Tag: Mountain West Conference

John Ralston (1927-2019) once coached the SJSU Spartans

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By Ana Kieu

John Ralston was one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s most popular and beloved college and professional sports figures and passed away peacefully in Sunnyvale, Calif., on September 14, 2019.

Ralston’s impact on the Bay Area sports scene spanned 60 years from his days as a linebacker on the 1947 through 1950 University of California, Berkeley football teams playing for legendary coach Lynn “Pappy” Waldorf” into the 21st century as a special assistant to the athletics director at San Jose State University.

HIS FOOTBALL COACHING CAREER: Ralston was best known as a football coach with a positive approach to life that took Utah State University, Stanford University and the Denver Broncos to unprecedented success.

Ralston began his coaching career as an assistant football coach at San Lorenzo (Calif.) High in 1953 and spent two seasons at Mt. Diablo High before returning to Cal. He returned to the University of California in 1956 as an assistant football coach and was on the staff for the 1958 Golden Bears’ team that played in the 1959 Rose Bowl.

Ralston was the head coach at Utah State (1959-62), Stanford (1963-71), Denver Broncos (1972-76), Oakland Invaders (1983-84) and San Jose State (1993-96). Combining his college and pro head coaching records, his teams amassed a 140-126-7 win-loss record.

Ralston’s Utah State teams played in the 1960 Sun Bowl and 1961 Gotham Bowl and his Stanford squads won consecutive Pacific 8 Conference championships and Rose Bowls following the 1970 and 1971 regular seasons. The Broncos’ first winning season in franchise history was in 1973, his second as a NFL head coach.

Ralston’s coaching tree included former NFL head coaches the late Bill Walsh, Dick Vermeil, Jim Mora, Sr., Mike White, the late Rod Rust, the late Jack Christiansen and college head coaches the late Roger Theder, the late Tony Knap, Ed Peasley and Rubin Carter.

Ralston’s best-known players included 1970 Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett at Stanford and Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman Merlin Olsen at Utah State.

MORE THAN A FOOTBALL COACH: Ralston’s football experiences extended beyond coaching players and his assistants. He was the Broncos’ general manager and head coach. He was a Philadelphia Eagles assistant coach to Vermeil in 1978. He was the vice president of the San Francisco 49ers during the 1979 and 1980 seasons. He was the president of the Portland Breakers in 1984 and 1985.

Ralston scouted for the Seattle Seahawks in 1988 and 1989 and served three years — 1990 through 1992 — as the coordinator for Operation Discovery, a search for foreign-born football players of the World League of American Football. His search took him to the Soviet Union and a short-lived position as head coach of the Moscow Bears, the U.S.S.R’s first pro football team.

Ralston, a one-time Dale Carnegie Courses instructor, also served as an administrator for Major League Volleyball, a pro women’s volleyball league, and the general manager of the Sacramento Capitols team tennis franchise.

Ralston, a Oakland, Calif. native, was born on April 26, 1927, and spent parts of his youth in Norway, Michigan. He graduated from the University of California in 1951.

A World War II veteran, Ralston served in the Marine Corps, achieving the rank of corporal. He was stationed mainly on the S.S. Little Rock in the South Pacific.

SOME HONORS & ACCOLADES: Ralston’s lengthy list of accolades includes induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992, the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1996, the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1997, the San Jose Hall of Fame in 2001; and the Sports Halls of Fame for San Jose State, Stanford and Utah State.

As a coach, Ralston was named Stanford’s “Coach of the Century” when the university celebrated its centennial anniversary of football in 1991 and the 1973 United Press International’s American Football Conference “Coach of the Year” in his second season with the Broncos.

Ralston is survived by his daughter, Terry (Ralston) Zaffonato, four grandsons, two granddaughters, and one great granddaughter. He was predeceased by his wife of 46 years, Patty (Ward) Ralston; a son, Larry; a daughter, Sherry (Ralston) Brown, the twin sister of Terry; and Virginia Fanelli, his life partner following the passing of Patty.

A celebration of life for Ralston will be announced in the near future.

San Jose State MBB announces 2019-20 TV schedule and tip-off times

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — For the first time since 2011, San Jose State men’s basketball will play a home game that will be broadcast to a national audience on the ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU. SJSU will host Utah State on Dec. 4 in a game that will be broadcast on either ESPN2 or ESPNU.

The game is one of eight nationally televised games the Spartans will play as part of their 2019-20 schedule. SJSU will also play on ESPN2 or ESPNU when they visit Logan, Utah for their contest with USU.

The fans’ first chance to catch the Spartans on television will be on Nov. 27 when SJSU and Oregon State face off on FS1 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas as part of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic.

