San Jose State Spartans – Page 20

The return of fake news, but this time, at San Jose State–thanks to the Spartan Daily

Published on June 17, 2019June 17, 2019 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SJSUAthletics

By: Ana Kieu

This morning, San Jose State Athletics tweeted that the SJSU Media Relations released findings, cited inaccuracies, and requested corrections to the Spartan Daily’s May 15 reporting on donor funding to SJSU Athletics. Of course, the Spartan Daily received the correction requests and worked on reviewing them, but their line “It’s always our priority to ensure we get the story right” just doesn’t sound right. If they truly cared, then they’d go the extra mile.

I usually stay out of politics on social media, but fake news was an issue that I couldn’t ignore. Sure, the term was popularized by President Donald Trump, but fake news is indeed an issue in the United States–and it’s more than just fake news. Although a single line can mean different things among different types of people, it’s still wrong for one to think that it’s okay to publish such information. Now, I’m not saying the Spartan Daily intentionally wrote with the intent to mislead the masses, but it’s sort of scary to know that they’re journalists in training.

To be clear, I majored in Communication Studies at San Jose State University, but still, this was a disappointing news update to see on a Monday morning. Yes, there has been a lot of controversy at San Jose State–possibly more than any other university in the Mountain West Conference, but the fact the fake news was reported by many news sources–whether local or national, like, say, USA Today and 247Sports–makes me wonder how gullible some people really are. At this point, it’s too little, too late, but this is an issue that we should think about moving forward.

Here’s the list of corrections SJSU Media Relations sent to the Spartan Daily:

Spartan Daily published a series of stories in its May 15, 2019 special edition that contained 22 inaccuracies ranging from allegations of mishandled Spartan Foundation funds and endowments to mismanagement of donor money. On June 13, SJSU Media Relations formally submitted a list of inaccuracies to Spartan Daily with a request to provide readers an accurate account of information by making corrections on its online and print editions. This page provides a full summary of the list submitted to the student newspaper with the inaccuracies highlighted in blue for each statement.

Spartan Daily “Millions Misused” article (05/15/19, print publication, page one)

Statement

Less than 5% of Spartan Foundation money intended for athletic scholarships was distributed to San Jose State athletes from 2013-2016 according to sources and confirmed by document reviewed by the Spartan Daily

Correction

Every donation designated by the donor for athletics scholarships was used for that purpose.

Statement

The Spartan Foundation was marketed to donors on SJSU athletics’ website as a fund that provides athletic scholarships, and was managed as part of the Tower Foundation since 2014.

Correction

Spartan Foundation (SF) is a separate 501(c)3. SF is not managed by Tower Foundation. It deposited its donations into accounts at the Tower Foundation.

Statement

The Spartan Foundation was marketed to donors on SJSU athletics’ website as a fund that provides athletic scholarships, and was managed as part of the Tower Foundation since 2014.

Correction

Bylaws of Spartan Foundation, Inc. (revised, June 20, 2012) articulate the primary purpose of the Spartan Foundation as described below. Fundraising for scholarships was not the only or sole purpose.

BYLAWS OF SPARTAN FOUNDATION, INC. (source document)

ARTICLE II FOUNDATION PURPOSE

Section 1. THE PRIMARY PURPOSE. The primary purpose of the Spartan Foundation is to raise funds to support nearly 450 student-athletes annually for the following;
A. Scholarships for all varsity sports.
B. Assist with the operating budgets and Sports Improvement Funds (coaches’ salaries, travel, equipment, recruiting) for the varsity teams.
C. Building, renovating and maintaining facilities for these teams.
D. Student-Athletes Academic Center and provide support to our academic staff.

Statement

“The Spartan Foundation is the fundraising arm of the San Jose State University Athletics Department,” the website previously stated. “As its primary objective, the Spartan Foundation provides scholarship support for all of San Jose State’s NCAA Division I athletic teams.”

Correction

Primary objective does not equal sole objective.

Bylaws of Spartan Foundation, Inc. (revised, June 20, 2012) articulate the primary purpose of the Spartan Foundation as described below. Fundraising for scholarships was not the only or sole purpose.

BYLAWS OF SPARTAN FOUNDATION, INC. (source document)

ARTICLE II FOUNDATION PURPOSE

Statement

$4.5 million was not distributed per year for athletic scholarships through the foundation fund, according to Spartan Foundation account details.

Correction

As Spartan Foundation fundraising was inadequate to fund all scholarships, SJSU Athletics used other sources of revenue, beyond Spartan Foundation donations, to fully fund all scholarships. Most importantly, all student-athletes who were selected to receive scholarships received them.

Specifically, from 2013 – 2016, SJSU Athletics provided over $25M in student-athlete scholarship aid through multiple revenue sources such as but not limited to sponsorship agreements, television contracts, game guarantees, and ticket sales.

