Rodriguez joins Wilmington Hammerheads

Former 49ers defender Charles Rodriguez has signed with the USL Pro's Wilmington Hammerheads, joining the 49ers' two other senior starters on last season's College Cup runner-up team in the pros.

Midfielder/forward Evan James is with Major League Soccer's Montreal Impact and defender Isaac Cowles is with the USL's Charlotte Eagles.

Rodriguez was drafted by MLS' D.C. United but didn't make the team. He is joined in Wilmington by former 49ers forward Andres Cuero. James was drafted by the Impact, but hasn't played for the first-year MLS team yet. Cowles has seen limited action with the Eagles.

Charlotte 49ers hire football strength coach

Jim Durning, who has experience with some of the country's top FCS and FBS programs, is the 49ers' first football strength and conditioning coach.

Durning has been the strength and conditioning coach at James Madison since 1999. Before that, he was a strength coach at Georgia.


"Jim’s been ultra-successful as a strength coach at James Madison University," 49ers coach Brad Lambert said in a statement. "They’ve been very successful and the strength program plays a huge role in that. It’s the most important room you have in building strength, speed and toughness. The results you have in the weight room are such a big factor in the success you have on the field."
 

Durning played at Marshall and was captain of the Thundering Herd's 1992 national championship team. He was a graduate assistant at Marshall for two years before going to Georgia and James Madison.

Charlotte 49ers complete football staff

Charlotte 49ers football coach Brad Lambert rounded out his staff with the hires of four assistants Monday.

Drew Dayton (inside linebackers), Damien Gary (running backs), Johnson Richardson (tight ends) and John Russell (secondary assistant) will join Lambert's now 10-man staff. The 49ers will play their first season of football in 2013.

"This group fits in with the staff that's in place from a character standpoint, a recruiting standpoint and how we treat our players," Lambert said in a statement. "We couldn't be more excited about bringing them in. They will bring a great intensity level that will be good for us both on and off the field. The important thing that really came through in the process is that they are really fired up to be here and excited about Charlotte starting football."

Dayton, a former Wake Forest defensive back, has been Duke's defensive quality control coordinator. He was also a graduate assistant for the Blue Devils and was an assistant at Lenoir-Rhyne from 2003-06.

Gary is Georgia's all-time leading punt returner in returns (114) and yards (1,253) and played on the Bulldogs' 2002 Sugar Bowl-winning team. He's been Mars Hill's receivers coach the past two years and was an assistant at Clarke Central (Athens, Ga.) High from 2005-10. He was a college teammate of 49ers assistant Joe Tereshinski when Lambert was an assistant at Georgia.

Richardson, grandson of Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson , is a former Wofford tight end who has been an assistant at Wingate since 2010. He's also a former sideline and equipment assistant for the Panthers.

Russell, a former Wake Forest linebacker, was one of the top linebackers in the ACC and helped the Deacons to the 2006 league championship and a berth in the Orange Bowl. He was a graduate assistant at Duke last season.

The final four assistants join a staff that already includes offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen , defensive coordinator Bruce Tall , offensive line coach Phil Ratliff , secondary coach James Adams , linebackers coach Napolean Sykes and inside receivers coach Tereshinski.

3 Charlotte 49ers teams get APR honors

The Charlotte 49ers' men's tennis, women's tennis and men's cross country teams have won NCAA Public Recognition Awards for ranking among the top 10 percent nationally in their sports in the last multi-year Academic Progress Rates (APR).

This is the fourth consecutive year the women's tennis team has been honored, and the second straight year for the men's cross country team. It's the first time since 2004-05 for the men's tennis team.

The 49ers have had at least one team honored in each of the program's seven years.


“At the start of every semester I remind my student-athletes that they all start with a 4.0, but it is up to them to keep it,” said Charlotte cross country coach Ed Schlichter in a statement. “I try to make sure each and every one of my guys get the attention they deserve.  I ask them to take advantage of tutors and when big tests are approaching to let me know if they need me to switch practice times. Another huge part of our success in the class room is our outstanding Athletic Academic Center that gets our student athletes off to a great start by meeting with them and checking up on them weekly their first semester and throughout their academic career.”

