The announcement was made Wednesday by the conference.

"We are pleased to extend membership and welcome Savannah State University to the MEAC family," said MEAC commissioner Dennis E. Thomas. "The addition of SSU keeps us in compliance with our long range and strategic plan of adding up to 14 members. Adding SSU to the membership completes the geographical footprint that bridges our South Carolina and Florida institutions." SSUmustcomplywith threestipulationsregardingstudent-athlete scholarships, athletic budget and staffing by September 1, 2011 before full membership into the conference can be granted.

Trott will serve as the defensive coordinator, while Coleman will be the director of football operations.

A former Virginia linebackers coach, Trott brings 33 years of coaching experience to the Spiders and re-joins Scott after working with the Cavaliers last season. Scott was the wide receivers coach at Virginia last season.

Details to follow.

Joining Barber on the eight-member committee are athletics directors Jeffrey Bourne of James Madison and Wheeler Brown of North Carolina A&T. Additionally, Charles Cobb, athletics director at Appalachian State, had his four-year term renewed.

The four-year term for newcomers runs from September 1, 2010 to September 1, 2014.

Wilder was hired in 2007 to build a football program for the school, which last fielded a team in 1940.

The squad took to the field last season and posted a 9-2 record in the FCS.

Wright spent the last five seasons as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Youngstown State.

"Brian is a highly-talented offensive football coach," Montana State head coach Rob Ash said. "He coached in an excellent conference, has considerable playoff experience, and is recognized as a outstanding quarterbacks coach. He displays a poised, professional demeanor, and I believe he is a perfect fit for our coaching staff and our philosophy here at Montana State."

The Mountaineers scored 15 recruits -- 12 high school seniors and three junior college transfers.

Among them are quarterbacks Elijah Adamiak and Kalik Barnes.

Wells disclosed he is leaving the program for personal reasons.

"At this point I have to think about my family and my health before I can think about anything else," Wells said. "I wish the players well as they pursue their dreams on and off the field. My thoughts and prayers will be with them as they continue to progress in their collegiate career." Julius Dixon, who served as the Tigers defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach for the past two seasons, was named interim head coach. The school announced a nationwide search to find a replacement for Wells.

Susan has over 30 years of college coaching experience and becomes the 26th head coach in school's storied program dating back to 1883. The 54-year-old takes over for Tim Landis, who resigned last month to take a position on the staff of fellow FCS program San Jose State.

From 1981-1990 Susan spent time serving as both assistant head coach and offensive line coach at Bucknell before moving on to Princeton (1991-99), Davidson (2000) and most recently Rutgers, where he served the last nine years as offensive line coach, while adding tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator to his resume in 2003.

Austin spent the past two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Ole Miss and was previously a head coach in the Canadian Football League for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

"I'm really excited about being here and can't wait to get started," said Austin at his introductory news conference Wednesday. "I didn't take this job just to win an Ivy League championship.

Wright has a 19-16 overall career mark at Texas State, and has led the Bobcats to back-to-back NCAA Division I FCS national rankings for the first time in school history during the past two seasons.

This past season, Texas State ended the season ranked 25th by The Sports Network and the NCAA Division I FCS Coaches Association with a 7-4 overall record and a third-place finish in the Southland Conference standings with a 5-2 league record.

The school has scheduled a news conference for 10 a.m. (e.t.) on Wednesday According to the Ithaca Journal, Austin will take over for Jim Knowles, who announced his resignation in December to take an assistant coaching job at Duke.

The Big Red finished with a 2-8 record in 2009, the team's worst mark since 2003. Cornell was 26-34 in six seasons with Knowles at the helm.

You don't find many prima donnas in the FCS ranks. Most have had to overcome too much to take things for granted.

So when these players begin the process of being evaluated as potential professionals, most take their opportunities with the utmost seriousness.

"There was this guy that used to always run us off the field," Bednarik said during a recent book-signing appearance at the Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society in downtown Hatboro, PA.

Showing the skill and agility that would serve him so well in an All-American football career at Penn and during his 12-year, NFL Hall of Fame career with the Philadelphia Eagles, Bednarik and his friends would escape unscathed, surviving to play another day.

