Legendary Coach Billy Joe says Miles is like HeavenBilly Joe has been to the mountaintop in the game of football. He has a Super Bowl championship ring to prove it. He has plaques in three halls of fame, including the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame where he was inducted alongside Joe Paterno in 2007. He has more wins than any black-college football coach not named Eddie Robinson with 237.
So, why would he pick Division II Miles College as the place to end his three-season retirement? "It's like I've died and gone to heaven," Joe said after a day of house-hunting with his wife of 20 years, Debra, and his 15-year-old son William. "It's going extremely well. I'm very happy that I'm here at Miles."
When Miles fired Wade Streeter last year after a 2-9 finish in his seventh season, the 67-year-old Joe got a call from an influential Miles booster to gauge Joe's interest. "He said, `We need you, Coach. We want to get this program going,'" Joe recalled. "... Before you know it, I'm Miles' head football coach."
Joe was fired at Florida A&M University before the 2005 season by an interim president when NCAA violations involving compliance were discovered. The coach was cleared of any involvement and settled an employment lawsuit with the school. There's obviously no hard feelings because he was inducted into the FAMU Hall of Fame after his dismissal and the settlement.
Now three days into his first spring training at the Fairfield school, Joe said the Miles job fit perfectly with what he has enjoyed in a 31-year career that has produced a 237-108-4 record. "I would not be excited about taking a job where the program has a winning team and a tradition of winning year in and year out," Joe said. "That doesn't excite me enough. It wouldn't give me enough passion to want to stay overnight, to sleep in the office and work almost 24-7." In building his record, Joe has built and rebuilt his teams. In his first job at Cheney (Pa.) State, the team was in the midst of the nation's longest losing streak when he took over. "I turned the program around the first year. At Central (Ohio) State, they had had only one winning season in five years. At FAMU, when I took that over, the previous year they had won five games." He managed turnarounds, he said, because of "the players I recruited, the support from the administrations and the alumni." And hard work from him. "There has to be that fire in my belly to really want to work all the time," he said. "That's the only way I know how to work. I don't work for the money."
Joe will have less money to work with at Miles than he did at Football Championship Subdivision FAMU. The Rattlers were fully funded with 63 football scholarships. Miles currently pays for 18 or 19 football scholarships, well below the Division II maximum of 36. "Miles does not max out like the Tuskegees or Albany States and some of the more prominent schools in our conference," Joe said. "I hope to get to that point in short order.
"It's definitely a challenge. In Division II you're always in a quandary about what you're going to do for numbers." Already, Joe is working with about 75 players, up from Miles' normal spring roster of 45 to 50.
He believes he can get support for the program. "The fans, boosters and all the folks who love Miles football are quite supportive of the football program. I'm going to continue to present to them some of our wants and needs. I'm certain they will be supportive of those requests."
Joe also said that although winning and winning soon is his goal, he mostly missed working with young people. "I still have a passion for the game and my health is good. I have the opportunity to impact young people's lives. ... That's one thing that fuels my engine."
Regions Financial Corp. announced Tuesday a $500,000 Commitment to Miles College's Capital Campaign.Regions Financial Corp. announced Tuesday a $500,000 commitment to Miles College's capital campaign.
Miles' $30 million comprehensive campaign is aimed at establishing academic programs and beginning the development of Miles' expanded campus on the site of the former Lloyd Noland Hospital. That campaign is also soliciting support for new endowed scholarships.
"Regions is proud to support Miles College and the Miles Ahead Campaign," said Bill Ritter, Regions North Central Alabama area executive, in a release issued by the college.
Regions also plans to create the first of a series of financial literacy centers at Miles in conjunction with the school's Business and Accounting Division.
The center will provide literature related to financial topics such as credit counseling and first-time home buying.
Accepting the pledge, Miles president George T. French Jr. said, "Miles is honored to have the support and partnership of Regions as we begin the most important era since the founding of our college over 100 years ago. The expansion of Miles to the new north campus and our growing student enrollment go hand in hand with the generosity of the Birmingham community."
Regions also announced Tuesday it would provide an additional $75,000 over five years to pay for two annual scholarships through the United Negro College Fund. The scholarships will be designated for students studying business at a UNCF member institution within the 16 states where Regions operates.
Each scholarship will provide $7,500 toward the students' tuition and expenses for students selected by the business school deans.
In addition, Regions donated 24 of its signature green bicycles for students to use to get around campus. Regions previously made a similar bike donation to Birmingham-Southern College.
Click here for complete article in The Birmingham NewsMiles College's President receives Distinguished Leadership AwardMiles College's newest President may add yet another honor to his long list of accomplishments. Dr. George T. French, Jr. will be awarded the Distinguished Leadership Award by Project One.