The Spartans then return to the Event Center for the big matchup versus USU. The game will be the first since Feb. 23, 2011 that SJSU will host ESPN2 or ESPNU at their home court.

CBS Sports Network will carry the Dec. 14, game against Stanford at 4:00 p.m. PT in the second of three televised home games.

AT&T SportsNet will carry three road games and the regular season finale at home versus UNLV on Saturday, Feb. 29.

All other SJSU men’s basketball games will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

Season and single game tickets for all men’s and women’s basketball games go on sale Oct. 1.

San Jose State men’s basketball Director of Basketball Operations, Trent Miyagishima, is a new favorite

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By Ana Kieu

Every successful men’s basketball program has the same key ingredients – a great coach and coaching staff, great players and great support. Well, at least those are the ingredients that the fans see on the surface. Beneath the surface, there are plenty of other components that go into making (and sustaining) a successful program. There’s scheduling team travel, making hotel reservations, overseeing day-to-day duties to ensure that all the little things run smoothly, and analyzing the stats on the bench to help the staff make game adjustments — just to name a few.

All of these crucial yet overlooked details fall on the shoulders of the Director of Basketball Operations, and at San Jose State we have one of the best in the business – Trent Miyagishima.

Miyagishima joined the San Jose State men’s basketball program back in 2011 as a Team Manager and has stuck around ever since. He has been on staff longer than any of the current coaches and has climbed his way up the ladder, taking on new responsibilities and challenges each season.

Beginning in 2015, Miyagishima, who graduated from San Jose State with a degree in Communication Studies in 2017, became the Head Manager and in 2017, he took over the role of Video Coordinator. In the role, he was responsible for shooting, editing and analyzing video from all practices and all games.

Prior to last season, Miyagishima took the next step in his professional career as he was promoted to the Director of Operations. Tasked with overseeing all the day-to-day functions of the San Jose State men’s basketball program, while continuing to handle the Video Coordinator duties, he has excelled in the role and is one of the most important members of the Spartan program.

SJSU President Mary Papazian Appointed to NCAA Board of Directors

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Photo credit: blogs.sjsu.edu

By: Ana Kieu

San Jose State University President Mary A. Papazian has been appointed to the NCAA’s Division I Board of Directors.

Papazian’s term of service on the committee began at the close of the association’s May 2019 Board of Directors meeting and continues until the end of the August 2023 Board meeting.

“Representing San Jose State and the Mountain West on the NCAA Board of Directors is quite an honor,” said Papazian. “While the NCAA manages and governs intercollegiate sports for more than 1,100 colleges and universities, the heart of the association’s mission is providing opportunities for student-athletes to earn a college degree. That academic focus is one I gravitate toward and an area where I can contribute the most in this role.”

As an NCAA Board member, Papazian will be charged with helping to sustain and advance the Association’s mission, traditions, values and reputation. Board members regularly participate in committee meetings and conference calls and address a variety of issues. Last year, Papazian served as vice chair of the NCAA Division I Presidential Forum.

The 24-member Board of Directors committee consists of one university chancellor or president from each of the 10 FBS conferences; one Senior Woman Administrator from a FBS conference; seven representatives consisting of university presidents, an athletics director and a faculty athletics representative from FCS conferences; five university presidents from Division I institutions that do not sponsor football; and a student-athlete from a Division I institution.

“President Papazian’s role and service on the Mountain West Board of Directors will prepare her well in representing the league on the NCAA Board of Directors. The combination of responsibilities to both will enable her to transition in the Mountain West Board Chair position in 2020 and we look forward to her active participation,” said Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson.

“President Papazian has an incredible pulse on the daily life of a student-athlete.  She is keenly aware of the challenges, fortitude and exhilaration student-athletes experience as they navigate their daily lives.  She is a student-centered President, and will serve all students, regardless of their gender or sport,” said San Jose State University athletics director Marie Tuite.

Papazian joined San Jose State University as its 30th president on July 1, 2016. Recent milestones at SJSU include the opening of the new, $130 million Spartan Recreation and Aquatics Center; a series of Town Hall meetings hosted by SJSU’s Institute for the Study of Sport, Society and Social Change; and the launch of a new, 10-year strategic plan known as Transformation 2030. Next week, SJSU and its Division of Intercollegiate Athletics will host a groundbreaking ceremony for the future construction of a new Football Operations Center.

About San Jose State University
The founding campus of the 23-campus CSU system, SJSU provides a comprehensive university education, granting bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in 250 areas of study offered through its eight colleges.

With more than 35,000 students and nearly 4,370 employees, SJSU continues to be an essential partner in the economic, cultural and social development of Silicon Valley and the state, annually contributing 10,000 graduates to the workforce.

The university is proud of the accomplishments of its more than 260,000 alumni, 60% of whom live and work in the Bay Area.