The following data of athletically-related student aid is sourced from EADA (Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act) as SJSU Athletics submits required information to the Department of Education and reported to the NCAA.

Source: EADA (Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act)

Department of Education site:
Survey Year | Athletically-Related Student Aid
2013 | $5,167,667
2014 | $5,733,710
2015 | $6,813,951
2016 | $7,604,545
Total | $25,319,873

Spartan Daily “Demystiying endowments and donations to Tower Foundation” article (05/15/19, print publication, page two)

Statement

Endowment #5. After three years of accruing interest, the revenue from the principal investment is sent from the Tower Foundation to the intended area of use.

Correction

A distribution from the endowment is made every spring based on the trailing three-year average market value of the fund. Distributions from scholarship endowments are directed to the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office; distributions from other endowments are retained in separate accounts at the Tower Foundation. Distributions are not sent to any department other than Financial Aid.

Statement

Donation #2. A donor contract is signed, including the agreed upon amount and where the money will be going. There is no minimum for single-time or recurring donations given.

Correction

Donor contracts are not required for non-endowed donations unless the purpose of the gift is complicated or involves naming a facility or program.

Spartan Daily “What actually happened” (5/15/19, printed version, page three)

Statement

#2. Donors sign a contract, including the agreed upon amount and where the money will be going. There is no minimum amount for single-time or recurring donations.

Correction

Donor contracts are not required for non-endowed donations unless the purpose of the gift is complex or involves naming a facility or program.

Statement

3. The money should be processed through the Tower Foundation, and then distributed to the area of use based on the donors’ original intent. Donations are given out the same year as donated unless specified in the donor contract.

Correction

3. The money should be processed through the Tower Foundation, where it is available for the purpose specified for the donor. Donations are not given out in the same year as they are on deposit in a Tower account for the area (college/division/department/program) designated by the donor to utilize for the intended purpose depending when the funds are needed. It could be next month or even the following year – as it depends upon variables such as donation amount, timing of the gift, and other funds available for the area’s needs.

Spartan Daily “San Jose State’s commitment. Donor Bill of Rights” (5/15/19, printed version, page three)

Statement

The Donor Bill of Rights is an agreed upon list of rights and regulations for donors and San Jose State respectively.

Correction

The Donor Bill of Rights is an agreed upon list of donor rights considered best practices for charitable organizations. San Jose State and the Tower Foundation subscribe to the Donor Bill of Rights.

Spartan Daily “Timeline” (printed version, page four and five)

Statement

According to Spartan Foundation documents reviewed by the Spartan Daily, the foundation had more than $4.5 million in total revenue that year and $0 was transferred to athletic scholarships..

Correction

Of the $4.5 million of revenue, almost $3.3 million was a transfer of Spartan Foundation balances from SJSU to the Tower Foundation.

Statement

The Tower Foundation sets up a separate branch strictly for athletic donations, hiring Josh Thiel to be the university’s first-ever deputy athletics director for advancement.

Correction

University Advancement sets up a separate branch strictly for athletic donations, hiring Josh Thiel to be the university’s first-ever deputy athletics director for advancement. However, prior to the establishment of Athletics Advancement, different individuals in Athletics were involved with fundraising.

Spartan Daily “Address confusion leads to incorrect deposits of donor money” (05/15/19, printed version, page eight)

Statement

The university then announced in 2014 that the Spartan Foundation account was moved out of athletics and into the Tower Foundation, according to the Spartan Athletics website.

Correction

In 2013, Athletics opened accounts for the Spartan Foundation with the Tower Foundation, which it subsequently used for depositing donations.

Statement

In 2016, four individuals received more than $150,000 in compensation from the Tower Foundation and “related organizations,” including Faas, Bleymaier, Andy Feinstein, the provost and vice president of academic affairs, and Coleetta McElroy, the president of the SJSU Alumni Association

Correction

As an authorized auxiliary of SJSU, Tower and SJSU are related entities. The IRS requires disclosure of board directors’ compensation from related entities. In 2016, the Tower Foundation’s 990 listed 26 individuals who were affiliated with Tower Foundation. Eight individuals, not four as listed in the article, were from related entities. Other than Bleymaier, none of the eight individuals were paid by the Tower Foundation.

Spartan Daily “Endowments mishandled” (05/15/19, printed version, page eight)

Statement

“Endowments held by each school are not even all distributed,” one source said.

Correction

Endowment distributions are made annually unless the donor requests distributions only be made after a certain date.

Statement

“There are cases where endowments have not been spent with donor intent.”

Correction

In the rare instances that endowment spending isn’t aligned with the donor’s intention for the funds, department personnel are advised what permitted uses are.

Statement

The sources said they saw Tower Foundation money distributed to individual colleges, but the deans spent the money against donors’ intent. When the donors came back to ask where the money went, the Tower Foundation realized the mistakes made by individual colleges.

