Tradition's Finest Podcast

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 129 - "The comeBACK Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football: "NCAA's Appeal Denied:" The Mississippi Supreme Court denied the NCAA's petition to overturn a judge's decision that would allow Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss to play next season - - Initially, the NCAA denied Chambliss' waiver request on Jan. 9, and after Chambliss appealed, the organization's Athletics Eligibility Subcommittee upheld the denial on Feb 4. - - On Feb. 12, Judge Robert Whitwell, the presiding judge, said that he agreed with Chambliss' argument that the player's medical history was not properly considered by the NCAA - - The 23-year-old Chambliss has been in college for five (5) years, but was healthy enough to play just three (3) of those years - - Afterwards, Judge Whitwell advocated for the Ole Miss QB, stating that Chambliss would have received "irreparable harm" had the NCAA's ruling been upheld, and he further elaborated that the organization would not be damaged by allowing to play - - Chambliss and Ole Miss Athletics Department submitted nearly 91 pages to the NCAA to document how medical issues prevented him from playing two years, the judge said - - The NCAA, according to the judge, did not properly take those [medical] records into consideration, and denied the waiver's request "on pure semantics," - - Prior to transferring to Ole Miss, Chambliss began his college football career at Ferris State University, a Division II program, where he would lead the Bulldogs to a NCAA D-II national championship - - Last season, in Oxford, Chambliss completed 294 of 445 passes (66.1%) for 3,937 yards with 22 TDs and three (3) INTs for the Rebels (13-2), which set a school record for wins, including two after making the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history, while also rushing for 527 yards and eight (8) TDs on the ground. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Mississippi Supreme Court's decision to deny the NCAA's appeal to overturn a judge's decision regarding Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss' eligibility in 2026-27?. . .Recently retired coach, Gus Malzahn, who won a national title in 2010 as Auburn's OC, will join former Cal coach Jeff Tedford on the College Football Playoff Selection Committee this spring, the CFP announced on Monday - - University of Arkansas AD Hunter Yurachek will return as the Committee chairman for a second consecutive season, and Louisiana AD Bryan Maggard will also join the group - - The three (3) new committee members will each serve three-year terms & replace outgoing members Chris Ault (a former HC), Jeff Long (a former longtime collegiate administrator), and Miami (Ohio) AD David Sayler, whose terms have expired - - Malzahn, who had a 35-year coaching career and developed a reputation for his up-tempo offensive philosophy, announced his retirement in February after serving as the OC under Mike Norvell at Florida State University - - He spent 13 years as head football coach at Arkansas State (2012), Auburn (2013-2020) and UCF (2021-2024), where he posted a career record of 105-62 - - As for Jeff Tedford, he served as the head football coach at Cal University (2002-2012) and Fresno State (2017-2019 and 2022-2023), compiling a career record of 127-79 - - At Cal, Tedford engineered one of the most remarkable turnarounds in college football history, leading a team that had won just one game to consistent bowl appearances, national rankings as well as a share of the 2006 PAC-12 Conference title - - He remains the Golden Bears' winningest coach with an 82-57 record, while guiding the team to eight (8) bowl games - - Malzahn & Tedford will join former coaches Mark Dantonio (Michigan State) and Mike Riley (Oregon State/Nebraska). . .Q: What are your thoughts on the news that former head football coaches Gus Malzahn & Jeff Tedford will be joining the CFP Selection Committee this spring? How does Gus Malzahn's addition impact Kalen DeBoer & the Alabama Crimson Tide come postseason/CFP time next spring? . . .NCAA College Basketball: "Wade Just One Damn Minute:" Just one year after signing a six-year deal to become the head basketball coach at NC State University, Will Wade made the decision on Thursday to make a jump back to LSU, where he previously coached from 2017 until 2022, while NC State was left to pick up the pieces, and like many Wolfpack fans, NC State AD Boo Corrigan was not pleased by the sudden move, stating "I'd commiserate with [fans], in terms of feeling lied to," - - After leading the Wolfpack to a 20-12 record this season, Wade has now inked a seven-year deal to become the head basketball coach at LSU - - Out of the ACC Conference, NC State got off to an 18-6 start (9-2 in conference play) prior to losing six (6) of its final seven (7) games to end the regular season, as the Wolfpack were ultimately placed in the First Fo