About San Jose State Athletics
San Jose State sponsors 22 (nine men’s and 13 women’s) NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports programs for approximately 470 student-athletes annually. In football, the Spartans are a member of Division I’s FBS, the NCAA’s highest level of competition.

The Spartans’ primary conference affiliation is with the Mountain West. Selected teams belong to the MPSF, the WAC, and the GCC.

SJSU has 10 NCAA team championships and 52 NCAA individual titles. 62 Spartans competed in one or more Olympic Games. SJSU athletes have won seven gold, six silver and seven bronze medals at the Olympics.

NCAAFB podcast with Daniel Dullum: New AP Top 25; Cardinal back in hunt for the bowl; USC coach Helton on the bubble after loss to Cal

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photo from Louisville Courier: Bobby Petrino didn’t have answers as Wake Forest beat the Cards 56-35, giving Louisville a record of 2-6 start, its worst season since 1997’s 1-10. Oct. 27, 2018.(Photo: Matt Stone/Louisville Courier Journal)

On the NCAAFB podcast with Daniel:

1. Louisville Cardinal Bobby Petrino (36-26) fired their coach during his show on WAVE TV. The announcement came from the crawl on the screen below.

2 The New AP Top 25.

3 Stanford romps past Oregon State, Cardinal now Bowl Eligible.

4 Cal slips past USC, Trojans coach can begin packing his bags; Bears are Bowl Eligible.

5 Arizona State stuns UCLA, Sun Devils now Bowl Eligible under Herm Edwards!

6 Boise State upsets No. 16 Fresno State in the Mountain West.

7 Minnesota upsets Purdue 41-10, same Boilermakers who drubbed Ohio State 49-20 on Oct. 20.

Daniel does the NCAAFB podcasts each Sunday for Michelle Richardson at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Michelle Richardson on the NCAA

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by Michelle Richardson

 

Cal’s dreadful 2013 season: I’ll be honest with Cal head coach Sonny Dykes is not suited to coach at Cal and he’s a very good coach and I think the jump from Louisiana Tech to the University of California Berkeley was too large for him he should have gone to a larger mid major conference maybe like the Mountain West Conference. Going to Cal was too big of a leap to go from the Sun Belt conference to the Pac 12 where it’s dog eat dog Dykes was just outmanned.

Fact is Dykes will have a tough time proving himself in the Pac 12 and this was just a horrible season finishing 1-11 and it’s going to take a lot for the Bears to rebound and who knows if they can to be honest with you. I honestly don’t know if the leadership is there and I was talking with Sportstalk’s Jeremy Kahn and this falls on Cal Athletic Director Sandy Barbour and honestly to an extent Sonny Dykes because of his play calling but more so because of the price tag that they don’t have to pay him as much as if they had to go after a larger name.

There’s money still left on Cal former head coach Jeff Tedford’s contract so it’s one of those, “well this is all we could afford” and it’s a shame because Cal could have been at least competitive in the Pac 12. Cal wasn’t even competitive they were just a doormat. They won one game against Portland State earlier in the season. It’s too horrible to talk about Cal and it’s kind of a sad day that Cal is dealing with all these new sporting facilities on campus and with the new football stadium and was doing it on a shoe string and Cal eventually is going to have to put butts in the seats. They need to win a few more games than this next season.

Louisville basketball with 21 straight wins: Louisville has something to prove and their trying to prove that their not a fluke but their also playing UNC in UNC. UNC is a basketball school that’s what they do they’ve got a football team the only other team that rivals them is their soccer and that’s women’s and men’s soccer but definitely women’s soccer. Louisville has a very good coach in Rick Pitino. I’m telling you it’s going to be closer than you think but I still give the win to UNC.

UNC will win because Louisville has lost so many players to the draft after their championship run last year.

Charleston Classic concludes: It’s always to go to Charleston and see my old alum the New Mexico Lobos and we live on the east coast so we don’t get to see them except for television so it was good to see them play and they played Daividson and Davidson is outmanned on this. Davidson what they lack in size they have in heart so I believe the Lobos will win but Davidson will give them all they have.

New Mexico they lost on Saturday to UMass 81-65 on Friday they came off a triple overtime loss to UAB that doesn’t take nothing away from UMass and UMass is a very good team and their in the tournament right now and their going to play Clemson and their going to hear it from UMass and their going to be a turning team to look out for.

So don’t take UMass lightly and UMass whose 4-0 will be dominating this tournament and please understand that the Lobos are playing a week late and the triple overtime they had against UAB is a tough one. Their playing Davidson and they got their legs back and they will definitely beat Davidson and not taking anything away from Davidson they lack a little shot against New Mexico but they’re all heart.

Michelle Richardson does commentary on the NCAA each week for Sportstalk Radio