Correction

This broad statement falsely implies all distributions were mishandled by the colleges. In the rare instances that spending is outside the donor’s intent, Tower Foundation requests the expenditure be paid from another account. At times, Tower has sought donor permission for exceptions.

Statement

Student scholarships sit in the Tower Foundation because sometimes the deans have a hard time reading the Tower Foundation quarterly report or the deans didn’t know the scholarship money existed, sources said.

Correction

Background: Within 90 days of a new dean or VP starting, Tower Foundation’s Chief Operating Officer, Leslie Rohn, meets with them and review every single endowment and current use account in their college with them, answering questions and providing copies of source documents they need. Correction: Donations for student scholarships were transferred to the Financial Aid and Scholarship office two years ago after a Chancellor’s Office audit recommended that scholarships be held in a single location.

Statement

The sources also said that when development officers in charge of donor accounts leave their job, their endowment accounts were forgotten about.

Correction

Endowment account holders (whether they be the dean, department chair or program director) receive monthly reports showing endowment distribution balances and spending. The focus of development officers is on cultivating major gifts rather than accounting for funds in their colleges. Tower has a senior accountant whose focus is the endowment; she not only answers questions, she alerts the dean or department when an endowment isn’t being used.

Statement

Kuehn was hired in December of 2016, and since then, Tower Foundation employees said an accounting system in the Tower Foundation has been instituted to ensure donor money is properly logged and going exactly where it is intended.

Correction

The endowment system referred to as an accounting system was brought online in 2015 by Kuehn’s predecessor. The endowment system streamlined many processes, but prior to it there were internal controls which were designed to ensure donor funds were appropriately used. Tower Foundation has an annual financial audit by an accounting firm approved by the campus and the Chancellor’s Office. There have been no findings nor deficiencies identified by the auditors. The Tower Foundation also has a rigorous triennial Chancellor’s Office audit. There have been no endowment findings or deficiencies identified by the Chancellor’s Office auditors.

Spartan Daily “Tower reforms and resignation” (05/15/19, printed version, page eight)

Statement

In 2018, the Tower Foundation set up a separate branch strictly for athletic donations, hiring Josh Thiel to be the university’s first-ever deputy athletics director for athletics advanement.

Correction

Statement

Then, after being called the Spartan Foundation since 1958, the Spartan Foundation was renamed the Spartan Athletics Fund in August of 2018.

Correction

The Spartan Foundation wasn’t renamed. The annual fundraising Spartan Foundation used to do was taken over by Athletics Advancement. The annual fund was named Spartan Athletics Fund.

Statement

President Papazian announced the resignation of Paul Lanning, who was the CEO of the Tower Foundation

Correction

Paul Lanning was VP for University Advancement and CEO of the Tower Foundation

Spartan Daily “Budget reports disguise fund” (05/15/19, print publication, page eight)

Statement

The Spartan Foundation reported in its 2014 990 EZ tax filings that it had received $0 in gifts, grants, contributions and membership fees. However, according to the documents reviewed by the Spartan Daily, almost $1.5 million was collected that year.

Correction

Spartan Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization, utilized its accounts at the Tower Foundation for depositing funds raised starting in 2013. As a result, the Spartan Foundation was no longer the legal recipient and therefore its 990 EZ tax form stated $0 received in gifts, grants, contributions and membership fees.

Lawrence Fan promoted to Associate Athletics Director at SJSU

Published on June 8, 2019 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Longtime San Jose State University Athletics Media Relations Director Lawrence Fan has been promoted to Associate Athletics Director for Football Communications and Special Projects, per Director of Athletics Marie Tuite.

“During my time at San Jose State, Lawrence has become an integral part of my team and is the person I turn to often for guidance and advice. I look forward to working with him, not only during the football season, but working directly with him on special projects and initiatives that will move our athletics program forward,” said Tuite. “In addition, he will continue his day-to-day interaction with our student-athletes who admire and value their relationship with him.”

In his new role, Fan will coordinate and oversee all San Jose State football media relations, including interacting with all local, regional and national media members who cover Spartan football. He will also work on special projects for the department and serve as historian for all relevant projects.

“Thank you to Marie Tuite for the opportunity to venture into new frontiers for San Jose State University Athletics,” said Fan. “In the big picture, what is best for San Jose State University, its athletics department, and those with any connection to the program? Information is collected, shared and archived in a much more dynamic, social and digital way today. The San Jose State’s athletics media relations area is growing. This move is a positive and the right step for all that follow, support, and are interested in the program.”