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 128 - "The Naismith Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Basketball: The College Coaching Carousel: Quite possibly, with the most buzzworthy news surrounding it, North Carolina men's basketball coach Hubert Davis was fired by the school, bringing a conclusion to a tumultuous week after the Tar Heels' stunning loss to VCU in the first round of this year's NCAA Tournament, exiting in the Round of 64 for the second consecutive year: The Tar Heels led the Rams by 19 in the second half but collapsed down the stretch in an 82-79 OT defeat, which was the largest comeback in the NCAA Tournament since 2018 - - North Carolina went 24-9 this season, despite projected top-five NBA draft pick Caleb Wilson sitting out the final nine (9) games because of hand & thumb injuries - - In five (5) seasons as coach, Davis was 125-54, finishing with a winning percentage of 69.8% - - The school did not specify the nature of Davis' departure in its statement Tuesday night, simply calling it a change in leadership, - but in a post on Instagram, Davis said he was "let go" by the university and that his desire was to continue to coach at Chapel Hill - - The decision to fire Davis came from a recommendation from current AD Bubba Cunningham and executive associate AD Steve Newmark, who will take over the AD role on July 1 - - That recommendation was accepted by chancellor Lee Roberts on Tuesday - - Davis' exit looms large over a historic or "blue blood" college basketball program that has long leaned into alumni and the so-called Carolina Way, and opens one of the most coveted positions in all of basketball - - His departure opens the possibility of the school seeking a coach outside the North Carolina family for the first time since Bill Guthridge's three-season stint ended in 1999-2000, as Matt Doherty, Roy Williams & Davis, who each followed Guthridge, are all UNC alumni. . .Q: Is it time for North Carolina to bring back the GOAT Michael "MJ" Jordan to Chapel Hill as the Tar Heels' next head basketball coach? If the school's leadership does, in fact, seek a coach outside of the North Carolina family, who are a couple of the most notable coaches the program should pursue (i.e., Alabama's Nate Oats, Florida's Todd Golden, etc.)? . . .Providence has hired South Florida's Bryan Hodgson as its next men's head basketball coach - - Hodgson is joining the Friars after leading the Bulls to a 25-9 record, the American Conference regular-season and postseason titles, and a bid to this year's NCAA Tournament as an No.11 seed in his lone season in Tampa - - The No.11 Bulls were eliminated from the 2026 NCAA Tournament after suffering a loss to No.6 Louisville last Thursday in the first round - - Hodgson is a former Nate Oats assistant coach at Buffalo and Alabama, who brings an up-tempo style of play predicated on high-efficiency shot selection - - Hodgson, 38, will replace Kim English, who went 48-52 in his three (3) years at Providence, which included back-to-back losing seasons in 2024-25 and 2025-26 - - Providence will be the third school in three (3) years for Hodgson, who spent two seasons at Arkansas State, where he led the program to a pair of 20-win seasons, including a 25-11 Sun Belt Conference regular-season title in 2024-25, which gave the Red Wolves their first NIT bid in more than three (3) decades, prior to accepting the head coaching position at South Florida - - Hodgson now inherits a program considered well-funded in the Big East Conference, and one that is looking to get back to winning consistently, a feat the program hasn't experienced since Ed Cooley left for Georgetown in 2023. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Providence's hire of USF's Bryan Hodgson as their new men's head basketball coach?. . .Syracuse has turned to its past by hiring former star guard, Gerry McNamara, in a bid to guide a fading men's college basketball program back to prominence, the school announced on Tuesday - - McNamara, 42, aptly nicknamed "G-Mac," is returning to where he & Carmelo Anthony led the Orange to a national championship in the 2003-04 college basketball season - - Following an outstanding playing career, McNamara then spent 14 years as an assistant coach at his alma mater under Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, and an additional season under his successor, Adrian Autry - - Now, he replaces Autry at Syracuse, who was fired after three (3) largely disappointing seasons in which the Orange went a combined 49-48 and extended their NCAA Tournament drought to five (5) seasons, the program's longest since 1967-72 - - McNamara returns to central New York after spending the past two seasons at Siena, where he led the Saints to a combined 37-30 record, which included a 23-12 finish this year in which they won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) tournament & clinched their first NCAA Tournam