offering free or reduced-cost services to a student-athlete is considered to be an extra benefit. The term “extra benefit” refers to any special arrangement by a representative of athletics interests (i.e., booster) to provide the student-athlete or his or her relatives or friends with a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation.
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 14 C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 5vucommodores.com
Show us your Commodore spirit. If you are interested in having your photos appear in a future issue of Commodore Nation, please e-mail your images to [email protected]. To ensure you receive important updates, please make sure your most current e-mail address is on file.
CORNERCOMMODORE CLUB
PHONE: 615/322-4114 • ONLINE: vanderbilt.edu/ncc
Attendees were honored on the field during pregame festivities.
ALWAYS A COMMDORE EVENT – NOV. 20, 2010
How can I improve my football seats for next year?
Based on availability, NCC members have
the ability to upgrade their seats by increasing
their annual NCC gift. Remember that renewals
for football seats are due by late February. Contact
the NCC office at 615/322-4114 today with questions
on how to improve your football game day experience.
NCC 101
NCC Executive Director Christy Passmore and Vice Chancellor David Williams present football and baseball alumnus Jim McKee (’60) with an honorary game ball.
Below are the names of NCC members who joined in December. We welcome you and look forward to seeing you at Commodore games and events this year.
Cathy and William Chaklos – Novi, Mich.Kristin Goble – NashvilleMeaghen and Timothy Greene – NashvilleMargaret Hanks – Raleigh, N.C.Loren Jones – Chicago, Ill.Sandra and David Martoccia – Belton, S.C.Jerreann Mathis – BrentwoodCharles Mayes Jr. – Lafayette, La.Leeann and Haden McWhorter – BrentwoodCarolyn and Russell Miller – BrentwoodWilliam Pridemore II – Odgen, UtahJames Simons – NashvillePamela and Mark Williams – Franklin
WELCOME NEW NCC MEMBERS
NCC member and football alumnus John Whitesell (’84) with sons, Jack Hunter and Jesse Walker.
Mr. C congratulates NCC members wrestling alumnus Bill Harrison (’54), son-in-law Mike Lainge and swimming alumnus William Themann (’70).
Candice (Storey) Lee, senior women’s administrator and women’s basketball alumna (’00).
For this year’s lettermen event, “Always a Commodore,”
the National Commodore Club invited all former
Vanderbilt student-athletes, cheerleaders, managers,
trainers and coaches to be a part of the Nov. 20 foot-
ball weekend. During a pregame luncheon, plans were
unveiled to honor this group by establishing a special
organization within the NCC called the V Society. NCC
Executive Director Christy Passmore emceed the event,
which also featured Senior Women’s Administrator
Candice Lee (’00), NCC Senior Director Lucy Jones and
Vice Chancellor David Williams.
ALWAYS A COMMDORE EVENT – NOV. 20, 2010
More than 200 guests filled the Vanderbilt Student Life Center.
Cheer alum Edie Kelsey (’87) and Vice Chancellor David Williams.
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 14 C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 5vucommodores.com
Show us your Commodore spirit. If you are interested in having your photos appear in a future issue of Commodore Nation, please e-mail your images to [email protected]. To ensure you receive important updates, please make sure your most current e-mail address is on file.
CORNERCOMMODORE CLUB
PHONE: 615/322-4114 • ONLINE: vanderbilt.edu/ncc
Attendees were honored on the field during pregame festivities.
ALWAYS A COMMDORE EVENT – NOV. 20, 2010
How can I improve my football seats for next year?
Based on availability, NCC members have
the ability to upgrade their seats by increasing
their annual NCC gift. Remember that renewals
for football seats are due by late February. Contact
the NCC office at 615/322-4114 today with questions
on how to improve your football game day experience.
NCC 101
NCC Executive Director Christy Passmore and Vice Chancellor David Williams present football and baseball alumnus Jim McKee (’60) with an honorary game ball.
Below are the names of NCC members who joined in December. We welcome you and look forward to seeing you at Commodore games and events this year.
Cathy and William Chaklos – Novi, Mich.Kristin Goble – NashvilleMeaghen and Timothy Greene – NashvilleMargaret Hanks – Raleigh, N.C.Loren Jones – Chicago, Ill.Sandra and David Martoccia – Belton, S.C.Jerreann Mathis – BrentwoodCharles Mayes Jr. – Lafayette, La.Leeann and Haden McWhorter – BrentwoodCarolyn and Russell Miller – BrentwoodWilliam Pridemore II – Odgen, UtahJames Simons – NashvillePamela and Mark Williams – Franklin
WELCOME NEW NCC MEMBERS
NCC member and football alumnus John Whitesell (’84) with sons, Jack Hunter and Jesse Walker.
Mr. C congratulates NCC members wrestling alumnus Bill Harrison (’54), son-in-law Mike Lainge and swimming alumnus William Themann (’70).
Candice (Storey) Lee, senior women’s administrator and women’s basketball alumna (’00).
For this year’s lettermen event, “Always a Commodore,”
the National Commodore Club invited all former
Vanderbilt student-athletes, cheerleaders, managers,
trainers and coaches to be a part of the Nov. 20 foot-
ball weekend. During a pregame luncheon, plans were
unveiled to honor this group by establishing a special
organization within the NCC called the V Society. NCC
Executive Director Christy Passmore emceed the event,
which also featured Senior Women’s Administrator
Candice Lee (’00), NCC Senior Director Lucy Jones and
Vice Chancellor David Williams.
ALWAYS A COMMDORE EVENT – NOV. 20, 2010
More than 200 guests filled the Vanderbilt Student Life Center.
Cheer alum Edie Kelsey (’87) and Vice Chancellor David Williams.
C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 7vucommodores.com
3 tennis tournament titles in the past four years for senior Rachael Dillon at the David Lloyd National Indoor Championship in her home country of Ireland.
4 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament for Head Coach Cathy Swezey’s lacrosse program, which begins its 2011 season on Feb. 12 at Presbyterian.
59 years of collegiate and professional football coaching experience for Head Coach James Franklin’s five offensive staff hires.
129 women’s basketball alumnae invited back for a reunion during the Tennessee game at Memorial Gym on Sunday, Feb. 13.
214.97 pinfall average for bowler Brittni Hamilton over 36 games at January’s Team USA Trials. Hamilton finished fourth to qualify for the squad, while teammate Jessica Earnest was an at-large selection to Junior Team USA.
356 total strikeouts last season by Commodore pitchers returning for the 2011 season.
14,316 fans at the Vanderbilt-Georgia men’s basket-ball game on Jan. 12—Memorial’s first sellout of 2011.
NUMBERSBy The
Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame to inductVanderbilt’s Henderson, Smith
More from McGugin
Bob Dudley Smith (right) and the late Tom Henderson (above, kneeling at left) will be inducted into the Ten-nessee Sports Hall of Fame during a banquet on Friday, Feb. 11 at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel.
Price named 2010 Warren Spahn Award winner
Tom Henderson Jr. (Posthumous)A multi-sport standout, Henderson earned nine varsity letters from 1929 to 1933. He was named captain for the football and baseball teams and played quarterback for late Vanderbilt head football Coach Dan McGugin.
Among his numerous sporting accom-plishments, Henderson was named to the 1957 Sports Illustrated Silver Anniversary All-America Football Team, qualified for the 1967 U.S. Open (golf) and won the 1967 National Masters U.S. Handball Championship.
Bob Dudley SmithAn outstanding basketball and baseball player at Nashville’s West High School, Smith turned down an offer from the Boston Red Sox to accept the second basketball schol-arship offered by the Commodores.
As a junior at Vanderbilt, Smith was part of Vanderbilt basketball history. He earned All-Tournament honors as the Commodores won their first Southeastern Conference Tournament Championship. In later years, Smith excelled on the Senior Tennis circuit playing in tournaments around the world.
Tampa Bay Rays ace David Price accepted the Warren Spahn Award as the best left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball during a gala on Jan. 20 at the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame & Jim Thorpe Museum. The award is based on a pitcher’s wins, strikeouts and earned run average. Price had 19 wins, 188 strikeouts and a 2.72 ERA during the 2010 season.
In its 12th year, the Spahn Award is named after Oklahoman and National Baseball Hall of Famer Warren Spahn, who holds the MLB record of 363 wins as a left-handed pitcher.
Price, the 2007 American Baseball Coaches Association National Player of the Year, finished second in Cy Young voting to Seattle’s Felix Hernandez. T
OM
MY
BO
UA
LA
PH
AN
H
JR. National Commodore Club
C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 7vucommodores.com
3 tennis tournament titles in the past four years for senior Rachael Dillon at the David Lloyd National Indoor Championship in her home country of Ireland.
4 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament for Head Coach Cathy Swezey’s lacrosse program, which begins its 2011 season on Feb. 12 at Presbyterian.
59 years of collegiate and professional football coaching experience for Head Coach James Franklin’s five offensive staff hires.
129 women’s basketball alumnae invited back for a reunion during the Tennessee game at Memorial Gym on Sunday, Feb. 13.
214.97 pinfall average for bowler Brittni Hamilton over 36 games at January’s Team USA Trials. Hamilton finished fourth to qualify for the squad, while teammate Jessica Earnest was an at-large selection to Junior Team USA.
356 total strikeouts last season by Commodore pitchers returning for the 2011 season.
14,316 fans at the Vanderbilt-Georgia men’s basket-ball game on Jan. 12—Memorial’s first sellout of 2011.
NUMBERSBy The
Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame to inductVanderbilt’s Henderson, Smith
More from McGugin
Bob Dudley Smith (right) and the late Tom Henderson (above, kneeling at left) will be inducted into the Ten-nessee Sports Hall of Fame during a banquet on Friday, Feb. 11 at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel.
Price named 2010 Warren Spahn Award winner
Tom Henderson Jr. (Posthumous)A multi-sport standout, Henderson earned nine varsity letters from 1929 to 1933. He was named captain for the football and baseball teams and played quarterback for late Vanderbilt head football Coach Dan McGugin.
Among his numerous sporting accom-plishments, Henderson was named to the 1957 Sports Illustrated Silver Anniversary All-America Football Team, qualified for the 1967 U.S. Open (golf) and won the 1967 National Masters U.S. Handball Championship.