Fan has been an integral part of the Spartan Athletics Department since the Fall of 1980. He has served the Bay Area media in many capacities, including arranging interviews for all Spartan athletes as well as the spokesman for San Jose State Athletics. He has been the primary contact for football and men’s basketball as well as many of the other Spartan sports during his tenure. He coordinated the Heisman Trophy campaign for former Spartan quarterback Mike Perez during the 1987 season. He also coordinated all publicity for the three women’s golf NCAA Championships (1987, 1989, 1992). He handled all the publicity for the 1996 men’s basketball team that won the Big West Tournament and played top-seeded Kentucky in the first round of the 1996 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Respected and revered around the country, Fan has received a long list of awards from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He received the 2017 President’s Award at the annual convention. In 2012, he was inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame. That same year, he received the prestigious Arch Ward Award that goes to a CoSIDA member who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of college sports information, and who by his or her activities, has brought dignity and prestige to the profession. In 2013, he was honored with the Trailblazer Award, presented annually to an individual who is a pioneer in the profession and who has mentored and helped improve the level of ethnic and gender diversity within CoSIDA.

Fan is a founder of the Job Seekers Committee for CoSIDA and served as the chair from 1994-2017. With the assistance of a diverse group of committee members, he organized and managed job fair activities at the annual convention. He started and managed what’s now the CoSIDA Career Center email blast about job vacancies and movement within the profession.

In his 39th year at San Jose State, Fan has served the Bay Area media in many capacities and is the spokesman for the Athletics Department. He currently handles the publicity efforts for the Spartan football, men’s golf, track and field, women’s water polo and women’s tennis teams. Fan, know for his “Fan Cake,” has also been the men’s basketball and women’s golf team contacts during his tenure, traveling to national tournaments and championships with the teams.

ICYMI: SJSU celebrated Football Operations Center in groundbreaking ceremony

Published on June 6, 2019 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — It was another historic day for San Jose State Athletics as the Spartans celebrated the first step in preparing the east side of CEFCU Stadium for the construction of the future home for the Spartan football as well as men’s and women’s soccer with the removal of the first row of bleachers in section 125 in a groundbreaking ceremony.

The new Football Operations Center, set to complete construction in 2023, will house new locker rooms for football; men’s and women’s soccer; a 150-seat auditorium; coaches’ offices; position-specific classrooms; stadium game-day suites; general reception area; shared-used dining hall; and a state-of-the-art athletic training room that will be accessible to all student-athletes.

Over $24 million in gifts, pledges, irrevocable estate gifts and departmental revenue streams have been secured in support of this project. Several naming opportunities within the facility are available for alumni, fans and friends to invest and help Spartan football and Spartan Athletics build championship-caliber programs.

Construction of the new operations center will consist of three phases: the removal of benches and bleachers on the east side of the stadium, the actual construction of the building and then replacing the east side with new concession stands and amenities.

Construction timeline
Prior to 2019 season: Removal of benches and bleachers on east side.
Following 2019 season: The east side of the stadium infrastructure will be relocated and the rest of the east side of the stadium will be torn down.
During the 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons: The Football Operations Center will be under construction.
Prior to the 2023 season: The east side will be rebuilt with the return of bleachers, concession stands and amenities.

The groundbreaking ceremony featured guest speakers addressing the crowd of Spartan athletes, donors, fans and staff. Among the speakers were San Jose State University President Mary A. Papazian, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Marie Tuite, head football coach Brent Brennan, football operations center major donor Larry Solari, current football student-athlete Cade Hall, and a special appearance by legendary Spartan alumnus and former NFL Super Bowl-winning head coach Dick Vermeil.

To make a donation to our new facility, please click here

SJSU men’s basketball conference schedule begins on December 4, 2019

Published on June 6, 2019 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose State men’s basketball’s 18-game Mountain West schedule will start off on December 4 at home against reigning conference champion Utah State, according to the conference’s master schedule for the 2019-20 season.

The Spartans, led by third-year head coach Jean Prioleau, will be play each conference opponent home and away with the exception of San Diego State at home and Wyoming on the road. SJSU’s bye dates are Saturday, January 18 and Wednesday, February 5.

Game dates are subject to a one day move to Tuesday or Sunday to accommodate the conference’s national and regional television partners. Tip off times, as well as media coverage information, for all conference games will be announced at a later date.

Fans can begin purchasing online ticket renewals in the latter part of July.

San Jose State, Hawaii to Collaborate for Dick Tomey Legacy Trophy

Published on June 3, 2019 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

During the late Dick Tomey’s football coaching career, a point of emphasis were two words repeated emphatically three times. “THE TEAM, THE TEAM, THE TEAM” was paramount to one of the game’s most accomplished and revered head coaches.

San Jose State University and the University of Hawaii, two of Coach Tomey’s three head coaching opportunities, are embracing his slogan taken from former Miami University and University of Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler and turning it into “THE TEAMS, THE TEAMS, THE TEAMS” starting in the 2019 season.

