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  • Ready to become No. 1: Indiana State University Director of Athletics Ron Prettyman poses for a photo with new football head coach Mike Sanford during a press conference Monday on the Indiana State University campus. (Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza)

    SPT 121712 SANFORD 01PRETT.jpg

  • Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza Their new experience: Melinda Sanford, the wife of new Indiana State University head football coach, Mike Sanford, listens as her husband introduces himself during a press conference Monday on the Indiana State campus.

    SPT 121712 SANFORD MELINDA.jpg

  • Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza His philosophy, their future: Indiana State University football players, including F.N. Lutz and Mike Perish, listen as new head coach Mike Sanford offers his coaching philosophy during an introductory press conference Monday at Indiana State.

    SPT 121712 SANFORD LUTZ.jpg

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December 18, 2012

VIDEO: So far, so good for Sycamores

Bell 'rethinking situation,' but says positive things about new football coach

Todd Golden The Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE — Perhaps the most important conversation new Indiana State football coach Mike Sanford had on Monday wasn’t with the administration, the alumni and the assembled media at his introductory press conference, but a talk that came after it.

Among the players who attended the press conference was running back Shakir Bell. Sanford, who had his first meeting with the players after the conclusion of the presser, made a point to talk to Bell for several minutes to meet his star running back.

Bell, a senior-to-be who has 3,794 career rushing yards at ISU, is eligible to declare for the NFL Draft. Or, like any other player, he could transfer to another school.

One man doesn’t make a team, but Bell is pretty important to ISU’s fortunes in the near-future. The Indianapolis native had kind things to say about Sanford.

“He’s definitely a great coach. I watched the bowl game against Toledo. Their offense was hammering away. We’re going to look forward to working with him. He looked like he’s going to be a great fit,” Bell said.

Bell and Sanford had a friendly discussion, and exchanged laughter at times, but Bell also kept his options open for the future.

“It’s all up in the air right now. I have a year left. I’m having a great time here and I’m ready to see this program go to the next level,” Bell said. “There’s things going on where I have rethink my situation, but I’m here for now. I helped build this program. I have my hand in it and I’m not wanting to see it go down in any time of way. We’re going to get ready for a great season and embrace our new coach.”

Any time a coach takes over a program there’s the dynamic of convincing the players left behind by the previous coach to get on board with his way of doing things. In Sanford’s case, this is even more acute. Not only did Miles recruits every single one of the current Sycamores, but he developed an esprit-de-corps that they were all in it together to build ISU’s program out of the rubble it had once been.

Sanford understands this and acknowledges the legacy Miles has.

“I think the first thing is to congratulate and give Trent a lot of credit. It’s not like I’m coming in and saying everyone’s no good and I’m coming in to change everything. This thing is built because of what Trent did. I’m going to build on that. I welcome the fact that this thing has been built,” Sanford said.

ISU Director of Athletics Ron Prettyman said that one of the most attractive things about Sanford was his ability to build on what’s already been done with the Sycamores’ program.

“The players and Trent built this to where it is. He has no desire to break down that tradition. He wants to give the players and Trent credit, but he’s got some things that we haven’t done yet that he brings to the table,” Prettyman said. “He has some new talents that haven’t been exposed to this program. He wants to make it stronger and better. He wants to capitalize on what Trent did, but he wants to do an even better job as he brings it further along.”

Sanford reiterated that point.

“The challenge is to take it to the next step. That’s on all of us together. I’m the leader, but we’re in this together. We’re appreciative of the past, and thankful for where we are, but to set the expectation to surpass that,” Sanford said.

With ISU on winter break, there was just a handful of players present. But some of them were impressed with what they heard from Sanford.

“I’m very excited. We’re all eager. I was just telling [quarterback] Mike Perish that we’re ready to roll,” ISU center FN Lutz said. “I’m excited about his plan. I like his aggressive style. I like that we’ll run the ball first. We’ll be smashmouth, but we’ll throw it. We have guys to exploit it, [whom] he’ll form his offense around. He’ll use our greatness for his.”