--Former Florida International assistant Joanne Aluka-White has joined coach Cara Consuegra's staff on the women's basketball team. Aluka-White replaces Angela Crosby, who left for Florida, where she will be on former 49ers coach Amanda Butler's staff.

-- The 49ers' women's soccer schedule is out. Charlotte opens the season Aug. 18 at College of Charleston and opens at home Aug. 24 against Western Carolina. Home nonconference highlights are Wake Forest (Aug. 26), Clemson (Sept. 9) and Davidson (Sept. 13). The Atlantic 10 schedule starts Sept. 28 at Transamerica Field against Virginia Commonwealth, with the 49ers also playing five consecutive league games on the road at one point. The league tournament is Nov. 1-4 at Rhode Island.

Women's soccer schedule

Aug. 11, UNC Asheville (exhibition); 18, at College of Charleston; 24, Western Carolina; 26, Wake Forest; 31, at UNC Wilmington.

Sept. 2, at East Carolina; 7, North Florida; 9, Clemson; 13, Davidson; 16, at James Madison; 25, Francis Marion; 28, Virginia Commonwealth; 30, Richmond.

Oct. 6, at George Washington; 12, at Fordham; 14, at La Salle; 19, at Massachusetts; 21, at Rhode Island;, 26, Saint Louis, 28, Butler.

Nov. 1-4, Atlantic 10 tournament, Kingston, R.I. 

Lots of Charlotte 49ers schedule news

-- Hearing that the men's basketball season opener will be a home game on Friday, Nov. 9 against Charleston Southern. The 49ers' nonconference schedule will be loaded down with home games: The next game will be at home Nov. 13 against Georgia Southern, followed by another at Halton Arena against Lamar on Nov. 17.
The 49ers then head out for the Great Alaska Shootout on Nov 23-25, before returning for a home game against East Carolina on Dec. 1.

The rest of the nonconference schedule (unofficial): Dec. 5, at Davidson; 8, Central Michigan; 14, at Miami or Kennesaw State; 16, at Kennesaw State or Miami; 19, Radford; 22, Florida State (TWC Arena). Jan. 2, UNC Asheville.

The Atlantic 10 schedule begins Jan. 9.

-- The men's soccer schedule was released Thursday. Charlotte, last season's College Cup runner-up, opens against Denver on Aug. 25 at Transamerica Field. The 49ers will face three future Conference USA rivals -- Alabama-Birmingham (Aug. 31 at home); at Kentucky (Sept. 9) and South Carolina (Sept. 12 at home). Kentucky and South Carolina are associate C-USA members in soccer.

Charlotte opens Atlantic 10 play Oct. 5 at Virginia Commonwealth and will host the conference tournament Nov. 8-11).

The complete schedule:

Aug. 18, Gardner-Webb (exh.); 25, Denver; 27, Coastal Carolina; 31, Ala.-Birmingham.

Sept. 7, Stony Brook (at Kentucky Invitational); 9, at Kentucky (Kentucky Invitational); 12, South Carolina; 15, at UNC Greensboro; 22, at Elon; 26, at Central Florida.

Oct. 5 at Virginia Commonwealth; 7, at Richmond; 12, Fordham; 14, La Salle; 19, Massachusetts, 21, Rhode Island; 26, at Saint Louis; 28, at Butler.

Nov. 3, George Washington; 8-11, Atlantic 10 tournament (at Transamerica Field).
 
-- The 49ers' football move to Conference USA in 2015 has meant some schedule juggling will be necessary. The 49ers must play at least five home games against FBS schools when they move up -- and four of them will be C-USA opposition in a 12-game schedule. Charlotte has four other games scheduled now in 2015: home against FCS teams Georgia Southern and Presbyterian and away against FCS Furman and Georgia State (which will be FBS in 2015).

So it appears that Charlotte will need to drop one of those nonconference games (it won't be Georgia State) and add a home game against an FBS team. Charlotte has been fishing around the MAC, Sun Belt and has also approached Temple about playing.


-- Men's director of basketball operations Rob Perron is headed for Newberry, where he will be an assistant under an old friend, Dave Davis. Perron was an associate head coach under Davis at Pfeiffer in 2005-06. Perron was head coach at St. Andrews from 2003-05. Perron has been at Charlotte since 2006.