In honor of Coach Tomey, who put Hawaii football on the NCAA Division I map and later revitalized and energized San Jose State’s program, the schools will be playing for the Dick Tomey Legacy Trophy for the first time on November 9 in Aloha Stadium.

Coach Tomey was the head coach at Hawaii for 10 seasons (1977-86) and San Jose State for five (2005-09). In between, he coached the University of Arizona for 14 seasons. His head coaching record was 183-145-7. After the 2018 season, he still ranked in top-50 for FBS head coaches for most games coached (19th, 335 games coached) and games won (39th).

The concept of honoring Coach Tomey was a collaboration first conceived in a conversation between head coaches Brent Brennan of San Jose State and Nick Rolovich of Hawaii and approved by the athletics directors Marie Tuite of the Spartans and David Matlin of the Rainbow Warriors.

“Coach Tomey has been a huge part of both our schools’ histories, personally and professionally. Playing for this trophy will be a special way to honor and remember the man who has meant so much to each program,” said Brennan. “Every year, we will be reminded of his impact and the important lessons he taught each of us.”

“If there was anyone deserving of having a legacy trophy named after him, Dick Tomey is the one because of what he meant to the game of football,” Rolovich said. “I’ve had the privilege to coach with him and being mentored by him for many years and he is responsible for me being able to sit in this chair. It is only appropriate that both Hawaii and San Jose State programs honor him in this way.”

“Dick Tomey meant so much to San Jose State football and San Jose State University. His impact was far more reaching than just his five seasons as our head coach. Personally, I turned to him every single time I was making an important decision to gain his insight and guidance,” said Tuite.

“Given his close ties with the University of Hawaii and San Jose State University, it truly is appropriate to recognize his impact and aloha spirit on the two programs that meant so much to him. For Coach Tomey was about ‘THE TEAM, THE TEAM, THE TEAM.’ When we play Hawaii this November 9 in Aloha Stadium, this trophy will represent the love and admiration we all have for Coach and the entire Tomey family.”

“Coach Tomey was an inspirational leader and kind warrior,” said Matlin. “I was blessed to call him a mentor and a friend. This legacy trophy memorializes the impact he had on so many people in both Honolulu and San Jose.”

In addition, the Dick Tomey Legacy Fund has been established through Positive Coaching Alliance (501c3), providing scholarships and programming for underserved youth in Arizona, Hawaii, and the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, check out the website, www.positivecoach.org/tomeyfund.

SJSU President Mary Papazian Appointed to NCAA Board of Directors

Published on May 31, 2019 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

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.

SJSU assistant men’s basketball coach Will Kimble shares his story

Published on May 22, 2019 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — When Jean Prioleau was hired as the head coach of the San Jose State men’s basketball program, one of the first things he was tasked with was assembling a coaching staff. Knowing how important it would be to have someone on staff that is familiar with the area, one of the first names he went after was Will Kimble, an up-and-coming assistant coach at UC Riverside.

“It has to do with the locale at the job that you take,” Prioleau said on why he went after Kimble. “We are in California. San Jose is in Northern California and I needed California guys on my staff. Will is well-known in California, knows a lot of people and has really helped us close out a lot of guys in the state recently. He also has connections outside of the state too, and I’ve actually tried to push him to broaden his horizons in the recruiting world to try to reach outside of California, because we are going to have to do that here. That’s what I wanted in an assistant coach and that’s what I went after and got.”

Kimble joined the program with Prioleau at the start of the 2017-18 season and has just wrapped up his second season as an assistant on Prioleau’s staff. Tasked with coaching the bigs (forwards and centers), Kimble has thrived in his role because he has first-hand experience at what it takes to play the position. He started his college career at Pepperdine as a center and led the team to the NIT in his first year and the NCAA Tournament in his second year.

“I think he’s done a great job at developing and working the guys out,” Prioleau said. “He shows them different paths in terms of what they need to be looking for during the game and runs individual workouts to help them become better players. He really just helps them mentally as well, because he was a big guy in college, so I think that helps as well.”

When a new coach and coaching staff are brought in, there are some kinks to work out at the beginning, but Prioleau feels that Kimble is the type of person that was able to grasp the system early on and help make the transition as smooth as possible.

“A large part of it was just getting used to the system,” Prioleau said. “Every assistant coach has a system or a way they’d like to do things when they become a head coach. Some assistants go around to different programs and bounce around, and don’t know or haven’t absorbed all the information that they needed to going from one coach to another, but I think Will has grasped what we are trying to do and that’s a sign that he knows where we are trying to go with this program. He also has his own thoughts on that as well and brings good thoughts to the table.

“I think the first year everyone was just learning me,” Prioleau continued. “What I want, what I’m trying to do, and what we are trying to do as a whole. I think Will has done a great job of trying to be the best that he can be for me and the program.”

