Associated Press
The college notebook …
GREENVILLEó While preparing East Carolina for another Liberty Bowl trip, coach Skip Holtz may have added the Pirates’ quarterback of the future.
Holtz said Friday that former Boston College quarterback Dominique Davis is one of three junior-college transfers who signed letters of intent to play for East Carolina.
Davis helped lead the Eagles to the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game in 2008 but transferred after he was suspended for academic reasons. He landed at Fort Scott Community College in Kansas and led an offense that averaged 492 yards.
Davis will be in the mix to replace Patrick Pinkney, a sixth-year senior whose final game will come Jan. 2 against Arkansas in the Pirates’ second straight appearance in the Liberty Bowl.
GOING PRO
NORMAN, Okla. ó Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy has decided to skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft.
The school announced McCoy’s decision Friday. He said he made his decision around midseason when he realized he would have enough college credits to graduate.
Coach Bob Stoops called McCoy’s decision a good one because of McCoy’s maturity and academic success.
McCoy will play his final game as a Sooner against Stanford in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31.
SIMMS SIGNS
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ó Chris Simms once picked Tennessee, then turned down the Vols for Texas. Now his younger brother is making sure a quarterback named Simms makes it to Rocky Top.
Tennessee announced Wednesday that Matt Simms has signed with to play for the Volunteers in 2010.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Simms, who left Louisville after the 2008 season, played at El Camino Community College in California this season, completing 159 of 269 for 2,204 yards and 17 touchdowns.
HOLLIDAY
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. ó After nearly three decades in someone else’s program, John “Doc” Holliday is finally a college head coach.
Holliday, the associate head coach at West Virginia, was introduced as Marshall’s new coach on Thursday. The 52-year-old Holliday replaces Mark Snyder, who resigned Nov. 29 after going 22-37 in five seasons.
Holliday was overcome with emotion when he was introduced at an afternoon news conference, saying he wasn’t sure if he would ever get this opportunity.
Athletic director Mike Hamrick calls it a “gutsy” hire because Holliday had no connection to Marshall. Hamrick said Holliday signed a five-year contract for $600,000 per season.
Holliday’s first two games next season are at Ohio State and in the home opener against West Virginia.