One of the Vols men’s basketball newcomers is 6’8 forward Derrick Walker from Kansas City, Missouri.
Vols coach Rick Barnes on Walker: “Derrick is going to blend nicely into our team due to his combination of size, strength and toughness. We’re also excited about his basketball IQ and the fact that he’s a vocal defender, a good rebounder and an excellent ball-handler and passer for a player of his size. So there are a lot of signs that point to him being able to help us immediately. His next challenge is to get himself into great shape so that he can make the kind of impact we believe he’s capable of.”
There’s good news coming out of Loretta Lynn’s camp.
Almost seven weeks after Loretta suffered a stroke at her Tennessee home in Hurricane Mills, her first public appearance has been announced.
Loretta will host—and perform during—the Tennessee Motorcycle and Music Revival, a four-day event held at Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. (about 60 miles west of Nashville). The Motorcycles and Music Revival will celebrate music, motorcycles, food, art, entertainment and Southern hospitality as 4,500 on-site campers enjoy 400 acres. This year’s event will take place from Sept. 28–Oct. 1.
Loretta’s granddaughter, Tayla Lynn, posted a video on Instagram announcing the event and shared that “Memaw is gonna come down there and sing for ya.”
One of the Vols men’s basketball newcomers is 6’9 forward Zach Kent of Magnolia, Delaware.
Vols coach Rick Barnes on Kent: “Zach obviously adds some needed size and length to our frontcourt, but he’ll also elevate our overall skill level with his ability to pass and shoot the ball, as well as his high basketball IQ. He’s got a solid inside game and is developing an ability to score with his back to the basket. He’s a tough, competitive kid.”
First off, I want to thank you so much for the love, support, and most of all, the dedication to helping me get where I am today. I not only want to thank the Tennessee track & field coaching staff, but I would also like to thank the entire University of Tennessee faculty and extended family. Each one of my coaches, professors, counselors, teacher’s aides, and teammates really helped me develop both my body and mind, so that I could focus all of my energy on my educational and athletic goals.
I want to thank my parents, my grandparents, everyone in my family for backing me in everything I do. Having that support system motivates me constantly and makes me appreciate how many people have made sacrifices to help me get to where I am.
I also could not gotten to this point without the coaching staff at Tennessee. Coach Sullivan and Coach Hall have supported me from the beginning and pushed me every step of the way and allowed me to believe that the sky is the limit.
Thank you to the trainers, managers, media relations, and Thornton Center staff who worked with me every day to make sure that I was ready both on the track and off.
Deciding on becoming a professional athlete was not an easy decision to make, mostly because of the tremendous amount of love and support I have received from Vol Nation. I know for a fact that I would not be the same person, let alone athlete, if I had not decided to attend Tennessee. I cannot thank the school enough.
This is not the end of my relationship with Tennessee. I am very proud to say that I plan to complete my degree in Sport Management, while I compete on the pro circuit. Educating myself is equally as important as pursuing my athletics career and I feel I can set a great example for up-and-coming athletes all over the nation to complete their education while pursuing a professional career. It should be done.
To all future collegiate athletes, having the right sense of intuition is key to picking the right school. The moment I stepped onto the UT campus, I instantly knew that I belonged. The amount of pride the UT family has in the Power T is amazing, and the fan base is unmatched by any other campus.
Although I’ve suited up in the orange and white for the last time, I’ll always continue to strive to be the best I can be because that’s what being a Vol for Life truly means. I am exceptionally honored and deeply humbled to have been offered the opportunity to be a part of this historic track program. The incomparable support system along with the close bond that has grown between my teammates and I helped me mature and grow into the man that I am today. You are my family for life.
Thank you so much for everything. The University of Tennessee has been my pillar of strength, and will forever hold a special place in my heart.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee head baseball coach Tony Vitello announced the first addition to his coaching staff Monday, naming former Oklahoma State head coach Frank Anderson as the Volunteers’ pitching coach.
Anderson comes to Knoxville after spending the last five seasons as an assistant coach at Houston, where he helped lead the Cougars to three NCAA Tournaments, including an NCAA Super Regional in 2014. UH has also played in four consecutive American Athletic Conference Tournament championship games, taking home the title in 2014 and 2017.
Considered one of the premier pitching coaches in the country, Anderson brings a wealth of experience as both an assistant and a head coach at the NCAA Division I level. Prior to his successful stint as pitching coach at Houston, Anderson served as head coach for Oklahoma State for nine seasons (2004-12), leading the Cowboys to six NCAA Regional appearances as well as a trip to the NCAA Super Regionals in 2007.
“Coach Anderson has a long track record as a pitching coach at the highest levels of college baseball that is unmatched,” Vitello said. “From developing MLB draft picks, All-America and all-conference arms, to coaching pitching staffs that are among the nation’s best year in and year out, his record speaks for itself.
