NFL Vandals in 2012: Tre’Shawn Robinson

Robinson leads the Vandals on to the field prior to the 2011 season opener

Tre’Shawn Robinson made a name for himself at Idaho, flying around the field and hitting people from his middle linebacker spot. Now in an NFL training camp, Robinson will be afforded the same luxury…sort of.

Despite a senior campaign that saw Robinson rack up 117 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and the accolade of being named to the all-WAC second team, it seems that his future won’t be on the defensive side of the ball.

At the very least, he is still going to get to hit people. The Oakland Raiders signed Robinson as an undrafted free agent the week following the draft to play fullback.

Idaho men’s basketball assistant accepts WSU position

Larry Johnson | GoVandals.Net

Washington State announced Tuesday that it has named Ray Lopes assistant men’s basketball coach. Lopes had previously served as associate head coach for the Vandals under Don Verlin.

Though Lopes declined comment to Vandal Nation on the move, Verlin said that Lopes approached him less than two weeks ago to ask him if he could pursue an offer from Washington State coach Ken Bone. Verlin encouraged him to do so.

“Our business is a networking one…I always encourage my assistants if they think they can better themselves, they need to make the best decision for themselves and their families. I’ve never been a person to hold my guys back,” Verlin said.

Verlin said while he didn’t necessarily anticipate a shake up in his coaching staff, it wasn’t a total surprise.

NFL Vandals in 2012: Princeton McCarty

Amrah Canul | Argonaut

Princeton McCarty was known by Idaho fans for one thing: Speed.

That speed racked him up over 2,000 yards of rushing offense during his four year career as a Vandal, including his career long 82 yard streak down the sideline touchdown run against BYU just last November.

Luckily for McCarty, speed, sub 4.4 forty-yard dash speed at that, is a good thing to have when a player has dreams of playing in the NFL.  McCarty was signed as an un-drafted free agent by the Carolina Panthers the day the draft ended.

It will be an uphill battle for McCarty to crack the 53-man roster as he signed with a team that already features two of the best young backs in the league in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, although McCarty said that was part of the allure of signing with the Panthers.

Coach Robb Akey remembers Ken McRoyal

Head coach Robb Akey was made available this afternoon for comment to the media to address the recent death of WR Ken McRoyal. Full audio of Akey’s comments can be found here.

Idaho WR Ken McRoyal passes away at the age 22

By Sean Kramer and Madison McCord

The University of Idaho family has lost one of its own.

The athletic department has confirmed that wide receiver Ken McRoyal has died in his home state of California late Saturday evening/early Sunday morning. The statement said that details of his death are not available.

“It’s a devastating loss,” coach Robb Akey said. “We’ve lost a brother, a teammate, a family member. But, more importantly, a momma lost her son today. All of our prayers go to the family – that they can be strong in their healing from this tragedy.”

Idaho to fight for its FBS future Athletic Director Rob Spear says

The future of University of Idaho football may be no more clearer today than it was last week. But Athletic Director Rob Spear assured Vandal Nation and other media members in a conference call today that the athletic department will continue their ongoing process to find the best possible situation for Vandal football and athletics as a whole with an “emphasis on maintaining our FBS status.”

“I have received a series of emails. People are concerned,” Spear said. “What I have told them is that we have been resilient; we will continue to be resilient. We are going to land on our feet. No matter the outcome, the University of Idaho is going to be fine.”

Idaho will need that resilience, since a resolution doesn’t seem likely to be coming any time soon.

By this time next year the Western Athletic Conferences will, in all likeliness, cease to exist as a football playing conference and Idaho is one of only two schools that still hasn’t found a home yet. Idaho made a concerted effort to join their peers in the new look Mountain West, but was ultimately shown the cold shoulder.

Rob Spear conference realignment teleconference

University of Idaho Athletic Director Rob Spear addressed the media on Friday in a  teleconference discussing UI’s future after five WAC schools left the conference earlier in the day.

http://www.uiargonaut.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/1027.mp3

Mass exodus of WAC schools has officially begun – Idaho AD to address media today

The day of reckoning has officially arrived. The WACpocalypse is upon us – and nobody is surprised.

The Mountain West has officially added Utah State and San Jose State. Conference USA has announced the additions of La Tech and Texas-San Antonio. The Sun Belt had already made official on Wednesday their addition of Texas State.

As expected, New Mexico State and Idaho are left twiddling their thumbs and pondering their futures in big time Division I football.

There may have been hope it seems. Brian Murphy of the Idaho Statesman reports both NMSU and Idaho vied the Mountain West for inclusion, with New Mexico lobbying hard on behalf of NMSU.

WACocalypse has begun – Texas State to Sun Belt is official

Courtesy of TxStateBobcats.com

Texas State University has accepted a bid to join the Sun Belt conference in 2013-2014 the schools’ official website reported this morning.

The University of Texas System Board of Regents is also reported to be voting today on Texas-San Antonio’s bid to Conference-USA.

Both Texas State and UTSA will be joining the WAC as football members in 2012-2013, which will apparently be their only season in the conference.