Patterson wasn't about to miss running back Herb Donaldson's appearance as a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, even though the veteran coach was battling the debilitating effects of cancer treatment.

A few days after returning from Chattanooga, doctors gave Patterson a clean bill of health and it appeared that one of the most successful coaches in Missouri Valley Football Conference history was ready to rebuild the Leatherneck program back to its former place as a Football Championship Subdivision power.

Carlson steps in for Stacy Adams, who resigned from the post back in November. In five seasons, Adams led the Crusaders to a 15-40 mark. The team went 1-10 in 2009, including an 0-8 mark in the Pioneer Conference.

"Coach Carlson has all the attributes we set out to find in our head football coach," said Valpo director of athletics Mark LaBarbera.

Mitchell most recently was the assistant head coach/running backs coach for the NFL's Washington Redskins and has 21 years of coaching experience at the professional level.

The 50-year-old Mitchell has previous head coaching experience at the collegiate level, having served as coach at Morgan State from 1996-98.

Morgan takes over for Willie Totten, who stepped down as head coach in late November after eight seasons at the helm. Morgan spent the previous five years as defensive coordinator at the University of North Alabama.

"After an open search with candidates from across the nation, we are pleased to have Karl Morgan as the newest football coach at Mississippi Valley State" said interim director of athletics Donald R. Sims. "We now hope that Morgan can take the reins of the program and guide the Devils into this new decade." Morgan brings over 21 years of coaching experience to Itta Bena including stints as defensive coordinator at Alcorn State University and Hampton University as well as coach of the defensive line at Nicholls State, Southern University, Purdue University and Arkansas State University.

Stubbs, who spent the last three years as offensive coordination at Central Missouri, will take over for the fired Jay Thomas following a 3-8 mark by the Colonels last season.

"I'm excited about the opportunity to be here at Nicholls, and I am ready to face the challenges ahead. We have a lot to do in a little amount of time, and one of those things is to get to know all of my returning players. I'm looking forward to meeting those young men," said Stubbs.

Pflugrad takes the reins from longtime coach Bobby Hauck, who last week left to take the head coaching position at UNLV.

Pflugrad served as the wide receivers coach and assisted with the offense last season under Hauck and brings to the job 29 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level.

The Redskins still have a game remaining, against San Diego on Sunday, delaying Mitchell's inevitable acceptance to coach the Jaguars next season.

"Stump Mitchell's 21 years in the NFL, 10 as a player and 11 years as a assistant coach, combined with his head coaching experience, will bring a wealth of diverse knowledge to our football program," said Greg LaFleur, Southern's athletics director.

The 62-year-old Biddle has posted a 113-51 record during his 14 seasons at the helm of the Raiders' program.

"The Colgate football family is pleased that coach Biddle will be leading our football program for the foreseeable future," said athletic director Dave Roach.

Villarrial replaces Dave Opfar, who resigned after eight seasons on the job. Opfar took over a program that had lost 23 straight games in 2002, but unfortunately things didn't get any better as he finished with only a 17-68 mark with the Red Flash. The team finished 2-9 this season.

The36-year-oldVillarrial was the offensive coordinator under Opfar during the 2009 season.

Edwards, the record-setting senior quarterback from Appalachian State, was one of six Mountaineers players selected on the three teams, joining teammates Cortez Gilbert (cornerback), Mark LeGree (free safety) and D.J. Smith (linebacker) on the first team, while Mario Acitelli (guard) was named to the second team and Jacque Roman was a third-team selection.

Moats, the senior defensive end from James Madison who led the nation in tackles for loss, was one of four James Madison players on the squad. He was honored along with teammates Dorian Brooks (guard), Sam Daniels (defensive tackle) and Scotty McGee (kickoff returner).

Surace, a Princeton alumnus who was a member of the 1989 Ivy League champs, has been an assistant coach for the Cincinnati Bengals for the last nine seasons, helping with the offensive line for six years.

"I'm so excited about coming back to a place that is so special to me," Surace said.