“From my playing days and early coaching career in the Big 12, I took note of his pitchers and how he developed them. He was a tremendous role model for me as a young pitching coach. Coach Anderson has a proven throwing and training program that allows pitchers to make improvements in both velocity and command while also keeping them healthy throughout the season and their college careers. He understands what it takes to recruit and develop Omaha-caliber pitching staffs. He’s a winner with a national championship ring and a long list of NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals on his resume.
During Anderson’s first season at Oklahoma State, he led the Pokes to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001. He guided OSU to the Big 12 Tournament Championship in 2004, its first in program history.
The 2006 season started an impressive three-year run for the Cowboys, as they posted three straight seasons of 41 or more victories. Anderson’s squad earned the No. 1 national seed in the NCAA Tournament that year, and in 2007 the program reached the NCAA Super Regionals.
Another successful season followed in 2008, with the Pokes climbing as high as No. 5 in the national rankings. Oklahoma State finished the season ranked all three years from 2006-08.
Before taking over in Stillwater, Anderson was the pitching coach on Augie Garrido’s staff at Texas for four years (2000-03). During his time in Austin, Anderson helped lead the Longhorns to three consecutive College World Series appearances (2001-03), and helped them win a national championship in 2002.
Other stops for Anderson included 10 years as an assistant at Texas Tech (1990-99), three seasons at Howard College (1987-89) and three years as an assistant at his alma mater, Emporia State (1983-85). In all, Anderson’s teams have advanced to 16 NCAA Tournaments, five NCAA Super Regionals and have made three trips to the College World Series.
Anderson has overseen some of the nation’s top pitching staffs during his 34-year coaching career. Most recently, Houston has finished in the top-10 nationally in team earned run average during three of Anderson’s five seasons with the program. In all, Anderson’s teams have finished among the top-25 in the country in ERA 11 times, including six top-10 rankings. The Cougars had the country’s lowest regular-season ERA (2.04) and WHIP (1.00) in 2014 while also tying a program record with 48 victories and making the postseason for the first time since 2008.
Anderson’s pitching staffs were equally as impressive in 2015 and 2016, leading the American Athletic Conference and ranking among the top-10 in ERA during both seasons. Houston finished the 2016 season with a 2.48 ERA, which ranked No. 2 in the country.
While at Texas, Anderson’s pitching staffs were a key factor in the program’s three consecutive trips to Omaha. The Longhorns led the Big 12 in team ERA during each of his four seasons and finished among the top five in the nation three times. Anderson’s staffs at Texas recorded sparkling team ERAs of 2.82 in 2002, 3.17 in 2001 and 3.30 in 2000, and also posted the program’s best team ERA since 1983 (2.72) and the second-lowest ERA nationally in the 2002 campaign.
Anderson has mentored some of the nation’s top pitchers throughout his career. Just this season, he coached sophomore left-hander Trey Cumbie to AAC Pitcher of the Year honors. Cumbie led the conference with a 2.02 ERA in the regular season while posting a 9-1 record and was just selected by the Texas Rangers in the 38th round of the MLB Draft.
Junior left-hander Seth Romero was just taken in the first round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals with the 25th overall pick last Monday night. Under Anderson’s guidance, Romero was named a first-team Freshman All-American by Baseball America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers’ Association (NCBWA) in 2015. Romero was also named the AAC Rookie of the Year and was invited to play for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
In 2016, the Cougars had two pitchers selected in the eighth round of the MLB Draft, with Andrew Lantrip going 242nd overall to the Cleveland Indians and Nick Hernandez going 247th overall to the Houston Astros. Lantrip led the nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio (16.80) during the 2016 season.
Anderson saw multiple members of his pitching staff taken in the 2015 MLB Draft, as right-handed pitchers Jake Lemoine and Patrick Weigel were drafted in the fourth and seventh rounds, respectively. Lemoine became the highest-drafted Cougar since 2009. Two more pitchers were selected on the final day of the draft, joining three position players, bringing Houston’s total to eight.
In total, 15 pitchers have been selected in the MLB Draft during Anderson’s tenure at Houston. He also had 27 pitchers drafted during his time at Oklahoma State, 15 selected while he was at Texas and 21 picked during his 10 seasons with Texas Tech, giving him a grand total of 78 pitchers drafted throughout his storied coaching career.
Anderson is a native of Grant, Nebraska, and earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Emporia State in 1983 before going on to attain his master’s degree from the school in 1985. Prior to attending ESU, Anderson was a junior college All-American at Mid-Plains Junior College in North Platte, Nebraska.
He and his wife, Sandra, have two children: a son, Brett, who is a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, and a daughter, Katelyn.
