Arts, Leisure and Sports
Pedro Szaley, photo taken from Southwest Virginia Ballet
Southwest Virginia Ballet will put on its 31st annual production of a Christmas classic. WFIR’s Emma Thomas with details:
LEXINGTON, Va. (AP) — Virginia Military Institute has hired Danny Rocco as its football coach. Rocco replaces Scott Wachenheim, who resigned after eight seasons last month.
“He is clearly someone who believes in developing his players into leaders of character in perfect alignment with VMI’s mission,” Major Genera Cedric T. Wins said in a release. “I look forward to the future success that our cadet-athletes will enjoy from his leadership.”
Rocco has a 121-65 record after head coaching stops at Liberty, Richmond and, until this year, Delaware. He’s also worked as an assistant at Virginia, Wake Forest, Maryland and Boston College, among other stops, and spent a season with the NFL’s New York Jets.
As a head coach, Rocco has won seven conference championships (4 Big South, 3 CAA) in 16 seasons, including four in the Big South and three in the Colonial Athletic Association. His teams have made Championship Subdivision playoff appearances and twice reached the national semifinals — at Richmond in 2014 and Delaware in 2020.
LEXINGTON, Va. (AP) — Virginia Military Institute has hired Danny Rocco as its football coach. The school made the announcement Saturday. Rocco replaces Scott Wachenheim, who resigned after eight seasons last month.
“He is clearly someone who believes in developing his players into leaders of character in perfect alignment with VMI’s mission,” Major Genera Cedric T. Wins said in a release. “I look forward to the future success that our cadet-athletes will enjoy from his leadership.”
Rocco has a 121-65 record after head coaching stops at Liberty, Richmond and, until this year, Delaware. He’s also worked as an assistant at Virginia, Wake Forest, Maryland and Boston College, among other stops, and spent a season with the NFL’s New York Jets.
As a head coach, Rocco has won seven conference championships (4 Big South, 3 CAA) in 16 seasons, including four in the Big South and three in the Colonial Athletic Association. His teams have made Championship Subdivision playoff appearances and twice reached the national semifinals — at Richmond in 2014 and Delaware in 2020.
Kerr Stadium-Roanoke College. Courtesy City of Salem.
If the World Cup has whetted your appetite for championship soccer you can watch teams contend for a title this week in Salem. The NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s semi-finals and finals will be held on campus at Roanoke College between tomorrow and Sunday. The men’s semifinals are tomorrow; the women follow on Friday – with both NCAA title matches this weekend. The Commonwealth has “skin in the game” – Mary Washington in the men’s Final Four; Virginia Wesleyan in the women’s semi’s. Salem is also inching closer to having hosted 100 NCAA championship events. Carey Harveycutter is Director of Tourism for the City of Salem:
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The City of Salem is getting close to a milestone as it hosts two more NCAA championships – this time in Division 3 soccer – tomorrow through Sunday, with the men’s and women’s final four. Director of Tourism Carey Harveycutter says they’re close to having hosted 100 NCAA Division 2 or 3 championships:
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OC: will be 98
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The Soccer Championships will be held at Kerr Stadium on the Roanoke College campus. Two Virginia schools are in the semi-finals: Virginia Wesleyan in the women’s field and Mary Washington in the men’s final four.
Photo: Cast of “An Ideal Husband” rehearses
The local theatre is putting a new twist on an old favorite with their upcoming production of “An Ideal Husband”. WFIR’s Emma Thomas with more:
Hugh Freeze (LU image)
Multiple media reports say Hugh Freeze will leave Liberty to become the head football coach at Auburn. An official announcement is expected later today.
(from Fox Sports) Auburn is hiring Liberty coach Hugh Freeze to take over the football program, more than five years after his resignation from SEC Western Division rival Mississippi amid both personal and NCAA scandals.
A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Monday that Freeze has signed a memorandum of understanding with the school. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because final details of the contract were still being worked out and approved.
Sports Illustrated was first to report that Auburn was finalizing a deal with Freeze.
Freeze went 34-15 in four seasons at Liberty. He replaces Bryan Harsin, who was fired on Oct. 31 after going 9-12 in less than two seasons at a proud program that has fallen on hard times.
Freeze took over at Liberty in December 2018 and the Flames became the second program to win a bowl game during each of its first three seasons in FBS.
His 2020 team finished 10-1 and ranked No. 17. Liberty (8-4) was upset by New Mexico State 49-14 on Saturday in its regular-season finale, losing three straight after knocking off Arkansas.
Freeze is 68-44 in 11 seasons as a head coach.