Kent State men’s basketball head coach Geno Ford hired his former point guard Jordan Mincy as the new assistant coach Thursday.

“Jordan is a fantastic hire for us,” said Ford, the 2010 NABC District 14 Coach of the Year. “As a player he was a born leader with a tireless work ethic and he carries that same passion to the coaching ranks.”

Ford was granted a waiver from the university’s human resources department allowing him to make an emergency hire. Mincy replaces assistant coach and former Golden Flash Armon Gates who left for a coaching position at Texas Christian University.

Mincy is a four-year letter winner from 2005-09, and helped Kent State to 93 wins and 2 NCAA tournament appearances. In his four-year career, he finished seventh on the school’s all-time assists list with 347. As a senior, he was named the Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year by MAC Report Online.

After playing in 135 games, which is the most in MAC history, Mincy spent the last year as a graduate assistant to Darrin Horn at the University of South Carolina.

“This is a tremendous opportunity and I want to thank coach Ford and the entire Kent State administration for the chance to carry the proud winning tradition of the program forward,” Mincy said.

Mincy earned his bachelor’s degree in business marketing from Kent State in May 2009 and is working toward his master’s in the art of teaching in business.

KSU ANNOUNCER RECOGNIZED

The National Association of Sports Public Address Announcers has named Kent State’s Jeff Kurtz its 2009-2010 announcer of the year. During his 30-year career at Kent, Kurtz served as public address announcer for the Mid-American Conference Basketball Tournament for 18 years and announced at 25 other MAC championships.

“Jeff Kurtz is the consummate professional when it comes to public address announcing,” said Alan Ashby, Director of Athletic Communications for Kent State. “He’s so deserving of this award based on his passion and enthusiasm for the profession, and his calm, professional demeanor behind the microphone.”

Kurtz will conduct a football P.A. on behalf of NASPAA on Aug. 14th at Hudson High School.

Kurtz is the athletic director at Hudson Middle School and does some press box announcing for the Cleveland Browns.

FURLONG WINS THE NORTHEAST OHIO AMATEUR INVITATIONAL

After finishing in sixth place last year, John Furlong (Ohio / Medina) won the Northeast Ohio Amateur Invitational finishing three-under par 211 in the 54-hole event.

Furlong’s final round score of 70 earned a four-shot-win over University of Virginia’s sophomore Mac McLaughlin. He began the tournament on June 21 at Quail Hollow with an opening round 70, followed by a 71 at the Aurora Golf Club on June 23, giving him a two-shot lead going onto the final round.

2009 KSU graduate Nick Latimar set a tournament record last year with a four-round low of 276, securing his 15-stroke victory.

GALLAS AND McCMILLEN MAKE ALL- ACADEMIC TEAM

Senior outfielder Anthony Gallas (Strongsville, Ohio/Strongsville) and sophomore infielder/pitcher Kyle McMillen (North Canton, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban) have been named to the 2010 Academic All-Mid-American Conference Team for the first time in their collegiate careers.

As a business management major, Gallas held a 3.26 GPA and became the 13th Golden Flash to earn All-America distinction in 2010. Gallas signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cleveland Indians earlier this month after completing a four-year academic career at KSU. Gallas departs as the school’s leader in career total bases (513), RBIs (224), and walks (135). Gallas is the first player in MAC history to have at least 250 hits, 200 runs, and 200 RBIs for his career.

McMillen, a pre-med/biology major with a 3.76 GPA, finished the 2010 season with the team’s third highest batting average (.354). He had 70 hits, including 15 doubles and six home runs and drove in 46 runs. McMillen was a vital key to Kent’s bullpen picking up four saves and striking out 17 in 19 appearances.

Contact sports reporter Wesley Freeman at [email protected].