By MONTE DUTTON

Reports in Alabama indicate that Presbyterian College’s Steve Englehart may be headed to the vacant head football coaching job at the University of Alabama Birmingham.

The hire has not yet been confirmed or announced. UAB fired former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer after two seasons yielded a 9-21 record. A Birmingham Banner report listed the three finalists as interim head coach Alex Mortensen, Ryan Beard of Missouri State and Englehart.

In four seasons with the Blue Hose, Englehart has improved each year. After replacing Kevin Kelley, Englehart turned in seasons of 1-10 in 2022, 4-7 in ’23, 6-6 in ’24 and 10-2 this season. He became available to take over at Presbyterian after his previous school, Florida Tech, dropped the sport during the COVID epidemic in 2020.

Englehart spent 13 years as the head coach of Florida Tech and Rose-Hulman prior to accepting the job at PC.

In his prior head coaching position, Englehart assisted in starting and guiding the Florida Tech Panthers football program from 2011-20, compiling a 44-35 record. In 2014, in the Panthers’ second season as a football program, he guided the team to a 6-5 record, earninging Gulf South Conference Coach of the Year honors. In 2015, he guided the Panthers to a 7-4 record with wins over two teams ranked in the Top Five of the Division II national rankings.

In 2016 and 2018, he led the Panthers to the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Prior to his head coaching career at Florida Tech, Englehart, 48, served one season as offensive coordinator at his alma mater, Indiana State. In 2010, Englehart coached a Sycamores’ offense that finished 14th in the nation in scoring after producing a school-record 351 points.

In 2006, Englehart was hired as the youngest head coach in the NCAA and spent four seasons as head coach at Rose-Hulman in his hometown, Terre Haute, Ind., where he led the football program for the first time in school history to four consecutive seasons with at least six wins. In 2007, he guided the Fightin’ Engineers to a 7-3 record, the program’s best record since 1994. Prior to becoming head coach in 2006, he spent four seasons as Rose-Hulman’s offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator.

After trailing by 18 points in the former half, Furman led by as many as 15 in the latter en route to a 97-88 road victory over Elon on Wednesday night.

The Paladins, not always efficient at the free-throw line, hit 18 of their last 20 free throws after converting 6/12 in the first half. Furman (5-4) put five players in double figures.

“A healthy thing for us was coming through on the road,” said head coach Bob Richey. “We just need to keep building momentum.

“We had a hard November, and I’m proud of our team for keeping it together. This team has a high ceiling.”

Elon (4-5) grabbed an early lead as Chandler Cuthrell scored 11 points and the Phoenix totaled eight second-chance points before the first media timeout. Three straight triples hiked the Elon advantage to 26-13 and Bryson Cokley’s layup with 9:45 left in the half extended the Phoenix lead to 33-15.

“It’s all team,” said Ben Vander Wal, who did duty as a backup point guard after Alex Wilkins committed three first-half fouls. “We’re going to have more and more players come through. I believe in this team.

“When we fell behind in the first half, we were doing exactly what our coaches told us not to do.”

Asa Thomas scored 21 points, followed by Cooper Bowser with 19 (and eight rebounds). The 6-11 junior hit all seven of his shots from the floor. Vander Wal paired 13 points with eight boards, and Charles Johnston matched 12 points with 11 rebounds and four assists. Tom House scored 12 points and popped 9/10 free throws.

Cuthrell led Elon with 25 points, followed by Rand Pettus with 21, Ja’Juan Carr with 12 and Cokley with 11.

Furman guard Eddrin Bronson stopped the run with a three-pointer, and Thomas drained four triples in the final seven minutes of the period as Furman finished the half on a 17-1 run to pull even at the break, 44-44.

The Paladins (5-4) trailed 54-53 with under 15 minutes to play when Cooper Bowser started a 16-2 run and gave Furman the lead for good with a slam. Ben Vander Wal stole the ball and converted on the other end with a layup before Collin O’Neal drained a pair of free throws to put Furman ahead by five.

The Phoenix answered on a layup with 13:14 left, but Furman responded by holding them without a point for over four minutes to build a 69-56 lead on Vander Wal’s putback with 9:26 remaining. Furman made good on 18 of their final 19 free throws, including a 9/10 performance at the line from senior Tom House to close out the Paladins’ first true road win of the season.

Thomas splashed five triples.

The Paladins, who scored 53 points in the second half, shot .508 from the field and converted on 24/31 trips to the foul line. Furman netted 40 points in the paint and outrebounded the Phoenix, 41-38.

Elon shot .426, including 11/34 from three-point range.

Harvard visits Timmons Arena for a 2 p.m. Saturday game.

Take a look at the stats here.

A second-half PC comeback ran its course, and Wofford defeated the Blue Hose, 63-56, on Wednesday night in Spartanburg in spite of 19 points and 14 rebounds from senior Jonah Pierce.

After trailing by nine points, 31-22, at halftime, Presbyterian (5-6) rallied to within one (54-53) but never gained the lead in the second half.

Redshirt freshman Chidi Chiakwelu scored 12 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and blocked three shots. Carl Parrish scored 11 while connecting on three three-point field goals.

Wofford scored 20 of the final 26 points.

