Dawson named AD

Former Pack star to lead Grambling

Former NFL player Lin Dawson was hired Wednesday as athletic director for Grambling State.

He takes over an athletic department that fields 18 varsity programs and competes in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Sharon Perkins had been interim athletic director since Troy Mathieu resigned in July.

Dawson, who played at N.C. State, was drafted by the New England Patriots in 1981 and started in the 1986 Super Bowl against the Chicago Bears.

After a 10-year NFL career, Dawson moved to the administrative side of athletics, working at Northeastern University in Boston and his alma mater. He also served as athletic director at N.C. Central.

MORE MISCELLANY

BIG EAST COMMISSIONER: John Marinatto, the Big East Conference's senior associate commissioner, was unanimously promoted to the commissioner's job Wednesday by the league's presidents and chancellors.

He replaces Mike Tranghese, who announced his retirement in June. Marinatto will begin his new job July 1.

CIAA HONORS: George Williams of St. Augustine's has been named the women's cross country coach of the year in the CIAA.

FOOTBALL

NOTRE DAME AD BACKS WEIS: Charlie Weis has the backing of his boss, who insists Notre Dame football is headed in the right direction despite the team's inability to beat its best opponents.

"He's our head coach and I look forward to him being the head coach for a long time," athletic director Jack Swarbrick said Wednesday.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

CLEMSON WON'T APPEAL: Clemson decided not to appeal the NCAA's five-game suspension of freshman center Catalin Baciu for playing on a pro team in his native Romania five years ago.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

TAR HEELS SIGN FOUR: North Carolina has signed four high school seniors to national letters of intent, coach Sylvia Hatchell announced Wednesday.

The four members of the class are Krista Gross, a 6-foot guard from the Cannon School in Concord; Waltia Rolle, a 6-6 forward/center from Nassau, Bahamas who attends Westbury Christian School in Houston; Cierra Warren, a 6-4 forward from Los Osos High in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; and Nyree Williams, a 6-1 forward from Howard High in Ellicott City, Md.

Gross is rated as the No. 23 senior in the country according to ESPNU HoopGurlz and the No. 7 shooting guard according to the All-Star Girls Report.

MEN'S GOLF

JACKETS SIGN RAVENSCROFT STAR: Georgia Tech has signed Ravenscroft's Bo Andrews, the No. 2 junior golfer in North Carolina, to a letter-of-intent, head coach Bruce Heppler announced Wednesday.

WOMEN'S GOLF

UNC'S AUSTIN TO STEP DOWN: North Carolina women's golf coach Sally Austin will step down at the conclusion of the 2008-09 season to pursue other interests and to spend more time with her family after serving as coach of the Tar Heels for the last 16 years.

WEDNESDAY'S RESULTS

MEN'S BASKETBALL

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 80, MASSACHUSETTS 73: Carlton Fay scored 17 points to lead host Southern Illinois over Massachusetts in the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament.

Southern Illinois (2-0) will face Duke in the tournament semifinals at Madison Square Garden.

MICHIGAN 76, NORTHEASTERN 56: Manny Harris had 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists as host Michigan beat Northeastern in the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament.

Michigan (2-0) will play the winner of the UCLA regional in the semifinals.