Former NSU assistant SID Kenny Lannou, here in 2002-03 before moving to his alma mater at Baylor, has rapidly moved up the ladder in the sports information business. Earlier this year, he was elevated to the top spot in the Kansas State SID office after spending the football season as interim SID.
Lannou worked with women's basketball and baseball as his primary sports at Northwestern, while handling graphic design for all publications. His positive personality earned him the nickname "Can Do" which also turned into "Kangaroo" when our friend Coach Black got involved. (Former Demon softball catcher Jamie Frasier, who is about as zany as it gets, also deserves some credit for popularizing the "Kangaroo" moniker. Jamie once sprained a dimple from laughing too much.)
Before this year, Lannou worked with baseball and the Wildcats' nationally-powerful volleyball program. In baseball, he worked alongside former Demon pitching coach Sean McCann (1998-2001), who came to Natchitoches with John Cohen in January 1998.
McCann left NSU to go into private business but couldn't stand being out of baseball and coaching. He took a spot as head coach at Bossier Parish Community College, then moved after a year to Missouri and helped revitalize the Tigers into an NCAA Tournament team. When his friend Brad Hill got hired at K-State, McCann moved west and the Wildcats have quickly moved into the high end of the Big XII baseball world.
Sean is definitely in it for "the love of the game." If you ever have the chance to meet him, request a Harry Caray impression. It's dead on.
Also in Manhattan, Kan., Lannou works closely with another friend of Demon baseball. Mark Janssen is the sports editor of the Manhattan paper, and the father of former Demon third base coach Travis Janssen, now at Jacksonville State.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
One more weather tale
As the heavy rains on Sunday and drizzles and cloudy weather stall the NSU baseball team, here's one more story related to travel in East Texas amidst Sunday's vicious storms.
Lady Demon volleyball head coach Brittany Uffelman was returning from Houston Sunday afternoon and was caught in the flooding east of Houston. Incredibly, in the same traffic jam on a pine-tree lined flat stretch of Texas 103 was Lady Demon basketball point guard Tweet Williams and a few more cars with NSU students -- all returning from spring break.
The flood waters were fast moving and daunting, Uffelman said. The word was that a dam near San Augustine burst, resulting in a lot of the trouble, she said.
Ever the resourceful one, she leaned on one of NSU's great friends, the Super Trooper, Louisiana State Policeman Steve Pezant. He was working back on the east side of Toledo Bend as the wicked weather attacked Sabine and Natchitoches parishes, but he was able to give Coach B and her friends some driving tips.
Getting a cell phone signal in the East Texas piney woods was no small feat, she said, but she got one bar in one spot, enough to dial up Pezant. Authorities along the highway were directing folks south toward Jasper, but Pezant recommended trying some smaller roads for a shorter trip back, and the strategy saved some time for the NSU crew.
Lady Demon volleyball head coach Brittany Uffelman was returning from Houston Sunday afternoon and was caught in the flooding east of Houston. Incredibly, in the same traffic jam on a pine-tree lined flat stretch of Texas 103 was Lady Demon basketball point guard Tweet Williams and a few more cars with NSU students -- all returning from spring break.
The flood waters were fast moving and daunting, Uffelman said. The word was that a dam near San Augustine burst, resulting in a lot of the trouble, she said.
Ever the resourceful one, she leaned on one of NSU's great friends, the Super Trooper, Louisiana State Policeman Steve Pezant. He was working back on the east side of Toledo Bend as the wicked weather attacked Sabine and Natchitoches parishes, but he was able to give Coach B and her friends some driving tips.
Getting a cell phone signal in the East Texas piney woods was no small feat, she said, but she got one bar in one spot, enough to dial up Pezant. Authorities along the highway were directing folks south toward Jasper, but Pezant recommended trying some smaller roads for a shorter trip back, and the strategy saved some time for the NSU crew.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Updating NSU baseball's journey home
Well, the team rolled back onto campus around midnight last night, after hours of dodging torrential rains, flash floods, and tornadoes in east Texas.
At one point, the bus was trapped on top of a hill with flood waters on both sides, so what does a team full of 18-22 year olds do during that time... how about making the best of the situation by playing in the water.
Finally, word came out that a route was open heading to Jasper and then back home.
Two road trips in a row, the Demons have been stranded on their way home.
Last Tuesday night on their way back from Baton Rouge and LSU, the bus was halted in traffic for nearly an hour on I-49 due to a two-car wreck.
Let's hope that tomorrow's trip to Shreveport and Centenary are flawless.
At one point, the bus was trapped on top of a hill with flood waters on both sides, so what does a team full of 18-22 year olds do during that time... how about making the best of the situation by playing in the water.
Finally, word came out that a route was open heading to Jasper and then back home.
Two road trips in a row, the Demons have been stranded on their way home.
Last Tuesday night on their way back from Baton Rouge and LSU, the bus was halted in traffic for nearly an hour on I-49 due to a two-car wreck.
Let's hope that tomorrow's trip to Shreveport and Centenary are flawless.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Weather warnings
At 5 this afternoon, the Demon baseball team was starting hour two of sitting in a bus alongside Texas Highway 21 just west of Toledo Bend, as their road home was blocked by severe weather including tornado activity in Sabine Parish.
Coach J.P. Davis called to update us and to assure the team was safe. They've heard a tornado touched down between Zwolle and Many.
Meanwhile, today's NSU spring football practice is on hold and likely to be rescheduled. Coach Scott Stoker will work out in bad weather but never in dangerous weather. It's not windy here yet, but the lightning bolts are very frequent and that's the trigger to keeping the football team inside.
The steady rains frustrated a tremendous effort to get today's softball series finale played at Natchitoches Central High School. Among those getting muddy trying to get the field ready, only to see it inundated again and again: the players and coaches for the Demons, and softball SID Adam Jonson and student SID Matt English. Facilities director Alan Pasch and other athletic staff were giving it all they could but nobody could jam up the clouds.
Coach J.P. Davis called to update us and to assure the team was safe. They've heard a tornado touched down between Zwolle and Many.
Meanwhile, today's NSU spring football practice is on hold and likely to be rescheduled. Coach Scott Stoker will work out in bad weather but never in dangerous weather. It's not windy here yet, but the lightning bolts are very frequent and that's the trigger to keeping the football team inside.
The steady rains frustrated a tremendous effort to get today's softball series finale played at Natchitoches Central High School. Among those getting muddy trying to get the field ready, only to see it inundated again and again: the players and coaches for the Demons, and softball SID Adam Jonson and student SID Matt English. Facilities director Alan Pasch and other athletic staff were giving it all they could but nobody could jam up the clouds.
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