Bob Dudley SmithAn outstanding basketball and baseball player at Nashville’s West High School, Smith turned down an offer from the Boston Red Sox to accept the second basketball schol-arship offered by the Commodores.
As a junior at Vanderbilt, Smith was part of Vanderbilt basketball history. He earned All-Tournament honors as the Commodores won their first Southeastern Conference Tournament Championship. In later years, Smith excelled on the Senior Tennis circuit playing in tournaments around the world.
Tampa Bay Rays ace David Price accepted the Warren Spahn Award as the best left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball during a gala on Jan. 20 at the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame & Jim Thorpe Museum. The award is based on a pitcher’s wins, strikeouts and earned run average. Price had 19 wins, 188 strikeouts and a 2.72 ERA during the 2010 season.
In its 12th year, the Spahn Award is named after Oklahoman and National Baseball Hall of Famer Warren Spahn, who holds the MLB record of 363 wins as a left-handed pitcher.
Price, the 2007 American Baseball Coaches Association National Player of the Year, finished second in Cy Young voting to Seattle’s Felix Hernandez. T
OM
MY
BO
UA
LA
PH
AN
H
JR. National Commodore Club
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 18 C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 9vucommodores.com
My Game
A junior infielder from Bethany, Conn., Jason Esposito chose to attend Vanderbilt after being drafted in the seventh round by the Kansas City Royals out of high school. Last season, he led the Commodores in slug-ging percentage before being chosen to join VU pitcher Sonny Gray on Team USA. Esposito discusses his game—good friends, great pitchers and amazing adventures.
On turning down the Kansas City Royals to come to Vanderbilt:“Can I say I was scared? Because I was scared to go off at 17 years old and play professional baseball, be without my parents, with-out any guidance. I felt coming here that I’d have a lot of guidance with Coach [Tim] Corbin and the rest of the coaching staff. I felt like coming here and making friendships like I have with some of my teammates like Sonny Gray, Navery Moore, Jack Armstrong, Riley Reynolds—the kids that came in with my class—we’ve really built lasting relationships, and that’s what I was looking forward to as far as coming to college and not taking that professional contract. I have no regrets.”
On playing for Team USA this past summer:“It was just more unbelievable than anything else. Putting on a jersey every morning and seeing “USA” across your chest, that was a goal I set for myself coming into college. I didn’t get that chance after my freshman year—Sonny did, and he always talked about going to Japan and playing the different teams and how fun it was. So that was something I wanted to experience for myself: different cultures, how they play baseball. It was awesome to see that, represent your country, play with the best kids in the country.”
On his 17th-inning, walk-off home run vs. Louisville last May:“It was a big game because it was the flood relief game, plus it was a huge game for our RPI because Louisville was ranked in the Top 10 at that time. Of course, revenge was a big thing, too. Any time you get into extra innings, you’re just looking for anybody to end it. I think we were all trying to end it with one swing, and I just got lucky.”
On hitting against Vanderbilt’s pitching staff:“It’s unbelievable. You have Grayson Garvin, a left-handed look; you have Sonny Gray, a right-handed look; Corey Williams, a hard-throw-ing relief pitcher. You have a newcomer like Steven Rice, who throws all kinds of junk at you from the left side. You have Navery Moore, who now has a really good slider/curveball; Jack Armstrong; Taylor Hill with all kinds of pitches. You never know what to expect because one pitch could be off for them that day, and they could be going to their second pitches. It’s just incredible facing them. Going into SEC Play, it’s like, ‘Okay, we faced this throughout the whole fall’ so it’s nothing almost, because we believe our pitching staff is the best one in the country.” On wood bats as opposed to metal:“I think it’s more of a pure game. For the hitters that really work hard every day, it’s easier to see how you’ll stack up against professional hitters. There are some people that don’t take the time to put in the work—they just have great swings, and the metal bat takes off and plays for them. I think the wood bat would separate some people.”
On his routine in the batter’s box:“I dig my foot in, clean out the batter’s box, take a practice swing and a deep breath, and go after it with the pitcher. It’s more of a routine than a superstition. I think if I get a couple of hits one day, I try to put on my socks the same way or eat what I ate the day before, some-thing like that, but it varies.” n
JasonEsposito
JOH
N R
US
SE
LL
Just weeks before the Commodores opened practice for the 2011 season, the American Baseball Coaches of America
held its annual conference in early January at the Opryland hotel.
At the convention, Vanderbilt associate head coach and pitching coach Derek John-son (left, with Baseball America national writer Aaron Fitt) was presented with the 2010 ABCA/Baseball America Assistant Coach of the Year award.
According to Fitt: “Derek Johnson is one of the premier pitching coaches in college base-ball. He has earned the respect of his peers and players for the way he treats players and constantly strives to add to his knowledge about pitching. And his track record of devel-oping elite arms speaks for itself.”
The Commodores also won the first-ever award recognizing summer college base-ball from the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball.
Season tickets for the 2011 campaign, which start as low as $80, are on sale now and can be purchased on VU’s official ath-letic web site, vucommodores.com; in per-son at the McGugin Center Ticket Office; or by calling 615/322.GOLD.
With 2011 season on deck, ABCA hits Nashville
KY
LE
PA
RK
INS
ON
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 18 C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 9vucommodores.com
My Game
A junior infielder from Bethany, Conn., Jason Esposito chose to attend Vanderbilt after being drafted in the seventh round by the Kansas City Royals out of high school. Last season, he led the Commodores in slug-ging percentage before being chosen to join VU pitcher Sonny Gray on Team USA. Esposito discusses his game—good friends, great pitchers and amazing adventures.
On turning down the Kansas City Royals to come to Vanderbilt:“Can I say I was scared? Because I was scared to go off at 17 years old and play professional baseball, be without my parents, with-out any guidance. I felt coming here that I’d have a lot of guidance with Coach [Tim] Corbin and the rest of the coaching staff. I felt like coming here and making friendships like I have with some of my teammates like Sonny Gray, Navery Moore, Jack Armstrong, Riley Reynolds—the kids that came in with my class—we’ve really built lasting relationships, and that’s what I was looking forward to as far as coming to college and not taking that professional contract. I have no regrets.”
On playing for Team USA this past summer:“It was just more unbelievable than anything else. Putting on a jersey every morning and seeing “USA” across your chest, that was a goal I set for myself coming into college. I didn’t get that chance after my freshman year—Sonny did, and he always talked about going to Japan and playing the different teams and how fun it was. So that was something I wanted to experience for myself: different cultures, how they play baseball. It was awesome to see that, represent your country, play with the best kids in the country.”
On his 17th-inning, walk-off home run vs. Louisville last May:“It was a big game because it was the flood relief game, plus it was a huge game for our RPI because Louisville was ranked in the Top 10 at that time. Of course, revenge was a big thing, too. Any time you get into extra innings, you’re just looking for anybody to end it. I think we were all trying to end it with one swing, and I just got lucky.”
On hitting against Vanderbilt’s pitching staff:“It’s unbelievable. You have Grayson Garvin, a left-handed look; you have Sonny Gray, a right-handed look; Corey Williams, a hard-throw-ing relief pitcher. You have a newcomer like Steven Rice, who throws all kinds of junk at you from the left side. You have Navery Moore, who now has a really good slider/curveball; Jack Armstrong; Taylor Hill with all kinds of pitches. You never know what to expect because one pitch could be off for them that day, and they could be going to their second pitches. It’s just incredible facing them. Going into SEC Play, it’s like, ‘Okay, we faced this throughout the whole fall’ so it’s nothing almost, because we believe our pitching staff is the best one in the country.” On wood bats as opposed to metal:“I think it’s more of a pure game. For the hitters that really work hard every day, it’s easier to see how you’ll stack up against professional hitters. There are some people that don’t take the time to put in the work—they just have great swings, and the metal bat takes off and plays for them. I think the wood bat would separate some people.”
On his routine in the batter’s box:“I dig my foot in, clean out the batter’s box, take a practice swing and a deep breath, and go after it with the pitcher. It’s more of a routine than a superstition. I think if I get a couple of hits one day, I try to put on my socks the same way or eat what I ate the day before, some-thing like that, but it varies.” n
JasonEsposito
JOH
N R
US
SE
LL
Just weeks before the Commodores opened practice for the 2011 season, the American Baseball Coaches of America
held its annual conference in early January at the Opryland hotel.
At the convention, Vanderbilt associate head coach and pitching coach Derek John-son (left, with Baseball America national writer Aaron Fitt) was presented with the 2010 ABCA/Baseball America Assistant Coach of the Year award.
According to Fitt: “Derek Johnson is one of the premier pitching coaches in college base-ball. He has earned the respect of his peers and players for the way he treats players and constantly strives to add to his knowledge about pitching. And his track record of devel-oping elite arms speaks for itself.”
The Commodores also won the first-ever award recognizing summer college base-ball from the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball.
Season tickets for the 2011 campaign, which start as low as $80, are on sale now and can be purchased on VU’s official ath-letic web site, vucommodores.com; in per-son at the McGugin Center Ticket Office; or by calling 615/322.GOLD.
With 2011 season on deck, ABCA hits Nashville
KY
LE
PA
RK
INS
ON
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 110 C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 11vucommodores.com
The Two TaylorsJeffery follows in father’s footsteps
Jeffery Taylor was born to be an Eagle. And not even a distance of greater than 5,000 miles could keep him out of Hobbs High School’s No. 44 jersey.
Jeffery grew up in Norrkoping, a city off the Baltic Sea in southeastern Sweden. Fol-lowing a career in the NBA, Jeffery’s father, Jeff Sr., moved to Sweden to continue his professional basketball career and eventu-ally settled down in Norrkoping with Jef-fery’s mother, Pia.
Growing up the oldest son of a profes-sional basketball player, Jeffery was on the court at a young age, and his inherited skill and athleticism quickly showed themselves. Before his junior year of high school, the Taylors decided that Jeffery would move to the United States and attend Jeff Sr.’s alma mater, Hobbs High School in New Mexico.
Hobbs, N.M., is a city of approximately 30,000 located 100 miles southwest of Lub-bock, Texas, where basketball is king. The Hobbs High School Eagles have won a New Mexico-record 16 state championships. And for the past 40 years nearly every step of the journey has included a member of the Taylor family, most of whom wore Hobbs’ No. 44 with distinction.
