Former Butler star Uriah LeMay transfers to Charlotte

Wide receiver Uriah LeMay, a former four-star recruit at Butler High, is transferring to the Charlotte 49ers from Georgia, a source confirmed Thursday.

LeMay (6-foot-2, 197 pounds) was a redshirt freshman at Georgia last season and will be eligible to play for the 49ers when the enter Conference USA for football in 2015. He is the brother of another former Butler player, quarterback Christian LeMay, who already announced in January he would transfer from Georgia.

News of LeMay's transfer was first reported by Rivals.com.

Uriah LeMay was one of four Georgia players arrested in March on misdemeanor charges of theft by deception. The players were accused of depositing paper stipend checks from Georgia's athletic department through a mobile device and also cashing them at a convenience store. LeMay will be arraigned June 5 in Georgia, where he will be informed of the charges or he will enter a plea.

Consuegra receives 3-year extension from Charlotte 49ers

49ers women's basketball coach Cara Consuegra has received a three-year contract extension, keeping her with the program through the 2018-19 season.

"Cara exhibits the type of character and leadership we value so strongly," said 49ers athletics director Judy Rose in a statement. "Her passion for the game is contagious."

Consuegra is 57-36 in three season with Charlotte, including trips in all three seasons to the Women's NIT.

This is the first head-coaching job for Consuegra, a former Iowa point guard and assistant at Marquette.

Major to take medical leave of absence

49ers men's basketball coach Alan Major is taking a leave of absence due to health issues. He is expected to be back by the time school starts in the fall.

Here is the school's announcement that will be released later this afternoon.

Major Taking A Leave Of Absence Due To Health Issues

Charlotte, N.C. – Charlotte 49ers head men’s basketball coach Alan Major is taking a leave of absence due to health issues.

“After discussing my health with my family and our Athletic Director Judy Rose,” Major said. “I have decided to take a medical leave of absence. My family has a history of heart and eye issues, and I plan to have procedures done over the next couple of months to address them. I want to thank Judy and her staff, my coaching staff and our players for their support and love during this process. I'm looking forward to getting back to the game. I am very blessed to be at such an incredible University."

Coach Major just completed his fourth season at the helm of the 49ers men’s basketball program.

 “We are all wishing Alan a speedy recovery,” said Judy Rose, Charlotte 49ers Director of Athletics.  “There is never an easy or good time for a coach to be away from his team, so this has been a very difficult decision for Alan. Quite honestly, he put his personal health on hold for the entire season.”

Under Major’s guidance, the 49ers have captured the 2013 Great Alaska Shootout and 2014 Puerto Rico Tip-Off titles and earned a bid to the 2014 NIT. This past season, the 49ers received votes in the AP and the Coaches Polls for the first time since December, 2009. In 2013, the 49ers won 21 games which marked the program’s first 20-win season since 2007-08, and with another winning season in 2014, the 49ers posted back-to-back winning campaigns for the first time since 2007. Charlotte has posted a victory over a top 15 team in three of the last four years.

The 49ers men’s basketball program, which has averaged 19 wins over the last two seasons, returns 12 letterwinners and four starters off last season’s Puerto Rico Tip-Off title team. Out of respect for Coach Major’s privacy no additional information will be disclosed.

Barnwell, 2 others dismissed from 49ers football team

Alan Barnwell, the Charlotte 49ers' second-leading rusher last season, is one of three players who have been dismissed from the team for violating team rules, along with linebackers Kendal Parker and Terry Caldwell.

Safety Kariym Gent has also left the team.

Alan Barnwell

Barnwell had been suspended since January, when he was arrested on charges of driving with a revoked license and possession of drug paraphernalia. He rushed for 636 yards and scored five touchdowns last season as a redshirt freshman.

Caldwell was Charlotte's fifth-leading tackler with 55. He also had 2.0 sacks and recovered two fumbles.

In other news, assistant coach John Russell has left the program to pursue other professional opportunities.

-- And game times have been set for the 2014 season:

Aug. 28, at Campbell, 7 p.m.

Sept. 6, Johnson C. Smith, noon; 13, at N.C. Central, 5 p.m.; 20, at Elon, 1:30 p.m.; 27, Charleston Southern, noon.