-- The 49ers' football team has signed with Nike, which will provide uniforms, shoes and equipment. Charlotte was also considering Under Armour. The team's helmet design will be unveiled sometime within the next few weeks.

Charlotte 49ers news, notes

Charlotte 49ers news and notes:

-- The men’s basketball game against Florida State at Time Warner Cable Arena will likely be played Dec. 22. There are still a few other non-conference scheduling issues to be worked out:

Because of scheduling conflicts, Charlotte won’t host Oregon State until the 2013-14 season (a return game from 2010-11).

The 49ers will make a pre-Christmas trip to Miami and Kennesaw State, but those dates are still being finalized (will probably be in the Dec. 14-16 range).

The 49ers still don’t have their season opener set. They want that to be a home game.

So, here’s what we know about the non-conference opponents (the Atlantic 10 schedule begins Jan. 9): Texas State in the Great Alaska Shootout opener, Nov. 22-24 (the field also includes Oral Roberts, Tulane, UC Riverside, Alaska-Anchorage, Belmont, Loyola Marymount). Charlotte and Texas State are in the same bracket as Oral Roberts and Loyola Marymount.

Home games against Florida State (Time Warner Cable Arena), Dec. 22, East Carolina, Central Michigan, Lamar and Radford. Away games versus Davidson, Kennesaw State and Miami. There is no return game for last season’s game with East Tennessee State.

Also, Charlotte will play three exhibitions in the Bahamas in August (the team’s freshmen will be allowed to play) ...49ers senior center Chris Braswell will participate in a big man’s camp in Chicago later this month sponsored by Nike. The camp is run by the New York Knicks’ Amar’e Stoudemire ... Although most of the 49ers are in summer school’s first session, they will all be enrolled in the  second session. They’re also taking advantage of a new NCAA rule that allows coaches to work with players for two hours per week over the summer.
 

-- Here are the women’s basketball conference matchups. It’s a 14-game conference season, with each team having single-game matchups with seven home games and seven away games, while not facing one opponent (Dayton, in Charlotte’s case):

Home: Butler, Duquesne, Fordham, George Washington, Temple, Virginia Commonwealth and Xavier. Away: La Salle, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, Saint Joseph’s and Saint Louis.

-- Men’s soccer defender Aaron Weldon will be back with the team when the 49ers began practice in August. Weldon, who tore ligaments in his right knee in the College Cup semifinals against Creighton in December, has just been cleared to run.

-- Charlotte senior catcher Miguel Rodriguez was taken in the 36th round of Wednesday’s Major League Baseball draft by the Boston Red Sox. Rodriguez, the first 49ers' player drafted since 2010, was the 1,111^th player chosen.

Incoming freshman Matt Creech, a shortstop from Colquitt County (Ga.) High, was taken in the 35^th round by the Atlanta Braves.

Charlotte 49ers pair with Temple for '12-13 men's basketball season

The 49ers’ final men’s basketball season in the Atlantic 10 will feature home-and-home games with Temple and a visit from league newcomer Virginia Commonwealth.

The league released its conference matchups for each school Tuesday. Charlotte, which leaves the league after the 2012-13 season along with Temple, will play single games in the 16-game conference schedule against every other team in the league except for the Owls.

Charlotte’s home games: Dayton, Fordham, La Salle, Massachusetts, Saint Joseph’s, Temple, Xavier, Temple.

Away games: Butler, Duquesne, George Washington, Rhode Island, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, Saint Louis, Temple.

Here's a look at the nonconference opponents as of now (although the schedule isn't officially set): Texas State in the Great Alaska Shootout opener (the field also includes Oral Roberts, Tulane, UC Riverside, Alaska-Anchorage, Belmont, Loyola Marymount). Home against Florida State (Time Warner Cable Arena), East Carolina, Oregon State, Central Michigan, Lamar and Radford. At Davidson, Miami.

The East Carolina game becomes a conference game in 2013-14, when Charlotte joins the Pirates in Conference USA. The Oregon State game is a return on a game played in Corvallis, Ore., in November of 2010, won 83-70 by the Beavers. Coach Alan Major wants to regularly schedule teams like Florida State in the Bobcats' arena. That worked out well in 2010-11, when Charlotte upset Tennessee there.