TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama football coach Mike Shula reinstated Sylvester Croom's name to a spring award Monday, reversing a decision that angered some former players and Crimson Tide fans.
Shula, away on a fundraising cruise last week, apologized for renaming the Sylvester Croom Commitment to Excellence Award after former Alabama quarterback Bart Starr.
"Our original intention was to not have an award named after another head coach in the SEC," Shula said in a statement. "However, we need to fully recognize and value the deep feelings of all our players about their years and contributions to our great university."
Croom, a finalist for Alabama's coaching job in May, was hired at Mississippi State after the season, the Southeastern Conference's first black head football coach.
He had expressed surprise and disappointment when informed last week of the name change.
Shula said he apologized to Croom Sunday night "and told him that there was no intention whatsoever to take away from the importance or prestige of the spring award named in his honor."
Along with the name change, Shula created the Bart Starr Most Improved Quarterback Award and presented the first to Marc Guillen.
COLORADO CASE: Assistant defensive coach Vance Joseph was placed on leave amid a recruiting scandal that includes rape allegations and other misconduct by football players.
The school announcement called the suspension a "personnel matter" and refused to say why he was suspended. University spokeswoman Pauline Hale said only that the school "will take appropriate action upon completion of the investigation."
Coach Gary Barnett was placed on leave in February, pending the outcome of investigations into whether the football program used sex and alcohol to entice top recruits.
Joseph, 31, has been a full-time assistant for two years. He was a quarterback at Colorado from 1990-94. His younger brother, Sammy, is a sophomore cornerback for the Buffaloes.
BASEBALL: Florida Southern (22-14-1) scored on a one-out throwing error in the ninth for a 5-4 win over Tampa (27-12) in a nonconference game at Lakeland.
GOLF: Florida International's Laura Viveros recorded her second hole in one in a month at Saturday's Ryder Florida Womens Collegiate Championship at the Don Shula Golf Resort in Miami Springs. It came on the 163-yard 17th. On March 2 she aced the 150-yard 17th at Cleveland Heights Golf Club in Lakeland for her first top-10 tournament finish.
SOCCER: Former Jacksonville standout Mike Johnson, who has been coach of the women's program the past six seasons, was named coach of the men's team.
SOFTBALL: South Florida outfielder Tiffany Stewart was named Conference USA hitter of the week after batting .714 with seven RBIs and a grand slam in three victories over Saint Louis. USF's Leigh Ann Ellis was named co-conference pitcher of the week for the third consecutive week and fifth overall. She pitched two shutouts to share the honor with Louisville's Aja Sherman. ... Tampa second baseman Lacinda Norman was named Sunshine State Conference player of the week after batting .636 and being flawless in the field in a series with league-leading Florida Southern. ... Florida State (41-4) downed Florida A&M (22-26) 12-0 in five innings.
TENNIS: Florida junior Hamid Mirzadeh was named SEC player of the week after defeating two nationally ranked opponents to help the Gators beat Mississippi State (6-1) and Mississippi (4-3). He topped Romain Ambert of MSU 6-2, 6-1 and Catalin Gard of Ole Miss 6-1, 6-4.