After two years as Prioleau’s lead assistant, Kimble will be tasked with an even bigger role moving forward as he has taken over the role of lead recruiter. He has done well in that role so far. He landed two 2019 recruits in just a few days in forwards Eduardo Lane and Ralph Agee. Both players will join recruits Omari Moore and Richard Washington.

“He’s taken on some more responsibilities in scheduling and recruiting. He’s really spearheaded the recruiting,” Prioleau said. “The last two years, I’ve kind of let everyone get involved with recruiting and have a say, but now he’s really taken control of it and has a say, and he’s going to be the head guy in terms of recruiting – who we are going for and where we need to go see them and stuff like that. Obviously I have enough confidence in him for him to be able to do that, and he’s earned that right.”

Overall, Prioleau is very pleased with the work that Kimble has put in in his two-plus years with the program. Kimble’s work ethic, natural ability to form relationships with players and ability to develop players on and off the court leads Prioleau to believe that Kimble is well on his way to becoming a head coach in the near future.

“Will has done a great job for us,” Prioleau said. “A lot of people don’t realize the things that he does. He’s got a great relationship with the players and understands the x’s and o’s of the game as well as the flow of the game, which helps me out a lot. I’m really pleased with his development. I want to develop him to become a head coach one day. He has the capability of doing that. I think all assistants aspire to do that, and I want that for all of my assistants. I think Will has tried to embrace all the qualities that it takes to try to be a head coach.”

Make sure heck out the video below to hear more about Kimble’s story in his own words.

ShotTracker partners with Mountain West

Published on May 15, 2019May 15, 2019 by Sports Radio Service2 Comments

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

ShotTracker, the revolutionary sensor-based system that delivers real-time statistics and analytics to teams, fans and broadcast networks, today announced it has partnered with the Mountain West to provide basketball data tracking and analytics services during all conference basketball games through the 2023-24 season.

ShotTracker will install its system across 23 practice and game facilities at all 11 MW schools for both men’s and women’s basketball programs. Each student-athlete will wear a ShotTracker player sensor and use the ShotTracker-enabled version of their school’s basketball provider. The sensors track player and ball movement in real time, providing MW programs with 70+ unique statistics. This provides the MW with access to instantaneous data that no conference has unilaterally had access to before.

The MW and ShotTracker worked together during select 2018-2019 regular season basketball games and the Air Force Reserve MW Men’s Basketball Championship at the Thomas & Mack Center to test the technology. That pilot program enjoyed massive success, prompting the MW to become the first conference to integrate ShotTracker’s technology across men’s and women’s basketball programs for its conference games and practice facilities.

“The Mountain West prides itself on innovation and we’re proud to be the first conference to partner with ShotTracker conference-wide,” MW Senior Associate Commissioner Dan Butterly said. “Our coaches understand that real-time data, analytics and reporting are going to be invaluable for improving team performance. Our student-athletes will have access to post-practice and game analytics data that can help them better understand their specific performance and help them find ways to improve. Plus, Mountain West fans will, for the first time, have access to real-time analytics to better follow their favorite teams.”

Currently, the NCAA doesn’t permit the transmission of data to the bench during game play. The conference-wide partnership with ShotTracker allows the MW to submit a waiver request to the NCAA competition committee to get access to ShotTracker’s data and video on the bench during every conference game via the ShotTracker app. ShotTracker has been involved in testing for teams to provide feedback to the NCAA as it relates to a possible change to this rule. Bench access to ShotTracker’s team app could be granted to visiting non-conference teams who also approve the use of the system. This partnership uniquely positions the MW to help redefine the use of technology and instantaneous analytics at the NCAA level.

ShotTracker’s data is also provided to conference broadcast partners, offering commentators unparalleled opportunities to integrate these statistics into their commentary. During the 2018-19 pilot, MW broadcasts featured real-time shot charts, player spacing and ball movement metrics, as well as offensive and defensive trend comparison graphics that supported the announcer’s commentary live and during replays — all with sub-second latency.

The MW partnership represents the next monumental step for ShotTracker to revolutionize the sport and become as integral to basketball facilities as WiFi is to coffee shops.

“It is incredibly exciting getting to work with conferences like the Mountain West that recognize and understand ShotTracker’s vision for how it can overhaul sports,” ShotTracker president and co-founder Davyeon Ross said. “We’re proud to provide teams with unparalleled game and practice data while also giving their fans an enhanced viewing experience.”

This is the latest example of the MW’s commitment to innovation. In September 2006, the MW became the first conference to launch its own 24/7 linear television network, The Mountain West Sports Network, also known as The MTN. The conference also was the first to work with DVSport to design and implement the basketball instant replay system that is now utilized in the NCAA Tournament and across the nation. In 2003, the MW became one of the first college basketball conferences to sign with Precision Timing Systems.

