---UB running backs coach Mike Daniels is leaving the program for family reasons, the school just announced. He just completed his first year under Jeff Quinn and came to UB staff from Cincinnati where he served as an assistant coach on the offensive staff. Daniels was a four-year letterman (2003-07) at Cincinnati as a wide receiver, running back and return man. He served as the team captain in 2007.
Last year, Daniels married Dr. Yelandra May-Daniels, the daughter of former Major League first basemen Lee May. May, along with Johnny Bench, played for the Buffalo Bisons in 1966 and '67 when the Bisons were a farm team for the Cincinnati Reds.
The Bulls' rushing offense, however, finished tied with Akron for 101st in the country at just 113.4 yards a game.
“Coach Daniels did a great job coaching our running backs,” UB coach Jeff Quinn said. “I’ve coached with him since 2007 when we were at Cincinnati. I am sorry to see him leave and I wish him and his family all the best."
---Phil Martelli, Jr., is ending a five-year with Joe Mihalich and Niagara, and is joining the staff at Delaware.
While at Niagara, Martelli was a part of the 2007 NCAA Tournament team and the 2009 NIT squad which won 26 games, the second most in school history. Martelli also mentored point guard Anthony Nelson, who leaves as the school's career leader in assists.
“It was a really tough decision,” Martelli said. “It was a lot of hours thinking, a lot of lists being put together, reasons to stay, reasons to come to Delaware. It was real hard because I’m leaving a great place, but more importantly, a great person in coach (Joe) Mihalich.”
---In a stunning announcement, Gary Williams, who led the Maryland men’s basketball team back to national prominence and the 2002 national championship, is retiring after 22 seasons, the school announced Thursday. Williams, 66, will speak at a press conference with Maryland AD Kevin Anderson and school president Wallace D. Loh at 1 p.m. Friday.
---Karl Hobbs has been fired after 10 seasons as coach of the George Washington basketball team. The school hired new athletic director Patrick Nero last week. He told Hobbs, whose teams left school records in overall and conference wins, about the decision early Monday afternoon. The highlight of Hobbs' time at George Washington was a 27-3 record in the 2005-06 season, during which his team went 16-0 in the A-10 conference. The season remains the winningest in the school's history and earned Hobbs conference Coach of the Year honors.
---Buffalo native Rob Lanier is leaving his position at Florida and returning to Texas where he was an assistant from 1999-01. Lanier replaces Rodney Terry, who left coach Rick Barnes’ staff last week to become the coach at Fresno State. Lanier left Texas to become the coach at Siena, where he spent four seasons before getting fired in 2005. Lanier was then an assistant at Virginia for two seasons before spending the next four at Florida.
---Lackawanna native Kevin Kuwik has been named an assistant coach at Dayton under new coach Arch Miller. Kuwik had been on Ohio State’s staff as video coordinator for the last two years and before that, he was the director of basketball operations for Butler and spent seven years as an assistant at Ohio University under Tim O’Shea. The Notre Dame grad has a military background, having done one tour of duty in Iraq as part of the Indiana National Guard.
The St. Bonaventure grad has been with Billy Donovan at Florida since 2007 and was at Texas from 1999-01. While with the Longhorns, Lanier signed point guard T.J. Ford, starting a pipeline of NBA caliber players to Texas that continues to this day.
---Eastern Michigan coach Charles Ramsey was relieved of his duties today after six years at the school. Potential replacements include Rice coach Ben Braun, Morgan State's Todd Bozeman, Minnesota assistant Vince Taylor and Michigan assistant Bacari Alexander.
---Nate Miles was the player at the center of the NCAA investigation of UConn's basketball program. Slam magazine had a solid story on Miles' post-invetigation career.
Western New York native Bob DiCesare covers UB football, Big 4 basketball and writes an occasional column. He still holds a grudge against Chris Ford who, he's convinced, cost St. Bonaventure the 1970 NCAA basketball championship.
Rodney McKissic began his journalism career in 1989 after graduating from the University of Cincinnati and has worked for The Buffalo News since 2001. A proud father of four children, he enjoys reading in his spare time.
Amy Moritz, a native of Lockport, hhas covered colleges for The Buffalo News since 1999. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism/mass communication from St. Bonaventure University and a master’s degree in humanities from the University at Buffalo. An endurance athlete, she has completed several triathlons, half marathons and marathons.
