college football | News & notes

Toledo: Former Youngstown State head coach Jon Heacock, an assistant coach at Purdue in 2013, is taking the defensive coordinator’s job at Toledo. Heacock coached the Boilermakers’ defensive backs last season during Hazell’s first season in West Lafayette, Ind. The Rockets are also giving Heacock the title of assistant head coach.

Michigan: Michigan running back Thomas Rawls is one of three players who have been granted a release by the school. Rawls along with safety Josh Furman and defensive tackle Richard Ash can now transfer. Rawls had a career-low three carries for 12 yards and a touchdown last season as a junior. He ran the ball 57 times for 242 yards and four TDs the previous season. Furman started three games last season as a junior. He was reinstated to the team in April of 2012 a week after he was found not guilty of assault and other charges. Ash was a seldom-used reserve during his three-year career with the Wolverines.

Wisconsin: Wisconsin’s university athletic board has approved a one-year contract extension for football coach Gary Andersen. The contract now lasts through January 2019. Financial terms were not announced. Andersen agreed to a five-year deal worth $10 million when he arrived from Utah State a year ago. He made $1.8 million in 2013, and the contract called for $100,000 raises each of the next four years. Andersen’s first season in Madison was largely a success. Wisconsin finished 9-4 in 2013, falling to South Carolina in the Capital One Bowl. The Wisconsin athletic board also approved contract extensions for its men’s and women’s soccer coaches. First-year women’s volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield’s contract was also extended after the team went to the NCAA finals.

Alabama: Former Florida State quarterback Jacob Coker was in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday as he considers transferring to Alabama. Coker, who is from Mobile, Ala., backed up Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston this past season. The sophomore played sparingly and injured his knee late in the year. Shortly after Florida State won the national title, the school released him from his scholarship. Coker’s high school coach, Steve Mask of St. Paul’s Episcopal School in Mobile, says Coker spent the weekend in Tuscaloosa after Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban visited the quarterback at his home earlier in the week. Alabama is looking to replace Heisman finalist AJ McCarron, who also went to St. Paul’s. Coker is on target to graduate in the spring and would be eligible to play next season.

Maryland: Maryland has hired former LSU assistant Greg Studrawa as offensive line coach. Studrawa spent the last seven seasons as offensive line coach with the Tigers. He also spent two seasons (2011 and ‘12) as offensive coordinator at LSU. Maryland did not renew the contract of offensive line coach Tom Brattan after last season.

Associated Press