Jeff Sr. once scored 40 points during a 176-49 rout of nearby rival Roswell. Jeffery’s uncle Vince, who is an assistant coach for the Eagles, won a pair of state champion-ships in 1980 and 1981. Both would go on to star at nearby Texas Tech University.
Three other of Jeff Sr.’s brothers—Johnny, Dennis and Henry—also were heroes at Hobbs. Even Jeffery’s cousin, Chris Dunn, wore No. 44 at Hobbs while winning three state titles before being recruited to the Uni-versity of Arizona.
So when Jeffery arrived in Hobbs in the summer of 2006, his family’s reputation pre-ceded him.
Jeffery left his immediate family in Swe-den to move to New Mexico, where he would live with Jeff Sr.’s mother. Jeffery says his transition to the United States was “rough.” While adjusting to life and making friends at a new school as a high school junior, Jeffery also had to get used to speaking a different language.
“Before I came to the U.S., I probably had spoken English about 10 times in my life,” Jeffery said. “I could understand English perfectly, I just never spoke it. My dad would always speak English to me, and I would always answer in Swedish.”
“For the first few weeks, he called his mother every night,” Jeff Sr. said. “He didn’t have friends like he had here [in Sweden]. It
wasn’t exactly a smooth transition, but after the first month everybody got to know him and it was okay after that.”
Living with his grandmother did make the transition easier. A resident of Hobbs for more than 40 years, she was a constant sup-portive presence in his new life.
“She’s a very strong person and she loves basketball, as do most of the people who live in Hobbs,” Jeff Sr. said of his mother. “She still goes to all the games and she watches basketball on TV.”
When basketball season came around, things got tough again. Jeff Sr.’s brother Vince made sure that Jeffery worked hard to reach his full potential.
“I’m not so sure if Vince wouldn’t have
been there that Jeffery would have gone to Hobbs,” Jeff Sr. said. “Vince took over the role of Jeffery’s mentor and his disciplinar-ian. Jeffery may have thought Vince was pretty tough on him, but he learned that Vince expected a whole lot out of him from the very beginning, and that’s exactly the way I wanted it to be.”
“It made you tougher,” Jeffery said. “It prepared you really well for college, and life in general. You’re gonna have bad days, but you just have to suck it up and do what you have to do. I think my uncle did a great job of really shaping my mentality the way it is today.”
Everything eventually fell into place for Hobbs’ newest No. 44 named Taylor. Playing
Jeffery Taylor’s dunk (left) against No. 24 Georgia was a No. 1 play on SportsCenter. Thirty years before, Jeffery’s father, Jeff Sr. (above), was flying high for Texas Tech.
James Franklin was announced as Vanderbilt’s head football coach at a Dec. 17 news conference.
After becoming the all-time leading scorer in Hobbs High School history, Jeffery Taylor is making his own name at Vanderbilt.
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By Chris Weinman
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at a school that once held a national record for averaging 114.6 points per game, Jeffery became the school’s all-time leading scorer in just two seasons. During his senior year he averaged 30 points per game and led the Eagles to a Class 5A state championship, the fifth title in 12 years for Head Coach Russ Gilmore.
“Jeffery came here for a chance to carry on the tradition of the Taylor family playing as a Hobbs Eagle,” Gilmore said. “There was a lot of pressure on him. But he became the all-time leading scorer in just two years, so I think he upheld the tradition quite well.”
As for being a part of that tradition, Jeffery embraced the attention.
“It was great. For a high school, we really had a packed house every night,” Jeffery said. “About three and a half thousand people. They expect you to win, and they aren’t satisfied with anything but a state championship.”
Vanderbilt was a late addition to the long list of schools recruiting Jeffery in the fall of 2007, but the Commodores quickly moved up after Jeffery made a visit to campus.
“Jeffery was pretty impressed with Vanderbilt,” Jeff Sr. said. “As far as the coaches, the arena, the campus lay-out, it had everything. I remember after his recruiting trip it was basically Vanderbilt.”
“I knew from the beginning that there would be an opportunity for playing time,” Jeffery said. “And once we got deeper into recruiting, I developed relationships with the coaching staff and I could really see that Vanderbilt was a great school and would give me an opportunity to play SEC basketball in front of good crowds.”
As a Commodore, Jeffery has given those crowds quite a show. Now in his junior season, he has already surpassed the 1,000-point plateau and created numerous highlight-reel plays. Commodore Head Coach Kevin Stall-ings credits Jeffery’s strong family history in the game with developing his tenacity.
“Jeffery comes from a family of good basketball play-ers, and he’s a good basketball player,” Coach Stallings said. “It’s in his blood. He’s gotten a very competitive gene passed down from both his father and his uncle. Jef-fery’s certainly been a terrific player for us.”
That passion for the game of basketball could help Jef-fery continue to follow in his father’s footsteps—all the way to the NBA Draft.
JOE
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LL
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 110 C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 11vucommodores.com
The Two TaylorsJeffery follows in father’s footsteps
Jeffery Taylor was born to be an Eagle. And not even a distance of greater than 5,000 miles could keep him out of Hobbs High School’s No. 44 jersey.
Jeffery grew up in Norrkoping, a city off the Baltic Sea in southeastern Sweden. Fol-lowing a career in the NBA, Jeffery’s father, Jeff Sr., moved to Sweden to continue his professional basketball career and eventu-ally settled down in Norrkoping with Jef-fery’s mother, Pia.
Growing up the oldest son of a profes-sional basketball player, Jeffery was on the court at a young age, and his inherited skill and athleticism quickly showed themselves. Before his junior year of high school, the Taylors decided that Jeffery would move to the United States and attend Jeff Sr.’s alma mater, Hobbs High School in New Mexico.
Hobbs, N.M., is a city of approximately 30,000 located 100 miles southwest of Lub-bock, Texas, where basketball is king. The Hobbs High School Eagles have won a New Mexico-record 16 state championships. And for the past 40 years nearly every step of the journey has included a member of the Taylor family, most of whom wore Hobbs’ No. 44 with distinction.
Jeff Sr. once scored 40 points during a 176-49 rout of nearby rival Roswell. Jeffery’s uncle Vince, who is an assistant coach for the Eagles, won a pair of state champion-ships in 1980 and 1981. Both would go on to star at nearby Texas Tech University.
Three other of Jeff Sr.’s brothers—Johnny, Dennis and Henry—also were heroes at Hobbs. Even Jeffery’s cousin, Chris Dunn, wore No. 44 at Hobbs while winning three state titles before being recruited to the Uni-versity of Arizona.
So when Jeffery arrived in Hobbs in the summer of 2006, his family’s reputation pre-ceded him.
Jeffery left his immediate family in Swe-den to move to New Mexico, where he would live with Jeff Sr.’s mother. Jeffery says his transition to the United States was “rough.” While adjusting to life and making friends at a new school as a high school junior, Jeffery also had to get used to speaking a different language.
“Before I came to the U.S., I probably had spoken English about 10 times in my life,” Jeffery said. “I could understand English perfectly, I just never spoke it. My dad would always speak English to me, and I would always answer in Swedish.”
“For the first few weeks, he called his mother every night,” Jeff Sr. said. “He didn’t have friends like he had here [in Sweden]. It
wasn’t exactly a smooth transition, but after the first month everybody got to know him and it was okay after that.”
Living with his grandmother did make the transition easier. A resident of Hobbs for more than 40 years, she was a constant sup-portive presence in his new life.
“She’s a very strong person and she loves basketball, as do most of the people who live in Hobbs,” Jeff Sr. said of his mother. “She still goes to all the games and she watches basketball on TV.”
When basketball season came around, things got tough again. Jeff Sr.’s brother Vince made sure that Jeffery worked hard to reach his full potential.
“I’m not so sure if Vince wouldn’t have
been there that Jeffery would have gone to Hobbs,” Jeff Sr. said. “Vince took over the role of Jeffery’s mentor and his disciplinar-ian. Jeffery may have thought Vince was pretty tough on him, but he learned that Vince expected a whole lot out of him from the very beginning, and that’s exactly the way I wanted it to be.”
“It made you tougher,” Jeffery said. “It prepared you really well for college, and life in general. You’re gonna have bad days, but you just have to suck it up and do what you have to do. I think my uncle did a great job of really shaping my mentality the way it is today.”
Everything eventually fell into place for Hobbs’ newest No. 44 named Taylor. Playing
Jeffery Taylor’s dunk (left) against No. 24 Georgia was a No. 1 play on SportsCenter. Thirty years before, Jeffery’s father, Jeff Sr. (above), was flying high for Texas Tech.
James Franklin was announced as Vanderbilt’s head football coach at a Dec. 17 news conference.
After becoming the all-time leading scorer in Hobbs High School history, Jeffery Taylor is making his own name at Vanderbilt.
TE
XA
S T
EC
H A
TH
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By Chris Weinman
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at a school that once held a national record for averaging 114.6 points per game, Jeffery became the school’s all-time leading scorer in just two seasons. During his senior year he averaged 30 points per game and led the Eagles to a Class 5A state championship, the fifth title in 12 years for Head Coach Russ Gilmore.
“Jeffery came here for a chance to carry on the tradition of the Taylor family playing as a Hobbs Eagle,” Gilmore said. “There was a lot of pressure on him. But he became the all-time leading scorer in just two years, so I think he upheld the tradition quite well.”
As for being a part of that tradition, Jeffery embraced the attention.
“It was great. For a high school, we really had a packed house every night,” Jeffery said. “About three and a half thousand people. They expect you to win, and they aren’t satisfied with anything but a state championship.”
Vanderbilt was a late addition to the long list of schools recruiting Jeffery in the fall of 2007, but the Commodores quickly moved up after Jeffery made a visit to campus.
“Jeffery was pretty impressed with Vanderbilt,” Jeff Sr. said. “As far as the coaches, the arena, the campus lay-out, it had everything. I remember after his recruiting trip it was basically Vanderbilt.”
“I knew from the beginning that there would be an opportunity for playing time,” Jeffery said. “And once we got deeper into recruiting, I developed relationships with the coaching staff and I could really see that Vanderbilt was a great school and would give me an opportunity to play SEC basketball in front of good crowds.”
