HOUSTON – Sylvester Turner, a University of Houston alumnus and former mayor of Houston who was elected to Congress last year, died Tuesday night.  He was 70 years old.

“I am deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Sylvester Turner,” UH President Renu Khator said in a prepared statement. “He was a natural-born leader, humble servant and proud UH alum, who made a profound impact on our University, city and state. Most significantly, he never forgot his humble beginnings and used his platform to uplift and encourage young people to chase their dreams. He was a role model for our students, showing that no matter your zip code, race or income bracket, you can reach the highest heights. He will be sorely missed.”

Turner, who was born and raised in Houston, earned his bachelor’s degree in political science at UH in 1977. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Turner returned to Houston where he started his own law firm and occasionally lectured for the UH Law Center’s continuing legal education programs.

After more than two decades of service in the Texas House of Representatives, Turner was elected mayor of Houston in 2015 and served two terms, guiding the city through several challenges, including Hurricane Harvey and the COVID-19 pandemic. When his close friend and political ally U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee died last July, he successfully ran to replace her and was sworn into Congress in January.

Turner was a proud and vocal supporter of the University, recognizing its symbiotic relationship with the city. For his unwavering dedication and service, Turner received UH’s Distinguished Alumni Award, the Elected Public Official of the Year award and the Pioneer of Public Service Award. And in 2023, he was awarded the President’s Medallion, the University’s highest honor. The Sylvester Turner Academic Distinction Scholarship and the Sylvester Turner Scholarship Endowment Fund in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences were established in his honor.

During a memorable commencement speech in 2018, Turner reminded CLASS graduates of the resilience and determination that define Cougar Pride.

“The road will not always be easy, sometimes it will be highly challenging. But Cougar Pride don’t turn back,” he said. “Live your life in such a way that when all is said and done, be able to say you have no regrets. Go Coogs – make your history as only you can.”

About the University of Houston

The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter for excellence in undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation’s fourth-largest city and one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse regions in the country, UH is a federally designated Hispanic, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution with enrollment of more than 46,000 students.

She accepted on Thursday, Apr. 25 and on the following Monday, athletic director Mike Hill formally introduced her as the new head coach at a press conference.

“Charlotte got a great hire in Tomekia Reed,” Dawn Staley commented.  “She is going to be a great advocate for her student-athletes. She is a great basketball mind and uniter of the community. Being this close to Charlotte, I will be paying close attention to her success.”

This means EVERYTHING!!! Two people that I have GREAT respect for. Thank you @dawnstaley and @UConnWBB Geno!!! I greatly appreciate what you do for the game and how you uplift coaches like myself advocating for change and opportunities. https://t.co/1maYmw6JKI

— Coach Tomekia Reed (@CoachTReed) May 3, 2024

Reed has already made her mark with the announcement of landing former Texas A&M guard Kay Kay Green. This strategic recruitment not only strengthens the team’s roster but also demonstrates Reed’s ability to attract top talent to UNC Charlotte.  

UConn’s Geno Auriemma expressed, “I’m so excited that Tomekia Reed has been named the head coach at Charlotte. After coaching against her team, I came away super impressed with how hard they work and how disciplined they are. Congrats to Coach Reed and to Charlotte for reaching out of the box and getting a terrific coach.”   

Auriemma’s words echoed his sentiments about Coach Reed in his postgame interview after UConn defeated Jackson State: “They certainly don’t get on TV enough, and they certainly don’t get enough recognition, and I wanted to let her know that and put myself out there for her. I think we need coaches like her to be celebrated.”

Coach Geno Auriemma’s comments on Coach Reed and JSU. @HBCULegends @GoJSUTigersWBB pic.twitter.com/DokLl7rTlH

— Kyle T. Mosley (@ktmoze) March 23, 2024

Reed posted humbling words about the commentary from the two coaching legends. “This means EVERYTHING!!! Two people that I have GREAT respect for. Thank you Dawn Staley and Geno!!! I greatly appreciate what you do for the game and how you uplift coaches like myself advocating for change and opportunities.

Geno Auriemma said about Jackson State, “I’m really impressed by them, and they are exceptionally well coached.”

ALSO READ: HUGE DISPARITY BETWEEN HBCUs AND POWER CONFERENCE TEAMS

VIDEO:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9t5jxUmRC8

Tomekia Reed is headed to @CharlotteWBB as the next women’s basketball head coach. @CoachTReed @hbculegends pic.twitter.com/2XvUUIELJ6

— Kyle T. Mosley (@ktmoze) April 25, 2024

The Charlotte Business Journal reported in 2023 that former UNC Charlotte coach Cara Consuegra earned $269,100.00 annually. She was the second-highest-paid coach in the UNC Charlotte athletic department. When she began her tenure with the 49ers, Consuegra earned a base salary of $165,000 per year plus incentives. Thus, at this point, Reed’s base salary should be approximately at or over the $200K range.

Reed was underpaid at Jackson State University. It needs to be clarified whether the school or Reed was the one who didn’t agree to an extended contract.

