Robertson Stadium Houston, Texas The official 2011 Conference USA Football Championship Program is published by Conference USA and IM G College. EW!!iiA~ CONFERENCE USA Commissioner: Britton Banowskv Executive Associate Commissioner: judyMacl.eod Associate Commissioner: Alfred \Vhite Associate Commissioner: Kellv Carnev Dear C-USA Fans and Participants: Associate Commissioner for Compliance/A .::ademi,;,, Rob Philippi Associate Commissioner for Business Affairs: Catrina Gibson Assistant Commissioner for Football/Baseball Operations: Welcome to the 20 I I Conference USA Football Championship' Russell Anderson Assistant Commissioner for Public Affairs: Courtney Morrison Archer Conference USA continues its commitment to athletics, academics and community Assistant Commissioner for Sports Services: Keisha Dunlap Director of Events: Mo nay Lyles throughout the 20 I 1-12 season. With our outstanding institutions sharing this unwavering Director of New Media: Nicole Cartier commitment, the conference continues to enjoy competitive success, as well as success in the Director of Sports Services: Walter Brock Director of Compliance & Student-Athlete Services: classroom and in our communities. The conference is built on smart athletes and strong stu• Frank Arredondo dents and we congratulate them on their success both in athletics and academics. Associate Director of Media Relations: Debbie Davis Executive Assistant to the Commissioner: Darlene Winsett Sports Services & Officiating Assistant: Kelly Ninemire C-USA championship events are the highlight of every season - an opportunity to enjoy Assistant Director of Business and Office Management: Karie McGregor the outstanding talents and abilities of our athletic programs, as well as appreciate the com• Academics and Compliance Assistant: Callie Hubbell petitive spirit of all of our student-athletes and coaches. We wish them all the best as they Media Relations Intern: Jeremiah Ingram Marketing Intern: Toni Gockel compete for the C-USA championship title. Our student-athletes play for these champi• Coordinator of Football Officials: Gerald Austin onships, but they also play for something bigger than themselves, they play for you! So to Coordinator of Multimedia and Creative Services: Erika Amstadt Hirschfield all the fans - we appreciate your support. We would like to extend sincere thanks to our hosts as the staff and championship com• mittee have worked hard in preparation for this event. On behalf of everyone involved with I1~lG www.imgworld.com Conference USA, I hope you have a wonderful time today' (888) 484-4678 CORPORATE OFFICERS Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael Dolan Sincerely, President, Sports and Entertainment George Pyne !MG COLLEGE President Ben Sutton Jr. Chief Operating Officer Tony Crispino Chief Innovation Officer Mark Over Britton Banowsky Vice President, Strategic Communications Andrew Giangola Commissioner Chief Sales & Marketing Officer Roger VanDerSnick PUBLISHING Senior Vice President, Operations Welcome 1 Joe Potter East Carolina/Houston/Marshall/Memphis 3 Vice President, Publishing John Justus Rice/SMU/Southern Miss/Tulane .4 Director of Publishing Kirk Phillips Tulsa/UAB/UCF/UTEP 5 Managing Editors Chad Laytham, Jason Crisler Conference USA 6 Assistant Managing Editors Dan King, Matt Coy City of Houston 12 Project Editors Richard Groves, John Stegeman Rosters 14 Editorial Division Dan Peters, Jason Brunn, Kara Koscelski, C-USA Standings and Notes 19 Jeffrey Salmon, Todd Krise, Courtney Feltner Creative Director C-USA Bowl Partners 20 Kristy Marques Design Studio C-USA Championship Game History 23 Sarah Jane Snowden, Joy Chambers Postseason History 26 Pl lll lCHION ADVFRIISING,MARKETINl, Players in the Pros 27 Director, l tH.:.11/ Rt·g1on.1l Pnnt S,tlcs t ),,tlf~ Ile l ("(}~\ I ,q I> 1(1 Academic Awards 28 pg. 16 Houston Cougar-''J ~1~uketmg & l ulfillmenr Director \la1h11~,/' ,""'" ''ti t"-"'t' conferenceusa com I Many Thanks To Our Local Supporters 1560 AM The Game KPRC Local 2 Houston 103.7 FM Sportstalk 790 AM 104.l KRBE Jani King ESPN 97.5 Skeeter's Hot 95.7 Blue Stream Sports Radio 610 Aztec KHOU Channel 11 Irma's Southwest Grill and to this year's championship game host - University of Houston CONFERENCE llSl FOOTBALL CDMPIONSHIP EAST CAROLINA PIRATES HOUSTON COUGARS Location: Greenville, N.C. Location: Houston, Texas Founded: 1907 Founded: 1927 Enrollment: 27,703 Enrollment: 38,752 Nickname: Pirates Nickname: Cougars Colors: Purple and Gold Colors: Scarlet and White with Navy 'l rin; Stadium: Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (50,000) Stadium: John O'Quinn Field at Chancellor: Dr. Steve Ballard Robertson Stadium (32,000) Faculty Athletics Representative: Dr. David Dosscr Athletics Director Chancellor/President: Dr. Renu Kharor Athletics Director Athletics Director: Terry Holland Terrv Holland Faculty Athletics Representative: Dr, Richard Scamell Mack Rhoades Senior Woman Administrator: Rosie Thompson Smaw Athletics Director: Mack Rhoades Basic Offense: Spread Senior Woman Administrator: DeJuena Crizer Basic Defense: 3-4 Basic Offense: Multiple Bowl Appearances: 1 7 Basic Defense: 3-4 Bowl Record: 8-9-0 Bowl Appearances: 20 Last Appearance: 2010, Military Bowl Record: 8-11-1 Website: www.ECUPirates.com Last Appearance: 2009, Armed Forces Facebook: ECUl'irates.com Website: www.UHCougars.com Twitter: @EC:UAthlctics Head Coach Facebook: Houston Cougars Foothall Head Coach Ruffin McNeil! Keu1n Sumlin Twitter: @1UHCougarSports MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD MEMPHIS TIGERS Location: Huntington, W.Va. Location: Memphis, Tenn. Founded: 1837 Founded: 1912 Enrollment: 14,000 Enrollment: 22,421 Nickname: Thundering Herd or the Herd Nickname: Tigers Colors: ( ;reen and White Colors: Blue and Gray Stadium: Joan C. Edwards Stadium (38,019) Stadium: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium (C,1,()00) President: Dr. Stephen J. Kopp President: Dr. Shirley Raines Faculty Athletics Representative: Athletics Director Faculty Athletics Representative: Dr. Ed Stevens Athletics Director R.C. Johnson Dr. Robert Bookwalter Mike Hamrick Athletics Director: RC. Johnson Athletics Director: Mike li;iarnrick Senior Woman Administrator: Lynn Parkes Senior Woman Administtator: Beatrice Crane Ban ford Basic Offense: Multiple Basic Offense: Multiple Basic Defense: Multiple Basic Defense: Multiple Bowl Appearances: 7 Bowl Appearances: 8 Bowl Record: 4-3-0 Bowl Record: 6-2-0 Last Appearance: 2008, St. Petersburg Last Appearance: 2009, Little Caesars Pizza Website: www.GoTigersGo.com Website: www.herdzone.com Facebook: Memphis Tigers Facebook: Marshall University Athletics Head Coach Twitter: @tigcrsathletics Doc Holhdau Twitter: @1Herd_Zone conferenceusa.com 3 I RICE OWLS SMU MUSTANGS Location: Houston, Texas Location: Dallas, Texas Founded: 1891 Founded: 1911 Enrollment: 5,760 Enrollment: 10,981 Nickname: Owls Nickname: Mustangs Colors: Blue and Gray Colors: Red and Blue Stadium: Rice Stadium (47,000) Stadium: Gerald J. Ford Stadium (52,000) President: David W. Leebron President: Dr. R. Gerald Turner Faculty Athletics Representative: Rob Griffin Athletics Director Faculty Athletics Representative: C. Paul Rogers III Athletics Director Rick Greenspan Steue Drs1n1 Athletics Directon Rick Gteensp.3ll Athletics Director! Steve Orsini Senior Woman Administram n S~ Mosely Senior Woman Admini.s~n Monique Holland Basic Offense: Spread Basic Offense: Run and Shoot Basic Defense: 4-2-5 Basic Defense: Multiple Bowl Appearances: 9 Bowl Appearances: 13 Bowl Record: 5-4-0 Bowl Record: 5-7-1 Last Appearance: 2008, Texas Last Appearance: 2010, Armed forces Website: www.RiceOwls.com Website: www.SMUMustangs.com Facebook: Rice Athletics Facebook: SMU Mustangs Twitter: 8--iriceowlsdotcom Head Coach Twitter: @SMUMustangs Head Coach llaurd Barhff June Jones TULANE GREEN WAUE Location: Hattiesburg, Miss. Location: New Orleans, La. Founded: 1910 Founded: 1834 Enrollment: 16,000 Enrollment: 12,622 Nickname: Golden Eagles Nickname: Green Wave Colors: Black and Cold Colors: Olive Green and Sky Blue Stadium: Carlisle-Faulkner Stadium Stadium: Louisiana Superdorne (69,703) at Faulkner Field (36,000) President: Dr. Scott Cowen President: Dr. Martha D. Saunders Athletics Director Faculty Athleticslteptesen tative: Michael Hogg Athletics Director Richard G1ann1n1 Faculty Athletics Representative: Dr. Dennis Phillips Athletics Director: Rick Dickson Rick Dickson Athletics Director: Richard Giannini Senior Woman Administra tor: Maria Woods Senior Woman Adm inistraton Sonya Varnell Basic Offense: Multiple Basic Offense: Spread Basic Defense: Multiple Basic Defense: 4- 3 Bowl Appearances: 10 Bowl Appearances: 21 Bowl Record: 4-6-0 Bowl Record: 9-12-0 Last Appearance: 2002, Hawai'i Last Appearance: 2010, Beef'()' Brady's Website:www.1ulaneGreenWave.com Website: www.SourhernMiss.com Facebook: Tulane Athletics Facebook: Southern Miss Athletics Head Coach Twitter: @Green WaveFB Interim Head Larrv Fedora Coach Twitter: @USMGoldenEaglcs Mark Hutson tt conferenceusa.com CONFERENCE USA FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TULSA GOLDEN HUAAIE;RNE UAB BLAZERS Location: Tulsa, Okla. Location: Birmingham, Ala. Founded: 1894 Founded: 1969 Enrollment: 4, 187 Enrollment: 17. 543 Nickname: Golden Hurricane Nickname: Blazers Colors: Old Gold, Royal Rluc, Crimson Colors: Forest Green and Old Gold Stadium: H.A. Chapman Stadium (30,000) President: Dr. Steadman Upham Faculty Athletics Representativei Chris Anderson Interim Athletics Athletics Director Interim Athletics Director: Ross Parmley Director Brian Mackin Ross Parmley Senior Woman Administrator: Crista Troester