A 10-0 second-half rally cut Wofford’s lead to 44-42 after a free throw from by Pierce. 

With 1:11 on the clock, Parrish connected on a three from the wing, getting the Blue Hose to within a point, 55-54. Wofford converted a three-point play, putting the Terriers in front by four.

“It was a tale of two halves,” said PC head coach Quinton Ferrell. “I thought we did some good things on both ends, but we missed a lot of tip-ins around the rim that we normally make. If we’d done that the first half, we win the game

“In the second half, we took care of the ball better and only had three turnovers.”

Kahmare Holmes and Nils Chakowski each scored 16 points to lead the Terriers. Cayden Vasko added 10. Wofford shot only .294 from the field. PC shot .375 and outrebounded Wofford, 46-41.

Take a look at the stats here.

Clare Coyle scored 18 points and claimed 10 rebounds, and Furman used solid shooting to down Presbyterian, 74-56, in women’s basketball action on Wednesday evening at Timmons Arena.

 The win was the Furman’s fourth straight over PC and improved the Paladins to 13-0 all-time versus the Blue Hose in Greenville.

Coyle, a sophomore forward, connected on 7/16 shots and added four free throws for her 18 points, which she combined with 10 rebounds for her second double double of the season.

Raina McGowens followed with 16 points, six rebounds, and five assists, and Alyssa Ervin contributed 15 points off the bench, including 12 in the second half, to help Furman (4-5) claim its second consecutive win.

The Paladins shot a season-high .488 percent from the field, downing 25/52 shots and outscoring the Blue Hose (2-8) by 11 points at the free-throw line.

Tal Aminata led PC with 17 points.

Trailing 32-24 at halftime, PC cut Furman’s lead to 37-33 on Ore Ogunwolere’s three-pointer midway thru the third quarter, but the Blue Hose could get no closer as the Paladins closed the period with an 8-2 run to take a 51-40 advantage into the fourth quarter.

Furman scored the first six points of the fourth period on baskets by Kyraha Parnell, Sophia Pearl and Coyle to take a commanding 57-40 lead.

PC posted a 40-33 rebounding advantage but was hurt by 26 turnovers.

Furman plays at Georgia Southern on Sunday in a 2 p.m. contest. The Blue Hose visit Virginia Tech on Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 6 p.m.

Take a look at the stats here.

Nine high-school recruits signed with Furman on Wednesday’s National Signing Day.

Head coach Clay Hendrix announced the additions of three offensive linemen and two quarterbacks, along with a wide receiver, tight end, linebacker and safety.
Among the nine are three Palmetto State products: quarterback/athlete Banks Bouton of Greenville (Gaffney), offensive lineman Cooper Sanders of Williamston (Wren) and wide receiver Jay Duncan of Greenwood.

Bouton, the son of former Paladin All-America linebacker and Furman Hall of Famer Will Bouton ’02, played his senior season at Gaffney High School, where he accounted for 2,200 all-purpose yards and 19 touchdowns under head coach Donnie Littlejohn, a former Furman All-American offensive tackle and Paladin teammate of Will Bouton.
Sanders was a three-year starter and two-time all-region selection at Wren High School, which he helped to a pair of eight-win campaigns the last two years.

Duncan enjoyed a fine senior campaign at Greenwood High School, catching 65 passes for 900 yards and eight touchdowns on a nine-win squad. That included a 13-reception, 147-yard regular-season performance in a 42-41 win over state finalist Dorman.
The Paladins landed a trio of outstanding recruits from Georgia: offensive lineman Tim Hyrbu from Cumming (West Forsyth), tight end Cameron James from Gainesville and quarterback Trey Smith of Roswell.

Brayton Peebles, a Raleigh, N.C., product (Cardinal Gibbons), represents Furman’s lone defensive back signee.  He’s racked up over 350 tackles in a stellar prep tenure, helping his squad into the state Class 7A semifinals.
Linebacker Braylon Hood of Richmond, Va. (Varina), a three-time all-region linebacker, is one of the primary contributors on his high school squad that has posted a 12-2 record this fall and advanced into Virginia’s state playoff semifinals.
Jaxon Corey is a two-time all-county and all-district pick at Calvary Christian High School in Trinity, Fla.
Bouton’s father was inducted into Furman’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007 and named to the SoCon 100th Anniversary Team in 2022. Brother William is a linebacker at Clemson. Grandfather Billy Carpenter played tight end at South Carolina. Another grandfather, Bob Doppleheuer, played wide receiver at Newberry. His great, great uncle was Johnny Lujack, 1947 Heisman Trophy winner at Notre Dame.

Five Presbyterian College players made the Pioneer Football League’s All-Academic squads.

PFL Offensive Player of the Year Collin Hurst was among three All-Academic first-team picks, along with tight end Nathan Levicki and defensive lineman Carter Szydlowski.

Defensive back Zeb Stroup and kicker Peter Lipscombe earned second team. Each of the five honorees except Hurst just completed their senior year at PC.

The five All-Academic selections are their most since PC joined the PFL in 2020.

The Blue Hose achieved the program’s third all-time 10-win season and reaching as high as 16th in the AFCA Coaches Poll.

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