As a Commodore, Jeffery has given those crowds quite a show. Now in his junior season, he has already surpassed the 1,000-point plateau and created numerous highlight-reel plays. Commodore Head Coach Kevin Stall-ings credits Jeffery’s strong family history in the game with developing his tenacity.
“Jeffery comes from a family of good basketball play-ers, and he’s a good basketball player,” Coach Stallings said. “It’s in his blood. He’s gotten a very competitive gene passed down from both his father and his uncle. Jef-fery’s certainly been a terrific player for us.”
That passion for the game of basketball could help Jef-fery continue to follow in his father’s footsteps—all the way to the NBA Draft.
JOE
HO
WE
LL
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 112 C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 13vucommodores.com
It’s My Turn
By Rod Williamson
What’s in a Name?
Maybe I don’t know the name of Target’s CEO, but I shop there. I couldn’t tell you the administrative
structure of Ford Motor Co., but I’ve driven its cars. If the products are good, most of us could care less who has the corner office at corporate head-quarters.
So why does it seem to matter to some whether we have a per-son with the title director of athletics or we’re being directed by a vice chancellor? Quite frankly, that baffles me.
Why the fuss? I have my theories.Perhaps we have done a poor job of explaining how much our
vice chancellor is involved and how that involvement benefits our student-athletes and programs. Since 1972 I’ve worked under five full-time athletic directors and two interim directors. I’ve reported to one vice chancellor. All have had their individual strengths and weaknesses; after all, they were human.
Let me explain how decisions are made in a system using a director of athletics. A senior athletics management team sits around a conference table and grinds out policy and makes deci-sions. The biggest of these are then carried by the Director of Ath-letics across campus to a vice president or possibly, the president, who often needs a whole lot of convincing. One of the reoccurring phrases in this system is, “We have to be able to explain this to campus.”
Let me explain how decisions are made when a vice chancellor, who is a member of the university’s senior management team, is in charge. A senior athletics management team sits around the same conference table and grinds out policy and makes decisions. The phrase, “We have to be able to explain this to campus,” is obsolete because the leader of the meeting IS “campus.”
Maybe the issue is that people generally are less than willing to embrace change.
When the title of “director of athletics” was eliminated back in 2003, I confess that I was not thrilled. After all, this affected my career, and the future was suddenly unknown. Over the course of a few months, however, my insider’s chair allowed me to realize there is indeed more than one road to Rome.
For instance, can you remember the time when head coaching positions at Vanderbilt were revolving doors? As soon as one of our coaches had a big year—gone, off to greener pastures. We could run down the list of our current best head coaches and make a very compelling argument that none of them would be here under our former system. What has accounted for this important differentce and who would be responsible for that improvement?
Our department typically ran a deficit, even after the university’s significant financial subsidy. But last year athletics was even able to return some money to the university in a show of teamwork when financial markets battered our economy. Our athletic budget has increased by about 50% since 2003.
Contrary to some commentary, our recent football search showed that a smart and savvy vice chancellor can successfully sell our university and department to highly gifted coaches. Else-where, some veteran athletic directors have come under fire for botched searches.
Heading a Southeastern Conference athletic department is not an easy task. It might not be the most important position on a collegiate campus, but it carries a very high profile. Decisions are picked apart, too much credit lavished in good times and too much finger pointing during the bad. It goes with the territory.
The next time this topic pops up, keep in mind there are sig-nificant upsides to our system. There is progress on Jess Neely Drive. n
February 4
Kurt EllingNashville Symphony
Matt Catingub, conductor
February 11 & 12
Valentine’s with Gladys KnightNashville Symphony
Albert-George Schram, conductor
February 17, 18 & 19
Holst’s ‘The Planets’Nashville Symphony
Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor
February 24, 25 & 26
Broadway Rocks!Nashville Symphony
Albert-George Schram, conductor
2010/11 SEASON
TICKETS on sale now!NashvilleSymphony.org 615.687.6400
Proud Supporter of Vanderbilt Athletics
With support from:
We’re back.February Events
POPS SERIES
CONCERT SPONSOR:
CLASSICAL SERIES
CONCERT SPONSOR:
Experience theSCHERMERHORN
CONCERT SPONSOR:
JAZZSERIES
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 112 C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 13vucommodores.com
It’s My Turn
By Rod Williamson
What’s in a Name?
Maybe I don’t know the name of Target’s CEO, but I shop there. I couldn’t tell you the administrative
structure of Ford Motor Co., but I’ve driven its cars. If the products are good, most of us could care less who has the corner office at corporate head-quarters.
So why does it seem to matter to some whether we have a per-son with the title director of athletics or we’re being directed by a vice chancellor? Quite frankly, that baffles me.
Why the fuss? I have my theories.Perhaps we have done a poor job of explaining how much our
vice chancellor is involved and how that involvement benefits our student-athletes and programs. Since 1972 I’ve worked under five full-time athletic directors and two interim directors. I’ve reported to one vice chancellor. All have had their individual strengths and weaknesses; after all, they were human.
Let me explain how decisions are made in a system using a director of athletics. A senior athletics management team sits around a conference table and grinds out policy and makes deci-sions. The biggest of these are then carried by the Director of Ath-letics across campus to a vice president or possibly, the president, who often needs a whole lot of convincing. One of the reoccurring phrases in this system is, “We have to be able to explain this to campus.”
Let me explain how decisions are made when a vice chancellor, who is a member of the university’s senior management team, is in charge. A senior athletics management team sits around the same conference table and grinds out policy and makes decisions. The phrase, “We have to be able to explain this to campus,” is obsolete because the leader of the meeting IS “campus.”
Maybe the issue is that people generally are less than willing to embrace change.
When the title of “director of athletics” was eliminated back in 2003, I confess that I was not thrilled. After all, this affected my career, and the future was suddenly unknown. Over the course of a few months, however, my insider’s chair allowed me to realize there is indeed more than one road to Rome.
For instance, can you remember the time when head coaching positions at Vanderbilt were revolving doors? As soon as one of our coaches had a big year—gone, off to greener pastures. We could run down the list of our current best head coaches and make a very compelling argument that none of them would be here under our former system. What has accounted for this important differentce and who would be responsible for that improvement?
Our department typically ran a deficit, even after the university’s significant financial subsidy. But last year athletics was even able to return some money to the university in a show of teamwork when financial markets battered our economy. Our athletic budget has increased by about 50% since 2003.
Contrary to some commentary, our recent football search showed that a smart and savvy vice chancellor can successfully sell our university and department to highly gifted coaches. Else-where, some veteran athletic directors have come under fire for botched searches.
Heading a Southeastern Conference athletic department is not an easy task. It might not be the most important position on a collegiate campus, but it carries a very high profile. Decisions are picked apart, too much credit lavished in good times and too much finger pointing during the bad. It goes with the territory.
The next time this topic pops up, keep in mind there are sig-nificant upsides to our system. There is progress on Jess Neely Drive. n
February 4
Kurt EllingNashville Symphony
Matt Catingub, conductor
February 11 & 12
Valentine’s with Gladys KnightNashville Symphony
Albert-George Schram, conductor
February 17, 18 & 19
Holst’s ‘The Planets’Nashville Symphony
Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor
February 24, 25 & 26
Broadway Rocks!Nashville Symphony
Albert-George Schram, conductor
2010/11 SEASON
TICKETS on sale now!NashvilleSymphony.org 615.687.6400
Proud Supporter of Vanderbilt Athletics
With support from:
We’re back.February Events
POPS SERIES
CONCERT SPONSOR:
CLASSICAL SERIES
CONCERT SPONSOR:
Experience theSCHERMERHORN
CONCERT SPONSOR:
JAZZSERIES
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 114 C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 15vucommodores.com
When student-athletes arrive on campus they can face a variety of struggles. From being in a new
place with different people to learning how to balance practice times with study halls and upper-division academic classes.
Gabby Smith is not one of those people. From what she learned during her upbring-ing she was able to come to Nashville with an idea of how to adapt to a new environ-ment and thrive both on and off the court.
Smith hails from a family of athletes who have played a variety of sports at the colle-giate level. It began with her father, James, who played football at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. Unlike many parents who want their son to win the Heisman Trophy, James and Julie Smith did not go over-the-top to push their children into sports. Sure, they were encouraging and helpful, but they did not make Gabby sit outside until she could make 100 free throws. They focused on instilling good character and teaching respect of the game.
“I think I benefited because our parents were not the types to drive sports into us and make it a top priority,” said Gabby. “I think the parents who push their kids too hard end up driving them away from the game instead of bringing them closer. My parents just wanted us to do well and let the coaches do their job. They taught me how to work hard and stay focused.”
Smith is quick to use words such as “us” and “we” in reference to her siblings and makes it clear how tight-knit the six of them are. She has two older brothers, Zach and Shane, an older sister, Julianne, and two younger brothers, Blake and A.J., and they all grew up competing against each other.
Growing up in Cincinnati, Smith has fond memories of playing sports with family
members and developing her competitive nature. Her childhood consisted of play-ing football with her older siblings while her dad played all-time quarterback. The teams would be split up with one girl and one boy on each team—Smith was fast to note that she always won, regardless of who was on her team.
Each of her older siblings helped teach her something different and bring out a different side in Smith. Her oldest brother, Zach, went to Purdue to play offensive line for the Boilermakers. While in West Lafay-ette, Zach was a top scholar-athlete who was preparing for med school while com-peting in the Big 10. After graduating from Purdue, Zach has gone on to the Univer-
sity of Illinois College of Medicine and has helped teach Gabby about how to handle the pressure of being a student-athlete.
“Zach taught me that I can balance schoolwork and athletics,” Smith said. “He made me realize that I can succeed on the field and in the classroom. He was able to earn the highest GPA on the football team at Purdue, and it made me feel that I could do the same.”
Smith’s other older brother, Shane, chose to play lacrosse in the latter part of his high school career and moved on to play long-stick midfielder at the U.S. Military Acad-emy at West Point. His path was different than those of Zach and Gabby. Shane was not heavily recruited and had to work hard and appreciate the opportunities he was given. Gabby learned to stay grounded and put in the time and effort to her craft.
“Not everyone gets this chance,” Gabby said. “From Shane, I learned to be thank-ful when coaches called instead of being annoyed. Not everyone is given the oppor-tunity that I was, so when a coach called I was courteous because I know there are people out there who would do anything to play college athletics.”