“The Mountain West continues to stand out for being a pioneer in adopting the latest cutting-edge technologies,” Ross added. “As the sports world continues to embrace technology, ShotTracker and the Mountain West have set a new standard for what teams and fans can expect for the speed and detail of basketball player tracking data. We know other conferences will soon follow their lead to ultimately increase on-court performance through our technology.”

Remembering former San Jose State football head coach Dick Tomey (1938-2019)

Published on May 11, 2019 by Sports Radio Service1 Comment

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

If you’re a longtime San Jose State Spartans football fan, you’d be well-aware of the former football head coach Dick Tomey. Tomey died of lung cancer on Saturday at the age of 80. Tomey was born in Bloomington, Indiana on June 20, 1983.

Tomey wasn’t only a coach, but also a mentor, friend and former football player. Tomey played college football at DePauw University from 1957 to 1960.

Here’s the official press release:

When Dick Tomey was named San Jose State University’s football head coach on December 29, 2004, he described himself as a “competitor.”

“I believe San Jose State University can be successful in college football. I always felt San Jose State had tremendous possibilities. The opportunity to be the head coach is really appealing and compelling,” he said upon taking the job.

In recent months, Mr. Tomey competed against lung cancer until the evening of May 10 at age 80.

“Coach Tomey was a legend. He had the unique ability to reach into your soul and get the best out of you. He was different. He loved the game of football. But it was more about the players, the coaches, the families, the TEAM. You knew he sincerely cared about the men that played and coached for him,” said San Jose State football head coach Brent Brennan, one of Mr. Tomey’s many coaching protegees.

“It’s rare when someone you work for mentors and teaches you everyday, even when you’re done working for them, but Coach Tomey is that for me. His impact is incredibly far reaching. I will miss him everyday. I love you Coach Tomey.”

His professional life as a football coach dated back to 1962 when he was a graduate assistant coach at Miami University of Ohio for eventual Big Ten Conference head coaches Johnny Pont, later of Indiana and Northwestern, and Glenn “Bo” Schembechler, who would go to fame at Michigan. There would be stops as an assistant coach at Northern Illinois, Davidson, Kansas and UCLA. While at UCLA, he worked for San Jose State grad and later Rose Bowl and Super Bowl winning head coach Dick Vermeil. Later in his career, he also would serve as an assistant at Texas, the San Francisco 49ers and at Hawaii, where he was the head coach from 1977 to 1986.

Mr. Tomey also had college football head coaching opportunities at the University of Arizona (1987 to 2000) and San Jose State University (2005-09). His head coaching record was 183-145-7. After the 2018 season, he still ranked in top-50 for Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches for most games coached (19th, 335 games coached) and games won (39th with 183).

Mr. Tomey took eight teams to bowl games, seven at Arizona and the 2006 Spartans to a New Mexico Bowl victory. He was a two-time conference “Coach of the Year” – 1981, the Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year with Hawaii and 1992, the Pac-10 Coach of the Year with Arizona.

He was most proud of being a FBS head coach to win nine games in a season at each one of his three schools and for a lineage of head coaches and assistant coaches. Current head coaches Brent Brennan of San Jose State and Dino Babers at Syracuse, and former head coaches Rich Ellerson, June Jones, Pat Hill, Tom Williams and Ron McBride are among that group.

Mr. Tomey would be known as a turnaround specialist taking Hawaii, Arizona, and San Jose State to unprecedented success on and off the field. In each case, his organizational and people skills and knowledge of college football were invaluable.

“He was a ‘beacon’ for me and countless others. I turned to him often for his counsel, guidance and support. Spartans everywhere are grieving his passing as we reflect on how blessed we were to know him. Our warmest thoughts and prayers to Nanci and his entire family,” said San Jose State University athletics director Marie Tuite.

At Hawaii (1977-1986), he was the first coach to lead the Rainbows to a top-20 national ranking. Home attendance more than doubled from his first season to his final one in 1986. When he moved on to the University of Arizona as the Wildcats’ head coach in 1987, his Hawaii teams manufactured a 63-46-3 win-loss record that included eight winning seasons.

The University of Arizona (1987-2000) was next. There were seven bowl game appearances with four bowl victories and the 1993 and 1998 teams that won at least 10 games. Prior to his arrival, the Wildcats won one bowl game in 85 seasons. Arizona was the only program to beat national powerhouses Mimai (Fla.) and Nebraska in the decade of the 1990’s.

“Not only was it (Arizona) the most enjoyable five years of my life, Coach Tomey helped me grow into the man I am today,” said former University of Arizona defensive lineman and New England Patriots All-Pro linebacker Tedy Bruschi.

After 14 seasons at Arizona and one-season stints with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League in 2002 and the University of Texas for the 2004 season, Mr. Tomey accepted the San Jose State football head coaching position.