Sanford having to overcome loyalty to Miles was not seen as a hurdle the new coach can’t clear.

“I think we’ve come together. We’re a close-knit team. Everyone understands this happens in college football. As long as we’re focused on getting better, we’ll be fine,” Perish said. “It seems like he has great experience and that’s a plus. He was very well-spoken today. I was impressed by his speech. As players, I think we’re all excited for him.”

Part of the bond Sanford builds with the Sycamores will hinge on who is hired to his coaching staff. Sanford has already made exploratory inquiries about coaches. He wants to have a full staff in place by early to mid-January, when football recruiting goes into its home stretch.

“The good thing is it’s a dead period right now. I want to get things going when it’s live again. I want to have some coaches on Jan. 4 when it’s live again. There’s another dead period because of the [coaches’] convention, and I’ll be talking to people there, but I want to hit it hard those last three weeks,” Sanford said.



To see video of Monday’s press conference go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWp0H7zBYN8

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Sports
SPT 052213 JENKINS JUBI.jpg

On the scoreboard: Terre Haute South's Justin Jenkins (6) celebrates the Braves' first run with teammate Jacob Johnson during the Braves' sectional game against North on Wednesday at South.

  • North baseball pulls away from South in sectional opener

    In high school baseball little things mean a lot, and the crack in the door doesn’t have to be open very wide.
    Terre Haute North burst through that crack in the bottom of the second inning Wednesday evening at Terre Haute South, scoring seven two-out runs and going on to a surprisingly easy 12-2 victory over the host Braves.

    May 23, 2013 4 Photos

  • SPT0512213mcmillan.jpg Blank, Mundy named McMillan Award winners

    Posing side-by-side for photos following Terre Haute North High School’s Senior Awards ceremony, seniors Calvin Blank and Chanli Mundy couldn’t look more different.

    May 23, 2013 4 Photos

  • Indiana State baseball now one win from MVC Championship

    Indiana State’s Wednesday morning wish list probably read something like this: a dominant complete game effort from starting pitcher Devin Moore, near-immaculate defense to support him, and a steady diet of clutch situational hitting from lineup spots one to nine.

    May 23, 2013

  • West Vigo baseball advances with 10-0 win behind Stewart's two-hitter

    West Vigo got off to a good start in Class 3A high school sectional baseball action Wednesday evening at Dick Ballinger Field.
    The Vikings scored four runs in the first inning of the first sectional game and went on to defeat Brown County 10-0 in five innings with Kevin Stewart hurling a two-hitter.

    May 23, 2013

  • Terre Haute South tennis claims regional crown

    It was a lot tougher than some thought it would be, but the Terre Haute South girls tennis team won the Greencastle regional for the second year in a row Wednesday evening at DePauw University Tennis and Track Center.

    May 23, 2013

  • evans-jump.jpg METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman's Evans honored as Great Lakes' top athlete

    Rose-Hulman senior Liz Evans earned her fifth career NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region Field Athlete of the Year honor, according to results released Wednesday by the U.S. Cross Country and Track and Field Coaches Association.

    May 23, 2013 1 Photo

  • Terre Haute's Mascari running 10,000 meters for chance to get to Hayward Field

    Indiana State freshman and Terre Haute North graduate John Mascari is among the enormous group of Sycamores competing this weekend at the NCAA East Preliminary. The top 48 NCAA track and field competitors in each event on this half of the United States are narrowed down to 12 who will compete at the NCAA meet at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

    May 23, 2013

  • SPT0511613trackseibert.jpg Big group of Wabash Valley boys head to Evansville looking for state berths

    The top four finishers in each event from last week’s Terre Haute North, Evansville Central, Jasper and Princeton boys high school track and field sectionals will converge on Evansville Central today for regional competition.

