NEW ORLEANS - It won't be the star-studded, three-day affair Southeastern Conference Football Media Days was last week in Hoover, Ala., with hundreds of media members, but today's Conference USA 2007 Football Blitz in The Big Easy will have its share of intriguing figures and storylines.
Tulane (Bob Toledo), Rice (David Bailiff), UAB (Neil Callaway) and Tulsa (Todd Graham) will send first-year coaches, although Graham is familiar to C-USA and its media day activities. Graham is a former Tulsa assistant who spent last year as Rice's head coach before he replaced Steve Krag-thorpe, who left for Louisville.
Several all-American candidates will answer questions from media representatives, the most prominent being Rice receiver Jarett Dillard, who caught 91 passes for 1,247 yards and a nation-leading 21 touchdowns and earned Associated Press second-team honors last year. Southern Miss running back Damion Fletcher, who rushed for 1,388 yards and 11 touchdowns a year ago, was a second-team freshman All-America selection.
C-USA commissioner Britton Banowsky, a former associate commissioner in the Big 12, will be in the spotlight, too. He remains a candidate for the vacant Big 12 commissioner's job.
Memphis will be represented by coach Tommy West, beginning his seventh season at the UofM, and by senior quarterback Martin Hankins and senior running back Joe Doss. Hankins is the league's third- leading returning quarterback in pass-efficiency ratings, and Doss is among the top returning backs after rushing for 910 yards and seven touchdowns.
Memphis is coming off a two-win season after three straight bowl appearances, but nearly upset league champion Houston in the home finale and closed the season with a convincing win at UTEP.
As for Banowsky, the Big 12 job opened when Kevin Weiberg resigned in June to become vice president of the Big Ten's new television network.
Others being mentioned for the job include the league's senior associate commissioner, Dan Beebe. Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson also has been mentioned.
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