Former Canadian Football League Player Now Track Coach

The Virginia Commonwealth University women’s track and field program will enter a new era when the Rams hit the track for the 2008-2009 campaign, as VCU Athletic Director Norwood Teague announced the hiring of Jon Riley as the new head coach of the women’s track and field and cross country programs.

“We are ecstatic about the addition of Jon Riley to the VCU athletics family,” Teague said. “Jon brings a real vision for success to the program and will be a great leader for our women’s track program. I’m excited to watch him build our program into a force not only in the CAA, but also on the national level.”

Riley comes to Richmond after three seasons as the top assistant at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. In his three years with the Bruins, he specialized in the sprints and jumps, overseeing the national and regional success of athletes, such as Lynette Rives, Liz Pollock and Channing Twyner. Most recently, Rives was named an outdoor All-American by the USTFCCCA in the 200-meter as she posted back-to-back school records with times of 23.61 and 23.56 at the 2008 NCAA Championships.

Riley was also recently certified as a coach at the USATF Level II in Sprints/Hurdles/Relays and the USATF Level III in jumps.

Prior to his time at Belmont, he spent two years as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Southeast Missouri State University. Riley spent his time coaching the jumpers, pole vaulters, javelin throwers and hurdlers and helped the women’s program capture three Ohio Valley Conference championships and numerous All-Conference awards.

His coaching career began right out of college as he spent five years as an assistant at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, known around the state of Louisiana as a powerhouse on the track.

In addition to his coaching experience, Riley was a two-sport standout athlete at Southeast Missouri State, lettering in both track and football. During his track career, he was a three-time NCAA provisional qualifier in the long and triple jumps, a five-time OVC individual champion and earned the 1996 OVC Track Athlete of the Year honor. He was also a four-year starter at wide receiver on the Redhawk football team and had a brief professional stint with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League.

Canadian Football League Week # 3 Picks

CFL WEEK # 3 PICKS

Wow, what a week. 0-4. It is still early and most teams have yet to click on all sides
of the ball. Okay here we go.

Stamps Vs. Als

The Als sure looked great in the first half last week. What happened in he second half.
How did they let the Bombers back in the game? The Stamps could easily be 2-0,
except for some last moment heroics by Jason Tucker. The Stamps are better at home
then on the road. The Stamps have some game film to see what the Bombers did different
in the second half against the Als. That should help

Stamps by 5

Argos Vs Eskimos

So Kerry Joseph is calling his own plays and Bishop was placed on waivers. Will this
stop the chaos? Nope but it won't matter this week.

Argos by 7

Lions Vs Bombers
0-2 vs 0-2, who would have guessed. No Joe Smith for the Lions, will hurt.
The Lions and Bombers will probably split this home and home series.
So give this one o the home team.

Bombers by 8

Riders Vs Ti-Cats

Can the third string QB lead the Riders to a victory? He did coming of the bench.
But as a starter? Maybe but only if the Riders defence drives the Ti-Cats offence
with quick 2 and outs. This is the toss up of the week.

Riders by 4

Last week 0-4 Over-All 3-5

Canadain Football League Player Of The Week Winners Week # 2

Edmonton Eskimos quarterback Ricky Ray, British Columbia Lions defensive end Cameron Wake, and Toronto Argonauts kick returner Dominique Dorsey were named the CFL's top players for Week 2 on Tuesday.

Ray completed 27-of-41 passes for a league-high 448 yards with three touchdowns in Edmonton's 34-31 win over Calgary to take offensive player of the week honors. On the season Ray leads the CFL with 697 yards passing, and has a QB Rating of 102.4.

Wake had eight tackles and three sacks in B.C.'s 26-16 loss to Saskatchewan to earn defensive player of the week honors. Dorsey returned three kicks for 82 yards, four punts for 68 yards, and a missed field goal for 63 yards in Toronto's 32-12 loss to Hamilton to take special teams honors for the week.

Canadian Football League lost an Icon on Sunday

The Canadian Football League has lost one of its biggest supporters. Bob Ackles, an integral member of the B.C. Lions for more than 50 years, died of a heart attack early Sunday morning. He was 69.

Born in Sarnia, Ontario, Ackles started with the Lions as the team's water boy in 1953 and rose up the ranks quickly. In 1971, he was named assistant general manager and earned the post as GM just four years later. He held the job until 1986 and was promoted to director of football development a decade later.

Under Ackles' leadership, the Lions captured the Grey Cup in 1985 and in 2006.

"It was our league that virtually adopted him when he was just a boy, and it's our league that has looked to him as a man for counsel, inspiration and leadership by example," CFL commissioner Mark Cohon said in a statement. "As much as the CFL has meant to Bob, he has meant so much more to us."