Coach Reed’s Farewell… pic.twitter.com/cxvbL8y7OA

— Kyle T. Mosley (@ktmoze) April 26, 2024

Nevertheless, Reed is now the 49ers’ new leader and has an opportunity to write a new chapter for her career. She will work with a program with more resources and better facilities and is connected with a passionate fanbase in one of the country’s best regions for basketball.

Although many would have appreciated Reed to remain with an HBCU, would it have made sense for her at this stage in the career she’s built?  Charlotte’s athletic director, Mike Hill, knows how to raise funds for the athletic department.  Consider the fact Hill ran a campaign to raise $100 million for the new Jerry Richardson football stadium and facilities.  

Coach Reed’s departure from the HBCU sports landscape should be applauded. The dynamo coach is blazing a trail for the coaches who will follow in her pioneering footsteps. She may not be the first HBCU coach to leave and become a success at the next level—i.e., C. Vivian Stringer—but, knowing Tomekia Reed’s heart, she’ll make sure she’s not the last.

A four-star recruit, Hayden (5-11, 215 pounds) was considered the 24th-best running back by college recruiting analysts in 2022.  He played two seasons with the Buckeyes, rushing 130 times for 663 yards and six touchdowns.  Two players to join him with Colorado are defensive tackle Rayyan Buell and offensive tackle Payton Kirkland.

BREAKING: Ohio State RB transfer Dallan Hayden has committed to Colorado, he tells @SWiltfong_https://t.co/BShIARmmlP pic.twitter.com/8GDCfyEc0Y

— On3 (@On3sports) April 22, 2024

Deion Sanders and his team have seen several prominent players hit the NCAA transfer portal this spring.  Josh Newberg said, “Colorado is going to Binge and Purge.”   He may have a point, as Coach Prime’s recruiting efforts aren’t to be in vain, landing three recruiting commitments from this weekend.

Upon departing the program, Cormani McClain had the Buffaloes in his crosshairs, saying he was to “be a part of a real and great program.  I don’t wanna play for clicks.” On3 also reports that McClain has “USF, UCF, and Memphis” interested in his talent.  One recruiting tactic to land McCain is to offer him a role similar to Travis Hunter – playing offense and defense.   

Another transfer for the Buffs is defensive end J.J. Hawkins, who also decided to go portal surfing.

Colorado defensive lineman J.J. Hawkins has entered the transfer portal, @On3sports has learned.

The former Ole Miss transfer played in 10 games in 2023, starting in one against Oregon State. https://t.co/VNvB2Ek6qR pic.twitter.com/K7vgzytdhQ

— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) April 22, 2024

Colorado’s starting quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, posted on social media, “If you’re not a player here, that means you’re not good enough.”  Some have considered it a challenge and other kids must be convinced it’s worth playing for the Pro Football Hall of Famer in Boulder. 

Nonetheless, the thirst for drama and suspense in playing for Deion Sanders will only be quenched once the Buffaloes contend for the national championship.

The 6-7 Cardoso will anchor inside the paint with scoring, rebounding, and an athletic defensive presence. The native of Brazil helped the Gamecocks win the 2023-24 NCAA National Championship with a win against No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark and Iowa.

The Sky made a bold move, trading up to the seventh spot to secure power forward Angel Reese from LSU. Reese, the 2023-24 SEC Player of the Year, is a versatile player known for her exceptional defensive and rebounding skills.

But that’s not all. Reese has shown herself to be a playmaker and creates fouls from defenders, sending her to the free-throw line. Her leadership led the LSU Tigers to the 2023 National Championship, a testament to her potential and the impact she can bring to the Sky.

The tandem immediately makes Chicago one of the most formidable defensive and rebounding forces in the WBNA. Both players were overwhelmed with emotion during their post-draft interviews.

National championship head coaches Dawn Staley and Kim Mulkey were in the audience watching their stars get drafted by the Sky.

Coach Weatherspoon could set a foundation with a highly competitive frontcourt that knows how to win at the highest level, sharing the spotlight in Chicago.

“As a little girl growing up you always dream of playing basketball and getting your first trading card – I can’t wait for fans everywhere to be able to start collecting my Panini cards,” Reese said.

The former “Bayou Barbie” and 2023 national champion from LSU is projected to be a top-ten prospect in the 2024 WNBA Draft on Apr. 15.

A true game changer, on and off of the court

Honored to welcome the iconic @Reese10Angel to the Panini Exclusive Family!

Angel’s first Panini Cards will be available at 3:00 PM EST here: https://t.co/3XsYkmPG2a #WhoDoYouCollect pic.twitter.com/dWAA9AoHEv

— Panini America (@PaniniAmerica) April 10, 2024

“Angel is an outstanding talent and an electric player, and we are excited to welcome her to the Panini family as an exclusive athlete,” Jason Howarth, Panini America’s senior vice president of marketing and athlete relations, said in a released statement.

Panini’s first product with Reese is the $9.99 Panini Instant card, which is available on the company’s website.