Smith’s brothers helped build toughness over the years and taught her how to handle herself off the court, but her sister Julianne helped hone her skills on it. The two basket-ball players went after each other, pushing one another to improve. Smith remembers times when she would look out the win-dow and see Julianne shooting free throws, which would motivate Smith to jump up and shoot even more. There were one-on-one games and small competitions, but it was always an enjoyable time. Julianne is cur-rently a senior forward for the University of Charleston in West Virginia, but the two still stay close.
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“She benefited from having older siblings who have succeeded as collegiate athletes,” Gabby’s father, James, said. “They helped her create a competitive spirit that shows on the court and in the classroom.”
Despite the four being in different places and playing a variety of sports, Gabby has learned the importance of family and keeping in touch. One of the reasons she chose Vanderbilt was because it was so close to home. Her family is able to come to Nashville to watch games, and she has the opportunity to witness her younger brothers grow up playing sports.
Even though Gabby is in her second year at Vanderbilt, she has not slowed down competing against her older siblings. They still push each other and play pickup games in the backyard of their Ohio home.
“A few summers ago I beat both of my brothers in one-on-one for the first time,” Smith said. “They couldn’t believe it. They both stood there trying to figure out what happened and went back into the house humbled.”
Smith states it is all in good fun and it still helps improve her game, but she still reminds her older brothers about the occasion. This drive to succeed and improve is showing on the court this yea. Dur-ing the preconference schedule, Smith started seven games for the Commodores. She has improved her points-per-game, rebounds-per-game and assists-per-game stats from last season. Aside from excelling on the court, Smith is double majoring in cognitive studies and sociology.
When asked about the challenge of double majoring and playing basketball at the SEC level, Smith gives a small laugh, a shrug of the shoulders and says: “I’ve learned a lot from my family. They taught me that hard work pays off. If I put in the time I can succeed and bal-ance different aspects of playing college athletics.”
There is no doubt that Gabby Smith has absorbed the lessons taught during her upbringing. Whether it is shooting 100 free throws on her own or hitting the books after practice, Smith looks to take her Vanderbilt experience to the next level. n
Gabby Smith and the supportive sibs By Donald Turnbaugh
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The Smith family (left to right): A.J., Shane, Julianne, Zachary, Gabby and Blake.
Sophomore Gabby Smith (right) started seven of Vanderbilt’s nonconference games in 2010.
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 114 C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 15vucommodores.com
When student-athletes arrive on campus they can face a variety of struggles. From being in a new
place with different people to learning how to balance practice times with study halls and upper-division academic classes.
Gabby Smith is not one of those people. From what she learned during her upbring-ing she was able to come to Nashville with an idea of how to adapt to a new environ-ment and thrive both on and off the court.
Smith hails from a family of athletes who have played a variety of sports at the colle-giate level. It began with her father, James, who played football at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. Unlike many parents who want their son to win the Heisman Trophy, James and Julie Smith did not go over-the-top to push their children into sports. Sure, they were encouraging and helpful, but they did not make Gabby sit outside until she could make 100 free throws. They focused on instilling good character and teaching respect of the game.
“I think I benefited because our parents were not the types to drive sports into us and make it a top priority,” said Gabby. “I think the parents who push their kids too hard end up driving them away from the game instead of bringing them closer. My parents just wanted us to do well and let the coaches do their job. They taught me how to work hard and stay focused.”
Smith is quick to use words such as “us” and “we” in reference to her siblings and makes it clear how tight-knit the six of them are. She has two older brothers, Zach and Shane, an older sister, Julianne, and two younger brothers, Blake and A.J., and they all grew up competing against each other.
Growing up in Cincinnati, Smith has fond memories of playing sports with family
members and developing her competitive nature. Her childhood consisted of play-ing football with her older siblings while her dad played all-time quarterback. The teams would be split up with one girl and one boy on each team—Smith was fast to note that she always won, regardless of who was on her team.
Each of her older siblings helped teach her something different and bring out a different side in Smith. Her oldest brother, Zach, went to Purdue to play offensive line for the Boilermakers. While in West Lafay-ette, Zach was a top scholar-athlete who was preparing for med school while com-peting in the Big 10. After graduating from Purdue, Zach has gone on to the Univer-
sity of Illinois College of Medicine and has helped teach Gabby about how to handle the pressure of being a student-athlete.
“Zach taught me that I can balance schoolwork and athletics,” Smith said. “He made me realize that I can succeed on the field and in the classroom. He was able to earn the highest GPA on the football team at Purdue, and it made me feel that I could do the same.”
Smith’s other older brother, Shane, chose to play lacrosse in the latter part of his high school career and moved on to play long-stick midfielder at the U.S. Military Acad-emy at West Point. His path was different than those of Zach and Gabby. Shane was not heavily recruited and had to work hard and appreciate the opportunities he was given. Gabby learned to stay grounded and put in the time and effort to her craft.
“Not everyone gets this chance,” Gabby said. “From Shane, I learned to be thank-ful when coaches called instead of being annoyed. Not everyone is given the oppor-tunity that I was, so when a coach called I was courteous because I know there are people out there who would do anything to play college athletics.”
Smith’s brothers helped build toughness over the years and taught her how to handle herself off the court, but her sister Julianne helped hone her skills on it. The two basket-ball players went after each other, pushing one another to improve. Smith remembers times when she would look out the win-dow and see Julianne shooting free throws, which would motivate Smith to jump up and shoot even more. There were one-on-one games and small competitions, but it was always an enjoyable time. Julianne is cur-rently a senior forward for the University of Charleston in West Virginia, but the two still stay close.
JOH
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US
SE
LL
“She benefited from having older siblings who have succeeded as collegiate athletes,” Gabby’s father, James, said. “They helped her create a competitive spirit that shows on the court and in the classroom.”
Despite the four being in different places and playing a variety of sports, Gabby has learned the importance of family and keeping in touch. One of the reasons she chose Vanderbilt was because it was so close to home. Her family is able to come to Nashville to watch games, and she has the opportunity to witness her younger brothers grow up playing sports.
Even though Gabby is in her second year at Vanderbilt, she has not slowed down competing against her older siblings. They still push each other and play pickup games in the backyard of their Ohio home.
“A few summers ago I beat both of my brothers in one-on-one for the first time,” Smith said. “They couldn’t believe it. They both stood there trying to figure out what happened and went back into the house humbled.”
Smith states it is all in good fun and it still helps improve her game, but she still reminds her older brothers about the occasion. This drive to succeed and improve is showing on the court this yea. Dur-ing the preconference schedule, Smith started seven games for the Commodores. She has improved her points-per-game, rebounds-per-game and assists-per-game stats from last season. Aside from excelling on the court, Smith is double majoring in cognitive studies and sociology.
When asked about the challenge of double majoring and playing basketball at the SEC level, Smith gives a small laugh, a shrug of the shoulders and says: “I’ve learned a lot from my family. They taught me that hard work pays off. If I put in the time I can succeed and bal-ance different aspects of playing college athletics.”
There is no doubt that Gabby Smith has absorbed the lessons taught during her upbringing. Whether it is shooting 100 free throws on her own or hitting the books after practice, Smith looks to take her Vanderbilt experience to the next level. n
Gabby Smith and the supportive sibs By Donald Turnbaugh
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The Smith family (left to right): A.J., Shane, Julianne, Zachary, Gabby and Blake.
Sophomore Gabby Smith (right) started seven of Vanderbilt’s nonconference games in 2010.
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 116 C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 17vucommodores.com
Balcomb discusses reunion, embracing history
On Sunday, Feb. 13, the Vander-bilt women’s basketball team will play host to the Tennessee Lady
Vols in a nationally televised Southeast-ern Conference matchup at Memorial Gym.
The rivalry game will be the backdrop for a reunion of all former VU women’s basketball players and managers and their families. During halftime of the game, Vanderbilt will retire two-time All-American Chantelle Anderson’s No. 21 jersey.
The game also is being dubbed an employee celebration, offering Vanderbilt faculty and staff the chance to purchase exclusive single-game tickets.
On the upcoming retirement of Chan-telle Anderson’s jersey:“She put a stamp on this program. That’s what I knew about Vanderbilt before I got here. It was one of the reasons I came here. I thought the opportunity to coach her for a year—to coach a Kodak All-American, with the ability she had—would be amazing. I’m very proud of her as a player and a person—the way she represents the university in such a classy fashion. She’s doing a lot of amazing things even after her career on the court is over. It’s nice. You hope that all your former players will end up like that.”
On VU’s current No. 21, redshirt-fresh-man Stephanie Holzer:“At Vanderbilt, we don’t retire numbers, we retire jerseys, so Steph wanted to keep her number. Steph knows the tra-dition and success that Chantelle helped get to the highest level. Chantelle’s a big reason why Vanderbilt’s been known as a post player program, and Steph will help continue that legacy.”
On why celebrating VU’s history is important:“I’m hoping that they understand the pride and tradition that has been estab-lished by all of the people here before them, and that it’s something that they need to work very hard to maintain and live up to. The expectations here are very high to continue that kind of success.”
On fan support for the event:“(A big crowd) would be great. That’s one of the reason why you bring back alumnae—not just to appreciate and thank them for what they did, but to get a crowd in the building excited and try to get a sixth player, an advantage, and create a really great environment for your current team and the game that they’re in that day.” n
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Balcomb discusses reunion, embracing history
On Sunday, Feb. 13, the Vander-bilt women’s basketball team will play host to the Tennessee Lady
Vols in a nationally televised Southeast-ern Conference matchup at Memorial Gym.
The rivalry game will be the backdrop for a reunion of all former VU women’s basketball players and managers and their families. During halftime of the game, Vanderbilt will retire two-time All-American Chantelle Anderson’s No. 21 jersey.
The game also is being dubbed an employee celebration, offering Vanderbilt faculty and staff the chance to purchase exclusive single-game tickets.
On the upcoming retirement of Chan-telle Anderson’s jersey:“She put a stamp on this program. That’s what I knew about Vanderbilt before I got here. It was one of the reasons I came here. I thought the opportunity to coach her for a year—to coach a Kodak All-American, with the ability she had—would be amazing. I’m very proud of her as a player and a person—the way she represents the university in such a classy fashion. She’s doing a lot of amazing things even after her career on the court is over. It’s nice. You hope that all your former players will end up like that.”