Oct. 4, at Gardner-Webb, 1:30 p.m.; 11, at The Citadel, 2 p.m.; 25, James Madison, noon.

Nov. 8, Coastal Carolina, noon; 15, Wesley (Del.), noon; 22, Morehead State, noon.

-- The 49ers' Judy Rose is a finalist for the Sports Bu
siness Journal athletics director of the year award, joining Duke's Kevin White, Missouri's Mike Alden, Arizona's Greg Byrne and Washington's Scott Woodward. Rose is the only finalist who is not from a Bowl Championship Subdivision school (Charlotte joins Conference USA in football in 2015).

-- 49ers women's basketball player Gabby Tyler has decided to forego her final season of eligibility. Tyler, a forward who graduated in 2013, missed the 2012-13 season due to a concussion. She averaged 12.0 points and 7.7 rebounds last season.

-- Charlotte's Franco Castro is playing in the NCAA golf Raleigh regional beginning Thursday at Lonnie Poole Golf Club. Castro led the 49ers with 16 rounds under par this season. Charlotte, which finished fourth in the recent Conference USA tournament, missed the NCAA tournament as a team for the first time since 2004.

-- Conference USA's 2014 women's soccer tournament will be held Nov. 5-9 at Charlotte's Transamerica Field. Other C-USA championship sites/dates: http://www.conferenceusa.com/genrel/051414aaa.html

Odom promoted to associate head coach

Ryan Odom has been promoted to associate head coach of the 49ers' men's basketball team.

Head coach Alan Major made the announcement Tuesday afternoon.

"I am extremely blessed and fortunate to have an outstanding coaching staff and support group," Major said in a statement. "Ryan's commitment to our program and the relationship he's built with our players in  our four years are terrific."

Odom has been with Major for all four of his seasons at Charlotte, along with assistants Desmond Oliver and Orlando Vandross.

"I am fortunate to work at Charlotte for Alan Major," said Odom, who has been in college coaching for 17 years. "I appreciate his confidence in me and I look forward to helping him, the staff and players pursue excellence in all areas of our program."

Odom is the son of former East Carolina, Wake Forest and South Carolina coach Dave Odom.

49ers all-sports banquet award winners

The Charlotte 49ers held their 2013-14 all sports banquet Sunday at Halton Arena. Here's a list of the award winners, including the inaugural Jon Richardson Scholarship, donated by Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson and his wife Rosalind in honor of their late son and father of 49ers assistant football coach Johnson Richardson.

MVPs

Baseball: Justin Seager

Men’s basketball: Mike Thorne (most improved)

Women’s basketball: Ny Hammonds

Cheerleaders: Ashley Holmes

Men’s cross-country: Zach Greth

Women’s cross-country: Maraya Slatter

Football: Jamal Covington (offense); Mark Hogan (defense); Donjore Gainey (scout offensive); Jordan Abrams (scout defensive).

Gold Dusters dance team: Charlotte Brown

Golf: Franco Castro

Men’s soccer: Kyle Parker

Women’s soccer: Monica Trickett

Softball: Chelsea Ingersoll*

Men’s tennis: Jordi Massalle Ferrer; Forrest Edwards

Women’s tennis: Lisa Grosselius

Men’s indoor track and field: Kerrick Williams

Women’s indoor track and field: JoAnn Blakney

Men’s outdoor track and field: Jake Deaton*

Women’s outdoor track and field: T’Sheila Mungo*

Volleyball: Amanda Videmsek

*-for 2013 season; 2014 season not yet completed

Special Awards

Hayward Grubstake Award: Ben Cherry, men’s basketball

Gold Nugget Award: Olivia Rankin, women’s basketball

Vincent Vernitsky Award (men’s and women’s cross-country/track and field): Ben Sterett, Kim Spano.

Jon Richardson Scholarship (football):  Thomas La Bianca.

David Schlee Award (men’s soccer): Nick Barnhorst

Wendi Cook Award (women’s tennis): Macy Vonderschmidt

Coaches Award (volleyball): Laura Cantrell

Academic Awards

Hugh McEniry Awards (male): Coye Still, track and field; Patric King, baseball; Jeremy Dennis, men’s soccer; Ferrer, men’s tennis.

Bonnie Cone Awards (female): Dana Robertson, women’s soccer; Chelsea Matson, cross-country; Michelle Hovey, volleyball.