    May 22, 2013 2 Photos

  • SPT0512113WVSB mcclain.jpg West Vigo comes up short against 19-9 Brown County softball

    West Vigo got off to a good start but Brown County finished better in Class 3A high school softball sectional semifinal action Tuesday night at Edgewood.
    The Eagles bested the Vikings 7-5 and will meet South Vermillion, a 12-7 winner over Owen Valley, for the sectional championship on Thursday starting at 6 p.m.
     

    May 22, 2013 5 Photos

  • Valley baseball teams have been keeping busy heading into sectionals

    When high school baseball sectionals begin around the Wabash Valley today, one complaint that’s not expected to be heard from any coach is that his team has had too much time off.

    May 22, 2013

Local Interest
evans-jump.jpg

  • METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman's Evans honored as Great Lakes' top athlete

    Rose-Hulman senior Liz Evans earned her fifth career NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region Field Athlete of the Year honor, according to results released Wednesday by the U.S. Cross Country and Track and Field Coaches Association.

    May 23, 2013 1 Photo

  • SPT 051913 TIM TERRY.jpg Terry enjoys strong year with Wildcats, and still enjoying suiting up to play

    South Vermillion’s Tim Terry is the longest tenured coach in Wabash Valley high school baseball as his Wildcats are set to begin sectional play Thursday against Owen Valley.
    But on the Yankees, a 35-and-over team in the Terre Haute Men’s Senior Baseball League, Terry is “just a youngster” if you ask Larry Roesch, his 68-year-old teammate on the Volkers Group Yankees.

    May 22, 2013 4 Photos

  • softballsecs.jpg Softball sectionals up for grabs

    All three Vigo County high schools and Northview appear to have a realistic chance of winning sectional championships in softball this week.

    May 20, 2013 1 Photo

  • Indiana State baseball series canceled

    Heavy rain from Thursday through Saturday has forced Indiana State and Tennessee Martin to cancel their three-game weekend baseball series in northwest Tennessee.

    April 27, 2013

  • METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman baseball to play DePauw on Thursday after Tuesday's rain

    The Rose-Hulman baseball team has rescheduled its non-conference game with DePauw to Thursday night.
    The start time remains 7 p.m. for the single nine-inning game that was originally scheduled for today. Tuesday’s scheduled Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference game at Anderson was moved to Sunday because of rain.

    April 24, 2013

High School
College
  • Indiana State baseball now one win from MVC Championship

    Indiana State’s Wednesday morning wish list probably read something like this: a dominant complete game effort from starting pitcher Devin Moore, near-immaculate defense to support him, and a steady diet of clutch situational hitting from lineup spots one to nine.

    May 23, 2013

  • Terre Haute's Mascari running 10,000 meters for chance to get to Hayward Field

    Indiana State freshman and Terre Haute North graduate John Mascari is among the enormous group of Sycamores competing this weekend at the NCAA East Preliminary. The top 48 NCAA track and field competitors in each event on this half of the United States are narrowed down to 12 who will compete at the NCAA meet at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

    May 23, 2013

  • Manaea's shoulder causing him latest pain

    Indiana State pitcher Sean Manaea has battled through so many aches and pains during the 2013 season that it can be hard to discern the serious pain from the pain he pitches through.

    May 22, 2013

  • ISU's Negele answers call in big way in wake of Manaea injury

    When Indiana State starting pitcher Sean Manaea slumped on the mound in obvious pain after he took his warm-up pitches, red flags raised for ISU’s Missouri Valley Conference tournament hopes.

    May 21, 2013

  • SPT0511613manaea3.jpg ISU baseball hoping Manaea can get its MVC Tournament moving in right direction

    Indiana State’s baseball team has been waiting all season for its stars to align.
    But this is the 2013 Sycamores, after all, and after a season in which seemingly little has gone right, it appears its stars will remain crossed at the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.

    May 21, 2013 1 Photo

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Terre Haute Rex
SPT 071512 DORSETT FILE.jpg

Consultation: Rex manager Brian Dorsett talks with his pitcher and players during a time-out Sunday, July 15, at Sycamore Field. (Tribune-Star file/Bob Poynter)

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