On VU’s current No. 21, redshirt-fresh-man Stephanie Holzer:“At Vanderbilt, we don’t retire numbers, we retire jerseys, so Steph wanted to keep her number. Steph knows the tra-dition and success that Chantelle helped get to the highest level. Chantelle’s a big reason why Vanderbilt’s been known as a post player program, and Steph will help continue that legacy.”
On why celebrating VU’s history is important:“I’m hoping that they understand the pride and tradition that has been estab-lished by all of the people here before them, and that it’s something that they need to work very hard to maintain and live up to. The expectations here are very high to continue that kind of success.”
On fan support for the event:“(A big crowd) would be great. That’s one of the reason why you bring back alumnae—not just to appreciate and thank them for what they did, but to get a crowd in the building excited and try to get a sixth player, an advantage, and create a really great environment for your current team and the game that they’re in that day.” n
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By hiring James Franklin as its head coach, Van-derbilt will have one of
the nation’s top quarterback mentors guiding the program.
And Franklin, currently crisscrossing America in search of elite prep pros-pects as National Signing Day approaches, believes the Commodores will succeed in developing future stars at the quarterback position.
“Maximizing the talents of our quarterbacks, and doing a great job mentoring that posi-tion, is critically important to the overall success of our
team,” Franklin said. “It is a priority with this coaching staff.”With only three scholarship signal callers on the current Vander-
bilt roster, Franklin’s emphasis on the position likely is extremely attractive to highly regarded prep quarterbacks nationwide.
Indeed, the new Commodore coach knows what it takes to become a top quarterback. An elite signal caller at the Division II level during his playing days, Franklin has sur-rounded himself with great quarterbacks since getting into the coaching ranks in the mid-1990s. His resume includes time with National Football League legends, a current pro starter in Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman and oth-ers who have achieved individual and team success.
Freeman, now in his second year at Tampa Bay, remains a huge Franklin fan.
“Coach (Franklin) has meant so much to me, both on and off the field,” Freeman said. “One of the best things that ever happened to me was getting to work with Coach Franklin.”
In three short years at Kansas State, Freeman evolved from a strong-armed prospect to the No. 17 overall NFL draft pick in 2009. In his last year paired with Franklin, Freeman emerged for the Wildcats, throwing for a team-record 3,353 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Franklin’s most recent pupil, Maryland’s Danny O’Brien, blossomed as a redshirt freshman in 2010. Inserted into the Terrapins’ starting lineup in the fourth game, O’Brien went on to garner Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year honors after throwing for 2,438 yards, 22 touch-downs and just eight interceptions.
O’Brien, also named as a first-team freshman All-Amer-ica on Jan. 10, was recruited by Franklin and swayed by the coach’s knowledge of the quarterback position, com-petitive drive and enthusiasm.
“Coach was a big factor in my decision (to attend Mary-land),” O’Brien said. “We have similar passion for the game, and I thought he was the coach to mold me into the player I thought I could be.”
Under Franklin’s watch, O’Brien spent a year improving his mechanics, learning to break down film and getting a solid grasp of the offensive scheme. Then, when given the offensive reins last fall, O’Brien never looked back.
“Coach truly knows the position and really taught me how to be a college quarterback and what it meant to have that role. Everything from watching film the proper way and leading our team to how I should carry myself, on and off the field,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien’s rise at Maryland mirrored that of Freeman at Kansas State.
“I was very raw and needed development in really every area,” Freeman said. “Coach taught me proper footwork, how to better understand pass routes and schemes, just how to play the posi-tion. Truly, to this day, my fundamental foundation as a quarterback came from the time with him.”
Franklin mentored Freeman after spending the 2005 season at Green Bay coaching wide receivers. The Packer quarterback was none other than NFL all-time leading passer Brett Favre. Years earlier, through the NFL’s Minority Coaching Fellowship Program, Franklin also spent extended time with another passing legend, Miami hall of famer Dan Marino.
“I’ve enjoyed some unique coaching experiences, especially at the quarterback position, and learned from each opportunity,” Franklin said. “Watching how Brett Favre went about his business and how he created his profession helped me coach and prepare Josh at Kansas State. I was better prepared to help Danny (O’Brien) after working with Josh, and I’ll be even more prepared to develop Commodore quarterbacks after working with Danny.”
At Vanderbilt, Franklin and his offensive staff will mentor a quar-terback corps that includes senior Larry Smith and two untested prospects, redshirt junior Jordan Rodgers and redshirt sophomore Charlie Goro. The team has struggled at the position for the past several seasons. n
Franklin: Leading mentor of QBs By Larry Leathers
At Kansas State, Coach Franklin mentored future Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Josh Freeman.
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 118 C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 19vucommodores.com
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By hiring James Franklin as its head coach, Van-derbilt will have one of
the nation’s top quarterback mentors guiding the program.
And Franklin, currently crisscrossing America in search of elite prep pros-pects as National Signing Day approaches, believes the Commodores will succeed in developing future stars at the quarterback position.
“Maximizing the talents of our quarterbacks, and doing a great job mentoring that posi-tion, is critically important to the overall success of our
team,” Franklin said. “It is a priority with this coaching staff.”With only three scholarship signal callers on the current Vander-
bilt roster, Franklin’s emphasis on the position likely is extremely attractive to highly regarded prep quarterbacks nationwide.
Indeed, the new Commodore coach knows what it takes to become a top quarterback. An elite signal caller at the Division II level during his playing days, Franklin has sur-rounded himself with great quarterbacks since getting into the coaching ranks in the mid-1990s. His resume includes time with National Football League legends, a current pro starter in Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman and oth-ers who have achieved individual and team success.
Freeman, now in his second year at Tampa Bay, remains a huge Franklin fan.
“Coach (Franklin) has meant so much to me, both on and off the field,” Freeman said. “One of the best things that ever happened to me was getting to work with Coach Franklin.”
In three short years at Kansas State, Freeman evolved from a strong-armed prospect to the No. 17 overall NFL draft pick in 2009. In his last year paired with Franklin, Freeman emerged for the Wildcats, throwing for a team-record 3,353 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Franklin’s most recent pupil, Maryland’s Danny O’Brien, blossomed as a redshirt freshman in 2010. Inserted into the Terrapins’ starting lineup in the fourth game, O’Brien went on to garner Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year honors after throwing for 2,438 yards, 22 touch-downs and just eight interceptions.
O’Brien, also named as a first-team freshman All-Amer-ica on Jan. 10, was recruited by Franklin and swayed by the coach’s knowledge of the quarterback position, com-petitive drive and enthusiasm.
“Coach was a big factor in my decision (to attend Mary-land),” O’Brien said. “We have similar passion for the game, and I thought he was the coach to mold me into the player I thought I could be.”
Under Franklin’s watch, O’Brien spent a year improving his mechanics, learning to break down film and getting a solid grasp of the offensive scheme. Then, when given the offensive reins last fall, O’Brien never looked back.
“Coach truly knows the position and really taught me how to be a college quarterback and what it meant to have that role. Everything from watching film the proper way and leading our team to how I should carry myself, on and off the field,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien’s rise at Maryland mirrored that of Freeman at Kansas State.
“I was very raw and needed development in really every area,” Freeman said. “Coach taught me proper footwork, how to better understand pass routes and schemes, just how to play the posi-tion. Truly, to this day, my fundamental foundation as a quarterback came from the time with him.”
Franklin mentored Freeman after spending the 2005 season at Green Bay coaching wide receivers. The Packer quarterback was none other than NFL all-time leading passer Brett Favre. Years earlier, through the NFL’s Minority Coaching Fellowship Program, Franklin also spent extended time with another passing legend, Miami hall of famer Dan Marino.
“I’ve enjoyed some unique coaching experiences, especially at the quarterback position, and learned from each opportunity,” Franklin said. “Watching how Brett Favre went about his business and how he created his profession helped me coach and prepare Josh at Kansas State. I was better prepared to help Danny (O’Brien) after working with Josh, and I’ll be even more prepared to develop Commodore quarterbacks after working with Danny.”
At Vanderbilt, Franklin and his offensive staff will mentor a quar-terback corps that includes senior Larry Smith and two untested prospects, redshirt junior Jordan Rodgers and redshirt sophomore Charlie Goro. The team has struggled at the position for the past several seasons. n
Franklin: Leading mentor of QBs By Larry Leathers
At Kansas State, Coach Franklin mentored future Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Josh Freeman.
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 120 C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 21vucommodores.com
Franklin on the offensive; announces staff hires
FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS2/1 Dexter Daniels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football2/1 John Stokes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football2/2 Kellie Kuzmuk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Track/Cross Country2/5 Tiffany Clarke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Women’s Basketball2/5 Lena Josifi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Track/Cross Country2/6 Elizabeth Brunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Swimming2/6 Kacie Connors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lacrosse2/6 Kelly Connors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lacrosse2/7 Brionne Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Track/Cross Country2/7 Austin Monahan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football2/7 Ryan Seymour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football2/12 James Kittredge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football2/15 Erika Deardorf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Swimming2/16 Kate Goldin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Soccer2/20 Casey Bakker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lacrosse2/20 Betsy Galenti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Swimming2/20 Rene Sobolewski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Women’s Golf2/21 Korrie Barnes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football2/21 Andre Simmons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football2/22 Joseph Newman . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Men’s Cross Country2/22 Larry Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football2/22 Josalyn White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Track/Cross Country2/24 Courtney Kirk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lacrosse2/24 Tomas Salazar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Men’s Cross Country2/26 Chase White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football2/27 Conrad Gregor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baseball2/27 Jordan Janico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Men’s Golf2/27 DeAndre Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football2/28 Katherine Hendricks . . . . . . . . . . . Track/Cross Country
WHAT TO WATCH FORThe Boys of Winter? The calendar may still say winter, but the baseball team will get into the swing of things this month. The Commodores open the 2011 season on Feb. 18 in southern California, playing four games in three days against San Diego and San Diego State.
Those that cannot make the trip west can welcome the team back to Hawkins Field when the Commodores open an 18-game homestand against Belmont on Wednesday, Feb. 23.