“I appreciate Mr. Currie and the Tennessee athletics administration for giving us the resources to make this hire possible. I’m beyond excited to welcome Frank, Sandra, Brett and Katelyn to the Volunteer family,” Vitello said.
Country music star and lifelong outdoor enthusiast Craig Morgan will be reprising his role as host for an eighth season of Craig Morgan: All Access Outdoors, which will premiere on June 30 on the Outdoor Channel.
Adventures in the 13-episode season include travels to Kodiak Island for a Sitka black-tailed deer, a special hunt in Texas where Craig hosts a veteran from each branch of the U.S. military, a trip to south Florida to chase Osceola turkey and a very special episode featuring some of his favorite hunting memories with his son, Jerry, who passed away in July 2016.
The 13-episode season of Craig’s award-winning show will premiere on Friday, June 30, at 7 p.m. EST on the Outdoor Channel, with repeat airings on Friday and Sunday.
Last year, Craig invited Nash Country Daily into his trophy room at his farmhouse in Dickson, Tenn. Take a look at some of Craig’s prized mounts, including deer, alligator, bear, boar, beaver, turkey and more.
Brad Paisley is revving up the Cars 3 soundtrack with two tunes, “Truckaroo” and “Thunder Hollow Breakdown.”
The new flick is the latest installment of Disney-Pixar’s popular automobile-themed movie series. While Brad had songs on the soundtracks of the previous two Cars films, this time he’s really showcasing his guitar skills to enhance the onscreen action.
Below, Watch Brad jam to “Thunder Hollow Breakdown” as the scene from the movie plays.
This would be my favorite scene in #Cars3 even if I hadn’t scored it! What a messy muddy blast. Let’s go racin’…. pic.twitter.com/4Va314s5Eu
In October 2016, Todd O’Neill bested nine other finalist—and hundreds of additional competitors—to be crowed the 2016 Nash Next champion. And to the winner went the spoils, which included a recording contract with Big Machine Records, a single produced by Rascal Flatts’ Jay DeMarcus and guaranteed airplay on all Cumulus country radio stations.
Todd dropped his debut single, “Love Again,” in April, and it is currently No. 37 on Billboard’s Country Aiplay chart after nine weeks.
“I think the guaranteed radio play and national radio exposure are complete game-changers,” says Todd to NCD. “You cannot ask for something bigger than that—to get that out to the masses and have your original song played on the radio. Nash Next changed my life and it can change yours.”
NASH Next 2017 officially launched on May 31, bringing together a new cache of unknown talent, a major record label in Big Machine Label Group, the power of country radio in Cumulus Media and a national sponsor with Country Inns & Suites by Carlson. The winner of this five-month-long national competition, which will be announced by reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Garth Brooks, will receive a record deal with NASH Next Records under the Big Machine Label Group and radio exposure on Cumulus radio stations nationwide.
In more than 62 markets across the United States, including Dallas, New York, Atlanta, Detroit and Nashville, local artists can enter the competition until June 30 via NashNextPresents.com.
“I went from singing at local bars in Hammond, Louisiana, to a recording contract in Nashville, Tennessee,” adds Todd. “It’s awesome. It’s been an amazing experience.”
Late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has a new music-centric offshoot called Jimmy Kimmel Live Music, which seeks to give fans access to new music via online streaming.
The site will offer exclusive coverage of Milwaukee’s SummerFest (June 28–July 2 & July 4–July 9), which features headliners Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Zac Brown Band, Willie Nelson, Jason Isbell and Margo Price, as well as performers Dan + Shay, Frankie Ballard, Lee Brice, Locash, Lauren Alaina, High Valley, Blackberry Smoke, Jerrod Niemann, William Michael Morgan and others.
Additional headliners include Red Hot Chili Peppers, Paul Simon, Pink, The Chainsmokers, Future, Bob Dylan and more.
Jimmy Kimmel Live Music will film acts over the 11 days of the festival and will stream a mix of live and recorded content for six hours each day on July 7, 8 and 9.
Given the days, there’s a possible chance of catching live performances from headliners Dierks Bentley (July 7), Willie Nelson (July 9), Jason Isbell (July 9) and Margo Price (July 9).
The content will also be syndicated to both SummerFest.com and the Jimmy Kimmel Live YouTube channel.
Jim Casey talks with Lucas Hoge about growing up in tiny Hubbell, Nebraska, hunting and trapping in the Nebraska countryside, playing on the football team and in the marching band, leading three different bands—country, Southern rock and worship—while he was in high school, playing music for U.S. troops in places like Afghanistan with the Wrangler National Patriot program, his new single, “Dirty South,” new album coming out in July and more.
![With a Top 40 Single at County Radio, Todd O’Neill Says “Nash Next Changed My Life and It Can Change Yours” [Sign Up Today]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/1446/2017/06/19130949/Todd-Oneill.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