Project One is a school, community and faith-based not-for-profit educational organization that exists to serve, educate, train and prepare disadvantaged youth and adults for healthy and successful transitions into post-secondary education, meaningful employment opportunities and career ladder placements by developing training programs and institutes, summer programs, year round activities and life long learning solutions to bring about economic empowerment and self-sufficiency based in Louisville, Kentucky.
Dr. French will be awarded the Distinguished Leadership Award Tuesday, December 11th, 2007 at the 22nd Awards For Excellence Banquet in Louisville, Kentucky at the Muhammad Ali Center. The theme of this year's banquet is "Education is the greatest destroyer of Poverty." Other award recipients include Ms. Marita Willis, VP of PNC Bank , Dr. Ralph Fitzpatrick, VP at the University of Louisville and Ms. Elizabeth Stitch, Director of Youth Services for the office of Youth Development with Louisville Metro.
Miles College President Selected As Panelist In White House Hosted DiscussionFAIRFIELD, AL.- All eyes are on Miles College including the White House. After a successful start to a 30 million dollar capital campaign, Miles College President Dr. George T. French, Jr. will visit our nation’s capital September 9-15th to speak at a national conference commemorating National HBCU Week. The conference is coordinated through The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities under the direction of Dr. Charles M. Greene, Executive Director. Dr. French will discuss the topic Demystifying Philanthropy: Thinking Through the Decision to Undertake a Capital Campaign. He will talk about the basic fundamentals for galvanizing support for a successful capital campaign.
The theme of this year’s conference is HBCU’s: Fulfilling the Covenant with Black America. Over 600 representatives from the HBCU community, federal agencies, corporations and foundations will participate in discussions exploring issues of particular interest to the Black College Community.
During the conference, President George W. Bush will issue a proclamation honoring America’s HBCUs designating September 9-15, 2007 as National HBCU Week.
Miles Raises $20 Million for ExpansionMiles College, the small, historically black liberal arts school with a place in civil rights history, has quietly raised $20 million for an expansion that would double the size of its Fairfield campus, officials said.
The school plans to add new student housing, a performing-arts center, a health center with an Olympic-sized pool and gymnasium, and a new School of International Studies that would teach Homeland Security courses and Arabic and Farsi.
Miles President George T. French Jr. said Friday that contributions from business and alumni have exceeded expectations, and the school likely will meet its $30 million fundraising goal much sooner than initially anticipated.
Click here to continue Story from The Birmingham News and AL.com.
Alabama Power Company and the Alabama Power Foundation Commit $1 Million Dollars to Miles Ahead CampaignAlabama Power Company and the Alabama Power Foundation committed $1 million dollars to the Miles Ahead Campaign. The Miles Ahead Campaign is a multi-phase, comprehensive campaign, that will support opportunities for academic programming and facility growth, as well as, endowment for student scholarships and faculty development.
For more information regarding the Miles Ahead Campaign please visit the Miles Ahead link listed below and continue to visit www.miles.edu for more updates.
Office of Institutional Planning and DevelopmentDr. Ian Smith Chooses Miles College as First National Education PartnerMiles College is putting health first. The golden bears are coming out of hibernation and joining Dr. Ian Smith in his 50 Million Pound Challenge. The goal of the challenge is to encourage people to live a healthier lifestyle. Dr. Ian Smith is schedule to visit Miles College in September.
For more information regarding the 50 Million Pound Challenge please visit www.miles.edu and click on the link and continue to visit us for more information regarding Miles College's affiliation with the program. Miles College, A Healthy Academy for the 21st Century.
Miles College featured on ABC's World News TonightABC World News Tonight featured Miles College in a story entitled, "Black Universities Now Recruiting Latinos." Miles College President Dr. George T. French, Jr. has made it clear that he will target the Hispanic community. He plans to hire a Hispanic Recruiter to go into the Hispanic Community and speak to those children and let them know what Miles College has to offer.
To view this story in its entirety please visit:
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=3170482LANDLOCKED NO MORE! Purchase of new campus doubles the physical size of the College!The existing 35-acre campus of Miles College is doubling in size, thanks
to the recent purchase of former HealthSouth Metro West Hospital. The property, also known as, “The old Lloyd Nolan Hospital” is 41-acres and located just north of the current campus. Dr. George T. French, Jr. made the huge announcement during a Birmingham City Council meeting in mid-September. While the cost of the land still remains undisclosed, Dr. French contends HealthSouth was generous.
Currently, Miles is undergoing a feasibility study to determine whether to renovate or tear down the existing structure. For now, Miles College plans to build a Health and Wellness Center, Fine Arts Center, School of International Studies and Public Policy and a new Miles Law School.
To help pay for the new facilities Alabama Power Company is partnering with Miles College and just announced plans for a $28 million dollar Capital Fund Campaign. This campaign is the largest fund-raising effort in the college’s history. Mr. Steve Spencer, Vice President of Alabama Power is chairing the effort. He says Miles College, “is important to the Fairfield Community” and he is, “confident that the college will use the property to the benefit of the citizens in the area.”
