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Ferris State head coach Tony Annese will miss his team's Division II playoff opener as he serves a one-game suspension he received after two of his players lit up celebratory cigars in the locker room after last year's national title victory.
The NCAA handed down the punishment in March. In addition to Annese's one-game ban, Ferris State had to pay a $2,500 fine along with $15,383 to the McKinney (Texas) Independent School District for cleaning and repairs to the locker room.
Beyond the cigar smoking, which occurred in a tobacco-free area, the Detroit News' Tony Paul reported at the time the NCAA also disciplined Annese and the school because some Bulldogs players had removed team stickers from the walls of the locker room.
"When I stopped feeling sorry for myself and start to put it into perspective, I know my team will be fighting for me on the sidelines," Annese said of his suspension to Alec Giannakopoulos of WOOD TV8. "... Self pity's the greatest form of self-destruction, so I just gotta suck it up, and be a big boy."
He joked that he could still attend Saturday's game if he purchased a ticket.
Ferris State will look to avenge its earlier loss to Grand Valley State in October. The Bulldogs fell behind by 35 points in the first half but got to within seven in the third quarter before allowing two touchdowns in the final frame.
Grand Valley State is seeded second in its quarter of the Division II playoff bracket.
A pair of Ferris State players may have taken things a bit too far during the team's Division II national championship celebration this past December, and now head coach Tony Annese is paying for it.
According to Josh VanDyke of MLive.com, the NCAA announced that Annese will be suspended for one future playoff game following a rules violation due to two Ferris State players being seen smoking cigars in the locker room following the Bulldogs' 41-14 win over Colorado School of Mines on Dec. 17.
Part of the issue is that the game was held at McKinney ISD Stadium, which is on a tobacco-free high school campus in McKinney, Texas. VanDyke noted that Ferris State had already incurred a fine for smoking cigars following the program's Division II national championship in 2021, so the school's administration and coaching staff "warned its players of potential disciplinary actions." Unfortunately, two of them ignored those words of caution.
Ferris State also received a fine after "several players" attempted to remove the team's temporary wall stickers in their locker room after the title game to keep as souvenirs.
The university reportedly applied for an appeal of Annese's suspension, "citing the belief that the sanction was disproportionate to the violation," but the NCAA denied it.
For his part, Annese appears to be willing to accept the punishment and he hopes the situation can provide a lesson for his players.
"As a coaching staff, each day leading up to the National Championship game, we had reminded our players that smoking cigars in celebration would not be allowed," Annese said in a statement. "My team was fully aware that the actions of the two players were inappropriate. No matter how minor the actions may seem, young people need to understand that there are consequences for their actions."
Morris Berger has resigned as the offensive coordinator at Grand Valley State following an interview in which he expressed a desire to have dinner with Adolf Hitler, according to Kyle Bonagura of ESPN.
Berger was asked which historical figure he would like to dine with during an interview with Kellen Voss of the Grand Valley Lanthorn, and he answered with the former German leader:
"This is probably not going to get a good review, but I'm going to say Adolf Hitler. It was obviously very sad and he had bad motives, but the way he was able to lead was second-to-none. How he rallied a group and a following, I want to know how he did that. Bad intentions of course, but you can’t deny he wasn’t a great leader."
He was later suspended for the comments.
The move comes less than two weeks after Berger was initially hired by the team.
"I was excited and proud to be at Grand Valley, and am disappointed that I will not get the opportunity to help these players in 2020," he said in a statement. "However, I do not want to be a distraction to these kids, this great university or Coach [Matt] Mitchell as they begin preparations for the upcoming season."
The coach, who has a bachelor's degree in History from Drury University, spent time as an assistant coach with Oklahoma State and Texas State before he was hired by the Division II school.
Northern Michigan offensive lineman Anthony Herbert died at the age of 20 on Tuesday following a morning workout, per Justin P. Hicks of MLive.
Hicks cited a university spokesperson who said emergency crews could not resuscitate Herbert.
Hicks noted Herbert had returned to his room following the workout and breakfast when EMTs were then called for his medical emergency.
University President Fritz Erickson released a statement, per Hicks: "What caused his passing is unknown at this time, and right now our concern is for Anthony's family, friends, teammates, coaches and team staff, teachers and fellow students."
"In my brief time with Anthony, I could tell that he was a great young man," head coach Kyle Nystrom said in a statement, per Hicks. "He was well-respected by his coaches and teammates and was a leader on the offensive line. We are devastated by this tragedy, and we are keeping his family in our prayers."
Herbert started 11 games in the 2016-17 season and was a member of the All-GLIAC academic team, per Hicks.
