Goss: Mike Uremovich rejoining Dave Doeren at North Carolina State
By Dick Goss dgoss@stmedianetwork.com January 9, 2013 7:40PM
Former University of St. Francis coach Mike Uremovich, who spent the magical 2012 season on Dave Doeren's staff at Northern Illinois, is accompanying Doeren to North Carolina State, where he will be the offensive line coach. | Supplied photo
Updated: February 11, 2013 7:03AM
Of this and that:
When former University of St. Francis football coach Mike Uremovich left after the 2011 season to become special-teams coordinator and running backs coach at Northern Illinois, he relished the opportunity to serve on the staff of then-NIU coach Dave Doeren.
Their association will continue as Uremovich has joined Doeren’s first staff at North Carolina State as the offensive line coach after ending his season with the Huskies on the sideline at the recent Orange Bowl.
“Mike brings experience as a head coach, an offensive coordinator, an offensive line coach and a special-teams coordinator to us,” Doeren was quoted on the N.C. State website. “He is a tireless recruiter and a great family man and he is probably one of the best technicians I’ve been with from a run blocking and design standpoint. We’re really excited about what he brings to the table offensively.”
Statistics suggest Uremovich, a Providence graduate, did his jobs well at NIU. The Huskies finished ninth nationally in scoring at 40.8 points per game and rushed for 44 touchdowns. They were fifth nationally in kickoff coverage and fourth in punt coverage.
Ty Isaac and USC: Questions persist about whether Joliet Catholic senior Ty Isaac, one of the nation’s most highly rated running backs, will honor his commitment and sign with Southern California next month.
Interesting, Isaac has not said or done anything to raise the doubts. When he made his official visit to USC in early December, he said his stance on going there will not change through the rest of the process. During the week leading to Friday’s Under Armour All-American Game at Tampa, Fla., he confirmed his commitment to the Trojans.
Highly regarded high school athletes have been known to reconsider and change their minds, USC is a long way from home for Isaac and some attractive programs in the Midwest would like to land him. My feeling is he indeed will play at USC, but we won’t know for sure until signing day.
As for the Under Armour Game, Isaac carried five times for seven yards. Lemont’s Ethan Pocic (LSU) and Lincoln-Way West’s Colin McGovern (Notre Dame) also were involved as offensive tackles. In addition, Lemont coach Eric Michaelsen was there as a linebackers coach for one of the teams.
Pocic has graduated and is enrolled at LSU, where he will be able to participate in spring drills.
Mike Zimmer: With all the interviews going on around the NFL in regard to coaching vacancies, you have to wonder why Mike Zimmer (Lockport) has not been called. NFL authorities, among them Pro Football Weekly publisher and editor Hub Arkush, have noted that the Cincinnati Bengals’ respected and successful defensive coordinator belongs on somebody’s list of candidates. You would not think the possible knock against him — that he at times is too honest and outspoken — would prevent him from becoming a head coach, but maybe that is a factor.
I would like to see Zimmer as the next coach of the Bears, but he is not on their list of candidates. They want an offensive-oriented coach to replace Lovie Smith.
Diamond Taylor: One story I hate to hear is that of Diamond Taylor (Bolingbrook). When I last spoke with him, it was the interview a few years ago for the Player of the Year story for our Herald-News Basketball All-Area Team. Raiders coach Rob Brost’s assistant then was Taylor’s dad Kimrossi. I enjoyed talking with Kimrossi all during that season and feel for him now.
Since Diamond left Bolingbrook, he enrolled at Wisconsin, was arrested for burglary in a dormitory in Madison and transferred to Southern Illinois, where he has been disciplined for possession of marijuana, an undisclosed violation of team rules, for theft of a bicycle and most recent a DUI.
He started nine games for SIU last season. This season, the junior has been on suspension and is eligible to play for the first time Tuesday at Bradley. The Salukis are not the deepest team and certainly can use Taylor on the court. But more important is how he conducts himself off the court from here on out.
Sharks’ Scholar Camp: Ed Serdar’s Stone City Sharks softball program is about competing and succeeding against the best competition in the country. But a complementary and equally vital element in the Sharks’ experience is the college placement most players in the program receive.
The Sharks’ Scholar Camp that is happening Friday through Sunday at the team’s indoor warehouse facility on Maple Street in Joliet features a Who’s Who of college coaches from Notre Dame and the Ivy League. About 60 girls from 18 states in the Classes of 2014 through ’17, including some from the Joliet area, will attend.
The camp is closed. Only authorized guests will be allowed inside. Parents and coaches are not allowed except at designated times to drop off or pick up athletes.
No recruiting presentations are allowed. Coaches from leading academic and athletic environments will present different styles of play and talk to campers in a relaxed atmosphere about financial aid and other matters.
When it comes to softball, the Sharks continue to be a major player.
