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April 2, 2004 Princess Anne, MD - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Hawks are pleased to welcome three new coaches to the ranks of Head Coach within the Department of Athletics. During a press conference today the Hawks welcomed Lawrence Lessett Jr., Fred M. Batchelor II, and Alex I. Temkin as Head Men's Basketball Coach, Head Women's Basketball Coach, and Head Women's Volleyball Coach respectively. Each brings with them a wealth of experience to the department. Lawrence Lessett Jr., will begin duties as the new coach of the Fighting Hawks. He brings with him almost thirty years of coaching experience beginning at the High School level and continuing through the professional ranks. Lessett has most recently worked as a global scout for Magic Johnson International Basketball. Previously he has served as head coach of the Magic City Snowbears of the International Basketball Association in Minot, North Dakota. There he coached the team to a franchise record in wins, a playoff appearance and had the league's top scorer. Lessett is also no stranger to the college ranks, most recently leading the Tigers of Hiwassee College as Head Men's Basketball Coach and Athletic Director. Previous to his post with the Tigers he was the Head Assistant Coach at Mercer University, leading the Bears for two seasons, 1995-1997. Lessett has also held posts at De Anza College, Georgia Southwestern College, Georgia College, Santa Barbara City College, Western New Mexico University, Loyola Marymount University, and Cal State University Northridge. He has a career head coaching record of 182-95, led the Los Angeles area AAU 1983 National Championship Team, and has coached ten NBA players including Magic Johnson. Coach Lessett has reached the play-offs at every institution he has coached, including three NAIA District 25 Championships at Georgia College. Stepping in to take the reigns of the Lady Hawks Basketball Team is Coach Fred M. Batchelor II. Coach Batchelor leaves his post as Head Women's Basketball Coach of Elizabeth City State University where he has coached for the last two seasons, taking his team to a third place finish in the CIAA. Previously, Batchelor was at the State University of New York (SUNY) school, Buffalo State College, where he was regular season champions of the SUNY Athletic Conference in 2001-2002. That year he led his team to an NCAA Tournament Appearance and was named SUNYAC Coach of the Year. The previous season he led the Bengals to a fourth place conference finish. He has a career head coaching record of 62-45 over four seasons. Batchelor has also served as a Women's Assistant Coach at Buffalo State, a Men's Assistant Coach at the University of Buffalo and Valley Forge Christian College, and Men's Head Coach and Athletic Director at Villa Maria Junior College. Leaving one successful volleyball program and taking over another is Alex I. Temkin. Temkin leaves a program at American International College where in the last two years he accumulated a 35-25 record and made two trips to the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament. Prior to that post he served as an Assistant Coach at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Temkin has coached at the high school and club volleyball levels, compiling a 68-18 record in high school coaching and work with the Western Massachusetts Juniors and Husky Volleyball Club in Connecticut. As a player, Temkin has played in eight USA Open National Championships, two USA A Level National Championships, and made four trips to the NCAA Collegiate Club National Championships with the University of Massachusetts. QUOTES FROM THE PRESS CONFERENCE: Mr. Nelson E. Townsend, Director of Athletics: " This is a new era for our intercollegiate athletics program. For a long time and for many years the University of Maryland Eastern Shore was recognized as a powerhouse in intercollegiate athletics. Recently we have veered from our course.... we have not had that level of prominence that was once known in the 50's, 60's, 70's, and early 80's...today we are making a step in returning to that era.... as a part of that new era we have chosen three new leaders...three outstanding gentlemen to provide leadership in our program into the 21st century." " ...not only for his ability as a basketball coach, but for being a man of high integrity, a man with leadership qualities, a family man.....a man that will be able to stand tall, command the respect of his team, and expect the same respect in return" (on Lessett) "a young man that I have known for eight or nine years, maybe more, he has won championships, been a head coach at programs on the move, he is our new leader for women's basketball" (on Batchelor) " One of the most energetic young men I've ever met...has coaching experience at the high school, AAU, and college level." (on Temkin) Coach Larry Lessett, New Head Men's Basketball Coach: " This has been an incredible journey for me, this is the perfect place for my coaching career, the challenges that lay ahead, I'm very excited about, and this university has tremendous potential, and I can't wait to get started" "We've got a lot of work ahead of us, and I have some very high expectations for our program" " This is a perfect situation for us to start in the direction that we need to go." " We are going to be a team that plays very hard...no one is ever going to fault us for lack of effort. No one is ever going to fault us that we didn't leave it on the court." "...if we loose a game, its not that the other team was better, its that the clock ran out. If you can play hard and you can concentrate for forty minutes, good things will happen." Coach Fred Batchelor, New Head Women's Basketball Coach: "I am very excited to be here, this is a great opportunity for myself and my family...it is a dream come true." "I am looking forward to being part of the UMES family, working with the young ladies who are here, bringing in new young ladies that will compliment them and take this program to the next level." "This is a challenging experience for myself and the players, we must appreciate the opportunity, life is full of opportunities, this is an opportunity we have as players, coaches, administrators and alumni to build something that we are proud of and excited to be a part of...to care about, that is my goal at UMES." "I look forward to what we are going to accomplish in the maroon and gray, I am excited about putting on those colors, and am excited to working with everyone involved with this program and being a part of the student's development." Coach Alex Temkin, New Head Women's Volleyball Coach: "...this is the ultimate commitment, I am making a commitment to this school to take it to the next level, and that next level is making the NCAA Tournament." "Judging from who I have seen and who I have talked to we are capable of reaching that goal." "I am looking forward to working with this school as a community. I have a huge feeling in my hear to get everyone where they want to be, I want the feeling of success to come to UMES, we all need to work together to bring the Athletic Department and all our teams to the next level." "I can't wait to get started."
"The President's vision for this school is exciting and her vision for what this school is all about is tremendous and it did not take more than five minutes to get me on board."
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