The Dores close out February against perennial Pac 10 power Stanford coming to Nashville for a weekend series, Feb. 25-27.
Season tickets for the entire 32-game home slate are available now starting at $80. The Commodores are offering a four-ticket family pack (two adult, two youth tickets) for $219. Tickets can be purchased on the web (vucommodores.com), by phone (615/322.GOLD) or in person at the McGugin Center.
JOHN DONOVANOffensive Coordinator/RBs
Bio: Spent the last six years working at Maryland. Called offensive plays in Terps 51-20 Military Bowl victory over East Car-olina to conclude 9-4 season in 2010. Top backs coached include Davin Meggett and Da’Rel Scott, a 1,133-yard rusher and All-ACC honoree in 2008. Joined Terp staff after working with Ralph Friedgen at Georgia Tech.
Franklin on Donovan: “John is a guy that I’ve known for probably 12-15 years. He is a Johns Hopkins grad, extremely intelligent. He took over the play-calling duties in the bowl game after I left, and obviously I wasn’t missed very much since they scored 51 points in that game, and John did a tremendous job. He is a very knowledge-able, very hardworking coach who I think is going to represent us very well. I couldn’t be happier to have John.”
CHRIS BEATTYWRs/Offensive Recruiting Coord.
Bio: Served the last three years as run-ning backs/slot receivers coach at West Virginia. Wide receiver Jock Sanders became WVU’s all-time leading receiver and is No. 2 all-time in the Big East.. Sanders hauled in 195 catches during three years under Beatty. Beatty has mentored nine players into the NFL and 12 all-conference performers.
Franklin on Beatty: “Chris is considered one of the top recruiters in the country. He made a name for himself as a very successful high school coach in Virginia, winning a bunch of state champion-ships. He coached a guy by the name of Percy Harvin. He moved up the ranks extremely fast. I consider myself a pretty good recruiter, and Chris and I would go head-to-head on a lot of kids in the Vir-ginia, Maryland, D.C. area, and he was very successful.”
RICKY RAHNEQuarterbacks
Bio: Previously worked with Franklin at Kansas State during the 2006-07 sea-sons. Together, they mentored Josh Free-man into a first-round NFL draft pick. Rahne served as tight ends coach under Bill Snyder the last two years. Last year, Kansas State earned a berth in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl as the Wildcat offense averaged 33.6 points per game.
Franklin on Rahne: “Ricky played quarterback at Cornell. I had an opportunity to hire Ricky as a graduate assistant at Kansas State, and it was obvious right away that he was one of my most valued staff members. He sees the big picture. He’s played the position of quarterback, and I think it’s important that you’ve been under fire before, that you know what it’s like to put your hands under center, to have the linebackers staring at you.”
CHARLES BANKINSTEs/Special Teams
Bio: Has experience coaching at the col-legiate and NFL levels. In 2010, Bankins’ punt returner at Maryland, Tony Logan, earned first team All-ACC honors after averaging 18.8 yards per return. In 2009, Terp Torrey Smith set the ACC single-season kickoff return yards mark for the second straight season en route to all-conference honors.
Franklin on Bankins: “Charles has coached at every level. He was at Richmond when they won the national championship, and he also has coached in the NFL. A lot of coaches give special teams lip service. That won’t be the case here. That’ll be an emphasis; that’ll be a big reason why we win here. There’s no one else I would want coordinating our special teams but Charles Bankins.”
HERB HANDOffensive Line
Bio: The lone offensive coach retained from the 2010 VU staff. One of his top pupils, tackle Wesley Johnson, earned SEC All-Freshman honors in 2010. Came to Vanderbilt last year after an extremely successful tenure as Tulsa’s co-offensive coordinator. From 2007-09, the Hurri-canes ranked among the nation’s best in scoring and total offense.
Franklin on Hand: “It probably says in the write-up that Herb has been retained, but he has not been retained. He has been hired just like everybody else on the staff. We want to make sure that’s very clear. With Herb’s background—he’s been an offensive coordinator but also coached on defense in the past—it was very obvious that he was going to be very valuable to us. Herb’s a guy that doesn’t mind speaking his opinion, which is important to me.”
DWIGHT GALTStrength & Conditioning Director
Bio: Comes to Vanderbilt from a Mary-land program that experienced one of the NCAA’s most impressive turnarounds in 2010. Galt served as Director of Strength & Conditioning for the Terps for the past 17 years, and spent a total of 27 years at Maryland. Several of his assistants have gone on to head strength positions.
Franklin on Galt: “Dwight had been at Maryland for 26 years. He was one of the most respected coaches in Maryland history. Nobody thought that I could get Dwight Galt to come to Vanderbilt. I think the strength coach is probably one of the most important hires. He’s the guy that’s going to spend the most time with your team instilling discipline and toughness and maximizing our play-ers’ potential in terms of athletic ability.”
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 120 C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 21vucommodores.com
Franklin on the offensive; announces staff hires
FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS2/1 Dexter Daniels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football2/1 John Stokes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football2/2 Kellie Kuzmuk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Track/Cross Country2/5 Tiffany Clarke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Women’s Basketball2/5 Lena Josifi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Track/Cross Country2/6 Elizabeth Brunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Swimming2/6 Kacie Connors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lacrosse2/6 Kelly Connors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lacrosse2/7 Brionne Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Track/Cross Country2/7 Austin Monahan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football2/7 Ryan Seymour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football2/12 James Kittredge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football2/15 Erika Deardorf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Swimming2/16 Kate Goldin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Soccer2/20 Casey Bakker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lacrosse2/20 Betsy Galenti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Swimming2/20 Rene Sobolewski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Women’s Golf2/21 Korrie Barnes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football2/21 Andre Simmons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football2/22 Joseph Newman . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Men’s Cross Country2/22 Larry Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football2/22 Josalyn White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Track/Cross Country2/24 Courtney Kirk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lacrosse2/24 Tomas Salazar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Men’s Cross Country2/26 Chase White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football2/27 Conrad Gregor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baseball2/27 Jordan Janico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Men’s Golf2/27 DeAndre Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football2/28 Katherine Hendricks . . . . . . . . . . . Track/Cross Country
WHAT TO WATCH FORThe Boys of Winter? The calendar may still say winter, but the baseball team will get into the swing of things this month. The Commodores open the 2011 season on Feb. 18 in southern California, playing four games in three days against San Diego and San Diego State.
Those that cannot make the trip west can welcome the team back to Hawkins Field when the Commodores open an 18-game homestand against Belmont on Wednesday, Feb. 23.
The Dores close out February against perennial Pac 10 power Stanford coming to Nashville for a weekend series, Feb. 25-27.
Season tickets for the entire 32-game home slate are available now starting at $80. The Commodores are offering a four-ticket family pack (two adult, two youth tickets) for $219. Tickets can be purchased on the web (vucommodores.com), by phone (615/322.GOLD) or in person at the McGugin Center.
JOHN DONOVANOffensive Coordinator/RBs
Bio: Spent the last six years working at Maryland. Called offensive plays in Terps 51-20 Military Bowl victory over East Car-olina to conclude 9-4 season in 2010. Top backs coached include Davin Meggett and Da’Rel Scott, a 1,133-yard rusher and All-ACC honoree in 2008. Joined Terp staff after working with Ralph Friedgen at Georgia Tech.
Franklin on Donovan: “John is a guy that I’ve known for probably 12-15 years. He is a Johns Hopkins grad, extremely intelligent. He took over the play-calling duties in the bowl game after I left, and obviously I wasn’t missed very much since they scored 51 points in that game, and John did a tremendous job. He is a very knowledge-able, very hardworking coach who I think is going to represent us very well. I couldn’t be happier to have John.”
CHRIS BEATTYWRs/Offensive Recruiting Coord.
Bio: Served the last three years as run-ning backs/slot receivers coach at West Virginia. Wide receiver Jock Sanders became WVU’s all-time leading receiver and is No. 2 all-time in the Big East.. Sanders hauled in 195 catches during three years under Beatty. Beatty has mentored nine players into the NFL and 12 all-conference performers.
Franklin on Beatty: “Chris is considered one of the top recruiters in the country. He made a name for himself as a very successful high school coach in Virginia, winning a bunch of state champion-ships. He coached a guy by the name of Percy Harvin. He moved up the ranks extremely fast. I consider myself a pretty good recruiter, and Chris and I would go head-to-head on a lot of kids in the Vir-ginia, Maryland, D.C. area, and he was very successful.”
RICKY RAHNEQuarterbacks
Bio: Previously worked with Franklin at Kansas State during the 2006-07 sea-sons. Together, they mentored Josh Free-man into a first-round NFL draft pick. Rahne served as tight ends coach under Bill Snyder the last two years. Last year, Kansas State earned a berth in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl as the Wildcat offense averaged 33.6 points per game.
Franklin on Rahne: “Ricky played quarterback at Cornell. I had an opportunity to hire Ricky as a graduate assistant at Kansas State, and it was obvious right away that he was one of my most valued staff members. He sees the big picture. He’s played the position of quarterback, and I think it’s important that you’ve been under fire before, that you know what it’s like to put your hands under center, to have the linebackers staring at you.”
CHARLES BANKINSTEs/Special Teams
Bio: Has experience coaching at the col-legiate and NFL levels. In 2010, Bankins’ punt returner at Maryland, Tony Logan, earned first team All-ACC honors after averaging 18.8 yards per return. In 2009, Terp Torrey Smith set the ACC single-season kickoff return yards mark for the second straight season en route to all-conference honors.
Franklin on Bankins: “Charles has coached at every level. He was at Richmond when they won the national championship, and he also has coached in the NFL. A lot of coaches give special teams lip service. That won’t be the case here. That’ll be an emphasis; that’ll be a big reason why we win here. There’s no one else I would want coordinating our special teams but Charles Bankins.”
HERB HANDOffensive Line
Bio: The lone offensive coach retained from the 2010 VU staff. One of his top pupils, tackle Wesley Johnson, earned SEC All-Freshman honors in 2010. Came to Vanderbilt last year after an extremely successful tenure as Tulsa’s co-offensive coordinator. From 2007-09, the Hurri-canes ranked among the nation’s best in scoring and total offense.