“He’s the type of guy who can help you through hard times and really wants to make you win,” said former San Jose State quarterback Adam Tafralis.

The 2006 Spartans finished with a 9-4 win-loss record, were invited to play in a post-season bowl game for the first time in 16 seasons and won the inaugural New Mexico Bowl over host University of New Mexico.

More importantly, Mr. Tomey provided the necessary leadership and vision to significantly overhaul the academic deficiencies that plagued the San Jose State football program at the time he became head coach. San Jose State became the model institution among NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for academic reform.

“I’ve been fortunate to have three head coaching jobs in the highest level of college football. The one here at San Jose State may be the most rewarding. We’ve come so far and accomplished so much in five years. Terrific young men took a leap of faith when we started in 2005 and put the program back on a sturdy foundation for future San Jose State teams,” Mr. Tomey said in his 2009 retirement announcement as the Spartans’ head coach.

In appreciation for his continued athletics program involvement and impact, the Dick Tomey Class Act Award is presented each spring at the SAMMY awards sponsored by the San Jose State Student-Athletes Success Services (SASS) unit.

Richard Hastings Tomey was born on June 20, 1938 in Bloomington, Ind. Mr. Tomey graduated from DePauw University in 1960 where he played football and baseball.

In addition to his coaching accomplishments, he is a past president of the American Football Coaches Association (2009), was inducted in the DePauw University Hall of Fame in 1994 and a 1999 recipient of a “Provost Award” as the University of Arizona ‘s “Outstanding Teacher” – the first coach in the school’s history to be so honored by the university’s faculty.

A Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the Dick Tomey Legacy Fund has been established through the Positive Coaching Alliance (501c3). 100% of these funds will go directly to providing scholarships and programming for underserved youth in the markets where Dick spent the majority of his years in the community as the Head Football Coach.

Visit www.positivecoach.org/TomeyFund to designate the Hawaii, Arizona or Bay Area chapter as the beneficiary to the Dick Tomey Legacy Fund.

San Jose State men’s basketball signs 2 players

Published on May 7, 2019 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose State men’s basketball has signed Eduardo Lane and Ralph Agee as part of their 2019-20 class, SJSU head coach Jean Prioleau announced on Tuesday.

“I’m excited to have Eduardo and Ralph join the program,” Prioleau said. “They are a couple of big guys that will give us some size and depth up front, and I feel that both can make a big impact for us next season.”

Lane averaged 9.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in 30 appearances last season with Marshalltown, a community college in Marshalltown, Iowa. The forward drew 15 starts and tallied 14 games of double digit scoring, including a stretch of eight-straight games in which he averaged 15.5 points. He topped the 20-point plateau twice, including a season-high 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting against Kirkwood on November 28.

The 6-foot-10 prospect also played his freshman season at Marshalltown, averaging 5.5 points in 23 appearances. Lane played high school basketball at Capinas High School in Campo Grande, Brazil, where he was born and raised.

“I’m looking forward to joining San Jose State and am excited about the new changes and challenges of going there to play in the Mountain West,” Lane said. “It’s a new team, new coaches, new experiences and new everything. I’m thankful for the opportunity that Coach Prioleau has given me to become a Spartan.”

Agee joins the Spartans after spending his sophomore season at East Los Angeles College, where he helped lead the South Coast Conference champions to a 24-5 record and clinched the second seed in the California Community College Athletic Association Southern California Regional.

A 6-foot-9 forward, Agee appeared in all 29 games at ELAC last season while drawing five starts. He had one of his best games against Mesa Community College, finishing with a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds. In the final regular season game of 2019 against LA Trade Tech, Agee chipped in 11 points in 17 minutes off the bench to help the Huskies clinch the conference title.

“Ralph provided ELAC with physicality and toughness at the power forward position,” ELAC head coach John Mosley said. “He is athletic, has a great motor and plays inspired. He is loved by his teammates and campus community here at ELAC. He still potentially ha a high ceiling and should have an immediate impact for the Spartans in the Mountain West.”

Prior to ELAC, Agee played his redshirt freshman season at CSU Dominguez Hills, where he started 11-of-30 games played, averaging 4.9 points and just under 3 rebounds per game. He tallied 14 blocked shots and had double-digit rebounds twice. His best game came on November 11, 2017 as he dropped 24 points against Holy Names.

“I’m happy to be a Spartan and do what I need to do to help my team win,” Agee said. “Coach Prioleau, Coach Kimble and the rest of the coaching staff treated me like family and showed me how good the program fits my family and me. I can’t wait to get there and get to work.”

Agee played his school ball at Silverado High School and is a native of Victorville, California.

Lane and Agee are the third and fourth members of the 2019-20 class, joining Omari Moore and Richard Washington. Both have two years to play at SJSU.