Reese declared for the WNBA Draft a day after losing to Iowa in the NCAA Women’s Championship semifinal game. The Hawkeye’s legendary guard, Cailin Clark, announced a deal with Panini last month.   Clark projects to become the overall draft pick in the WNBA Draft’s first round.

The two young superstars intend to make their professional debut at the beginning of the WNBA season.

Here’s the comparison of TV viewership numbers between women’s and men’s title games announced by Roberts: 

• The women’s title game between South Carolina and Iowa attracted an average of 18.7 million viewers.
• During Connecticut’s back-to-back national championship campaign, the men’s title game averaged less at 14.8 million.

There’s a massive disparity in television rights revenue by gender:

• The NCAA Women’s Tournament earned $6.5 million for its television rights with ESPN.
• The NCAA Men’s Tournament’s television rights with CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV generated a significantly higher revenue of $873 million.
• The percentage difference in revenue highlights a disparity of 99%, according to Rachel Bachman.

The new eight-year, $920 million contract with ESPN, agreed upon in January, could potentially usher in a transformative era for women’s basketball.

Ralph D. Russo predicts that the deal, which grants the network exclusive rights to “40 championships, including the Division I women’s basketball tournament,” could be a game-changer. NCAA president Charlie Baker estimates that an “impressive 57% of the value of the deal — or $65 million annually — is tied to the women’s March Madness tournament.”   

After leading Grambling to a historic season, Donte Jackson became the first coach to win the Jobe Award twice, having previously won the award in 2018.

Grambling won the SWAC regular season championship for the second consecutive season, finishing with a 24-9 record and defeated nemesis Texas Southern in the SWAC conference tournament title game.

Jackson has a 120-102 record in seven seasons at Grambling, including an 80-42 mark in SWAC games.

“Donte Jackson has rewritten the narrative about Grambling basketball in the Division I era,” Angela Lento, Vice President of CollegeInsider.com said. Prior to his arrival, the program struggled for decades, finishing above .500 in conference play just eight times in 40 years. He has taken Grambling from second-division status to the top of the SWAC. Donte Jackson is the best coach in Grambling’s Division I history.”

The Ben Jobe Award is named in honor of one of the most iconic coaches in the history of basketball at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. (HBCUs). He is best known as the head coach of Southern University, a position he held for 12 seasons. He was also head coach at Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Talladega, Tuskegee, and South Carolina State.

His record at Southern was 209-141, including four NCAA Tournament appearances. He coached the Jaguars to one NIT appearance, five SIAC championships, 11 SWAC titles, and two NAIA Tournament Championships. Perhaps his most memorable moment as a coach was
leading No. 15 seed Southern to a 93-78 win over No. 2 Georgia Tech in the first round of the 1993 NCAA Tournament. It stands as one of the great upsets in the event’s history.

Coach Jobe passed away on March 10, 2017.

The recipient of the annual award is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches and two senior staff members of Collegeinsider.com.

HOUSTON  —  The No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks (36-0) are Vegas’ favorite to win the women’s college basketball national championship. However, before their head coach, Dawn Staley can lift the title trophy, she must prepare her team to face a dangerous and formidable opponent – the No. 3 North Carolina State Wolfpack (31-6).

The two squads will tangle during semifinal action at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse for a 7:00 PM ET tip-off on Friday, Apr. 5. The winner will clash with the UConn-Iowa semifinal victor.  

SOUTH CAROLINA’S TREMENDOUS RUN

South Carolina has made four consecutive trips to the NCAA Women’s Final Four. Incredibly, Staley has guided the Gamecocks to twelve straight NCAA tournaments and won two national championships in 2017 and 2022.  

Coach Staley has registered a tremendous 438-106 (80.6%) winning record during her tenure at South Carolina. Her teams have lost just eight games in the last four seasons and could eventually win the national title, going undefeated.

In the article, Reese stated: “I’ve done everything I wanted to in college,” Reese said. “I’ve won a national championship, I’ve gotten [Southeastern Conference] Player of the Year, I’ve been an All-American. My ultimate goal is to be a pro—and to be one of the greatest basketball players to play, ever. I feel like I’m ready.”

She’s an influential business figure in sports. Reese, “The Bayou Barbie,” already has over 5 million social media followers, a NIL deal with Reebok, and partnerships with Goldman Sachs, Amazon, Mercedes-Benz, AirBNB, Beats by Dre, and ZOA.

The loss to Iowa hurt the LSU faithful but not Reese’s impact and marketability. During her post-game interview, she expressed her frustrations with handling pressures outside the basketball court after leading LSU to win the 2023 NCAA Women’s National Championship.  

Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark could become for the WNBA what Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were for the NBA in the 80s and 90s. The arrival of the two legends propelled the professional league into a different stratosphere — so can Reese and Clark do the same for the WNBA.

Monday, April 15, will be one of the most important for the struggling league as the draft will have emerging stars entering the league. Most will be well prepared for the limelight and exposure.  

Angel Reese may not be selected as the overall selection in the WNBA Draft, but it shouldn’t matter. Her determination to become one of the league’s best players will make her a recognizable figure worldwide, enhancing the WNBA brand and market demand.