Franklin on Hand: “It probably says in the write-up that Herb has been retained, but he has not been retained. He has been hired just like everybody else on the staff. We want to make sure that’s very clear. With Herb’s background—he’s been an offensive coordinator but also coached on defense in the past—it was very obvious that he was going to be very valuable to us. Herb’s a guy that doesn’t mind speaking his opinion, which is important to me.”
DWIGHT GALTStrength & Conditioning Director
Bio: Comes to Vanderbilt from a Mary-land program that experienced one of the NCAA’s most impressive turnarounds in 2010. Galt served as Director of Strength & Conditioning for the Terps for the past 17 years, and spent a total of 27 years at Maryland. Several of his assistants have gone on to head strength positions.
Franklin on Galt: “Dwight had been at Maryland for 26 years. He was one of the most respected coaches in Maryland history. Nobody thought that I could get Dwight Galt to come to Vanderbilt. I think the strength coach is probably one of the most important hires. He’s the guy that’s going to spend the most time with your team instilling discipline and toughness and maximizing our play-ers’ potential in terms of athletic ability.”
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FEBRUARY SCHEDULEBaseball
18 San Diego (San Diego, Calif.) 4 p.m.
19 San Diego (San Diego, Calif.) 5 p.m.
19 San Diego State (San Diego, Calif.) 9 p.m.
20 San Diego (San Diego, Calif.) 3 p.m.
23 Belmont (Hawkins Field) 4 p.m.
25 Stanford (Hawkins Field) 4 p.m.
26 Stanford (Hawkins Field) 2 p.m.
27 Stanford (Hawkins Field) 1 p.m.
Men’s Basketball
1 Florida (Gainesville, Fla.) 8 p.m.
5 South Carolina (Memorial Gym) 12:30 p.m.
10 Alabama (Memorial Gym) 8 p.m.
12 Kentucky (Memorial Gym) Noon
16 Georgia (Athens, Ga.) 6 p.m.
19 Auburn (Auburn, Ala.) 3 p.m.
22 Tennessee (Memorial Gym) 8 p.m.
26 LSU (Baton Rouge, La.) 12:30 p.m.
Women’s Basketball
3 LSU (Memorial Gym) 7 p.m.
6 Florida (Gainesville, Fla.) Noon
10 Georgia (Athens, Ga.) 6 p.m.
13 Tennessee (Memorial Gym) REUNION 5 p.m.
17 Mississippi State (Starkville, Miss.) 7 p.m.
20 Kentucky (Memorial Gym) PINK OUT 1 p.m.
24 Florida (Memorial Gym) SENIOR DAY 8 p.m.
27 South Carolina (Columbia, S.C.) 1 p.m.
Bowling
11-13 Capital Classic (Dover, Del.)
19-20 Morgan State Invitational (Baltimore, Md.)
25-27 Holiday Classic (Bessemer, Ala.)
Men’s Golf
21-22 Mobile Bay Intercollegiate (Mobile, Ala.)
Women’s Golf
27-3/1 Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate (New Orleans, La.)
Lacrosse
12 Presbyterian (Clinton, S.C.) Noon
16 North Carolina (VU Lacrosse Complex) 1 p.m.
23 Canisius (VU Lacrosse Complex) 2 p.m.
27 Northwestern (VU Lacrosse Complex) Noon
Swimming
5 Tulane (Centennial Sportsplex)
16-19 SEC Championsihps (Gainesville, Fla.)
26-27 Last Chance Meet (TBA)
Men’s Tennis
4 Memphis (Currey Tennis Center) 2 p.m.
12 Washington (Ann Arbor, Mich.) 2:30 p.m.
13 Michigan (Ann Arbor, Mich.) 2 p.m.
18 Northwestern (Evanston, Ill.) 6 p.m.
18-20 National Indoor Finals (Seattle, Wash.)
25 Indiana (Currey Tennis Center) 5 p.m.
27 North Carolina (Currey Tennis Center) 1 p.m.
Women’s Tennis
5 Yale (Currey Tennis Center) Noon
6 Princeton (Currey Tennis Center) Noon
8 MTSU (Currey Tennis Center) 2:30 p.m.
12 Notre Dame (South Bend, Ind.) 10 a.m.
13 Michigan (Ann Arbor, Mich.) 9:30 a.m.
18-21 National Team Indoors (Madison, Wis.)
Women’s Track
4-5 Meyo Invitational (Murfreesboro)
11-12 Tyson Invitational (Fayetteville, Ark.)
24-27 SEC Indoor Championships (Fayetteville, Ark.)
All times Central and subject to change. Those not shown are TBA
– check vucommodores.com for updates.
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 122 C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N 23vucommodores.com
FEBRUARY SCHEDULEBaseball
18 San Diego (San Diego, Calif.) 4 p.m.
19 San Diego (San Diego, Calif.) 5 p.m.
19 San Diego State (San Diego, Calif.) 9 p.m.
20 San Diego (San Diego, Calif.) 3 p.m.
23 Belmont (Hawkins Field) 4 p.m.
25 Stanford (Hawkins Field) 4 p.m.
26 Stanford (Hawkins Field) 2 p.m.
27 Stanford (Hawkins Field) 1 p.m.
Men’s Basketball
1 Florida (Gainesville, Fla.) 8 p.m.
5 South Carolina (Memorial Gym) 12:30 p.m.
10 Alabama (Memorial Gym) 8 p.m.
12 Kentucky (Memorial Gym) Noon
16 Georgia (Athens, Ga.) 6 p.m.
19 Auburn (Auburn, Ala.) 3 p.m.
22 Tennessee (Memorial Gym) 8 p.m.
26 LSU (Baton Rouge, La.) 12:30 p.m.
Women’s Basketball
3 LSU (Memorial Gym) 7 p.m.
6 Florida (Gainesville, Fla.) Noon
10 Georgia (Athens, Ga.) 6 p.m.
13 Tennessee (Memorial Gym) REUNION 5 p.m.
17 Mississippi State (Starkville, Miss.) 7 p.m.
20 Kentucky (Memorial Gym) PINK OUT 1 p.m.
24 Florida (Memorial Gym) SENIOR DAY 8 p.m.
27 South Carolina (Columbia, S.C.) 1 p.m.
Bowling
11-13 Capital Classic (Dover, Del.)
19-20 Morgan State Invitational (Baltimore, Md.)
25-27 Holiday Classic (Bessemer, Ala.)
Men’s Golf
21-22 Mobile Bay Intercollegiate (Mobile, Ala.)
Women’s Golf
27-3/1 Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate (New Orleans, La.)
Lacrosse
12 Presbyterian (Clinton, S.C.) Noon
16 North Carolina (VU Lacrosse Complex) 1 p.m.
23 Canisius (VU Lacrosse Complex) 2 p.m.
27 Northwestern (VU Lacrosse Complex) Noon
Swimming
5 Tulane (Centennial Sportsplex)
16-19 SEC Championsihps (Gainesville, Fla.)
26-27 Last Chance Meet (TBA)
Men’s Tennis
4 Memphis (Currey Tennis Center) 2 p.m.
12 Washington (Ann Arbor, Mich.) 2:30 p.m.
13 Michigan (Ann Arbor, Mich.) 2 p.m.
18 Northwestern (Evanston, Ill.) 6 p.m.
18-20 National Indoor Finals (Seattle, Wash.)
25 Indiana (Currey Tennis Center) 5 p.m.
27 North Carolina (Currey Tennis Center) 1 p.m.
Women’s Tennis
5 Yale (Currey Tennis Center) Noon
6 Princeton (Currey Tennis Center) Noon
8 MTSU (Currey Tennis Center) 2:30 p.m.
12 Notre Dame (South Bend, Ind.) 10 a.m.
13 Michigan (Ann Arbor, Mich.) 9:30 a.m.
18-21 National Team Indoors (Madison, Wis.)
Women’s Track
4-5 Meyo Invitational (Murfreesboro)
11-12 Tyson Invitational (Fayetteville, Ark.)
24-27 SEC Indoor Championships (Fayetteville, Ark.)
All times Central and subject to change. Those not shown are TBA
– check vucommodores.com for updates.
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 124
JOE HOWELL / VU PHOTOGRAPHY
last shot
Senior Hannah Tuomi became the 32nd wom-en’s player at Vanderbilt to score 1,000 career points during an 11-point performance against
Delaware in the Hilton Garden Classic in Blacksburg, Va. One week later, Coach Balcomb (above) presented Tuomi with a ceremonial ball prior to Vanderbilt’s SEC home opener against Mississippi State.
Classmate Jence Rhoads would reach the 1,000-point plateau in January at UT. Along with teammate Rebecca Silinski, the trio will play in Memorial Gym four times during the final month of the women’s bas-ketball regular season.
The Commodores will close out the home portion of their 2011 schedule with three marquee games. A nationally televised game against Tennessee on Feb. 13 will feature the women’s basketball reunion and Employee Celebration. The following week, the Com-modores will host a Pink Out on Feb. 20 against Ken-tucky to raise awareness of breast cancer.
Senior Night is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 24, at 8 p.m. CT when Florida visits Memorial Gym. For the third straight year, the senior class will use their final home game to generate awareness for a special cause. This class has chosen to support World Vision by sponsoring an 11-year-old child from Mexico.
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 124
JOE HOWELL / VU PHOTOGRAPHY
last shot
Senior Hannah Tuomi became the 32nd wom-en’s player at Vanderbilt to score 1,000 career points during an 11-point performance against
Delaware in the Hilton Garden Classic in Blacksburg, Va. One week later, Coach Balcomb (above) presented Tuomi with a ceremonial ball prior to Vanderbilt’s SEC home opener against Mississippi State.
Classmate Jence Rhoads would reach the 1,000-point plateau in January at UT. Along with teammate Rebecca Silinski, the trio will play in Memorial Gym four times during the final month of the women’s bas-ketball regular season.
The Commodores will close out the home portion of their 2011 schedule with three marquee games. A nationally televised game against Tennessee on Feb. 13 will feature the women’s basketball reunion and Employee Celebration. The following week, the Com-modores will host a Pink Out on Feb. 20 against Ken-tucky to raise awareness of breast cancer.
Senior Night is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 24, at 8 p.m. CT when Florida visits Memorial Gym. For the third straight year, the senior class will use their final home game to generate awareness for a special cause. This class has chosen to support World Vision by sponsoring an 11-year-old child from Mexico.
