It’s finally officially announced: P.J. Fleck is Rutgers’ new receivers coach. The Star-Ledger says Fleck’s already settled into his office and holding a meeting with his new charges and a Northern Illinois fan has already given the move its best affirmation: he’s moaning about Fleck’s departure.

Fleck spent the last three years coaching NIU’s wideouts and is essentially a lifelong Huskie.

He’s a native of Sugar Grove, Ill. and was a four-year star at NIU. He was a senior captain on NIU’s 2003 10-2 team, the one that beat Maryland and Alabama. He caught 77 passes for 1,028 yards that year, he spent the next two years with the San Francisco 49ers and in 2006, he signed on as a grad assistant at Ohio State. He went back to NIU in 2007 and in 2008, when the Huskies made a coaching change, the new coach not only kept him, he made Fleck his recruiting coordinator.

Fleck was apparently recommended by George McDonald, the Browns wide receivers coach who spent one week in that position for Rutgers – until Mike Holmgren lured him back with a raise. McDonald was supposed to, and Fleck now does, replace Brian Jenkins, who left for Bethune-Cookman’s head job.

Get ready for even more unabated vitriol during campaigns… Who wouldn’t want $45 million to go away?… Shocker here. The bigger shocker is that Elizabeth is STILL with him… Cindy and Meghan oppose John, very publicly…

Recruiting expert Tom Lemming’s take on who’s piling up the best prospects. (Hartford Courant)

Charlie Strong’s building a pipeline from the Sunshine State up to Louisville. (ESPN.com)

Five breakout players from this past season; two did their arriving in the Big East. (Dr. Saturday)

The league’s “most bankable winner.” (Dr. Saturday)

Pitt needs a linebackers coach. (MLive.com)

Kenny Britt was back at Rutgers yesterday. (Scarlet Scuttlebutt)

Kenny, meanwhile, just posted bail for a childhood friend accused of… murder. (Hudson Reporter)

Are Tim Brown and Devin McCourty being disrespected? (Daily Targum)

Wow. South Florida actually targeted another Big East coach early in its hiring process. (Tampa Tribune)

Could Jason Pierre-Paul be going to Tim Tebow’s home town? (Tampa Tribune)

Skip Holtz’s former players say his current ones are lucky. (St. Petersburg Times)

Jarrett Brown’s in the Senior Bowl. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

A look at the Big East’s top coaches of the past decade. One guess at who’s on top. (ESPN.com)

This poor country can’t catch a break… Far as I can tell, this Globe columnist is comparing electing Scott Brown to a drunken hook-up… Good thing the White House isn’t ever going on the market. I hope…

Three of the 21 coaching changes in the FBS thus far this season have been in the Big East. Mark those three an A+, A- and A-. (SI.com)

Cincinnati’s three Senior Bowl participants. (The News Record)

As good as Cincinnati’s been, Butch Jones could make them better. (The Bleacher Report)

Pulling out Todd McShay’s thoughts on UConn DE Lindssey Witten. (Sox & Dawgs)

UConn has its January enrollees on campus. And a very likely desire to join the Big Ten. (Hartford Courant)

Get well soon, Coach Calhoun. (ZagsBlog.com)

Charlie Strong picked up an 11th commitment, bringing Louisville’s total to 26. (Louisville Courier-Journal)

It’s not too soon to express pleasure at the job Strong’s doing. (The L! Yes Report)

A thorough run-down of the season of every Scarlet Knight in the NFL. Except for the three still playing. (Bleed Scarlet)

Checking in on Rutgers’ commits. (Bleed Scarlet)

Rivals’ Rutgers beat writer Bobby Deren could have himself a bestseller. (Daily Targum)

Sabbath Joseph used to joke about Haitian players taking over South Florida. Time like this, there’s only comfort in their shared bloodlines. (SNY.tv)

It’s not only the football players: hoops star Melissa Dalembert can’t raise money like her brother Sam, but she’s asked all her teammates to weed clothes for donating out of their closets. (St. Petersburg Times)

Meet the Bulls’ new assistants. (GoUSFBulls.com)

A USF executive athletic director went ahead and said it: a lot of agents lie when they “leak” that their clients are coaching candidates. (St. Petersburg Times)

Syracuse will get tailback Delone Carter back next year. In a shocker, Mike Williams won’t be back. (Syracuse Post-Standard)

Is Marshall-West Virginia really that big? (Times West Virginian)

Doc Holliday’s family will still wear West Virginia gear. (Charleston Daily Mail)

Mohamed Sanu enrolled at Rutgers last January. Ten months later, he was the Scarlet Knights’ MVP. Is it any wonder these kids aren’t waiting for the rest of their recruiting class?

2010 signees Betim Bujari and Frank Quartucci both started classes at Rutgers today, as did Hoftsra transfer Matt McBride.

Bujari is a 6-foot-4, 295-pound guard out of Secaucus High. He’s one of Rivals’ top five linemen in the state, and top 50 guards in the country, he committed to Rutgers way back in 2008 and he’s a native of Albania.

Quartucci is also 6-4, 295, though he was a three-year starter at tackle at Hamilton West High down in South Jersey. His senior year, his team averaged 210 rush yards a game – in no small part because of him.

McBride already has a year of college ball under his belt. The 6-6, 280-pound Long Island native spent last year at Hofstra. Because Hofstra dropped its football program, and because McBride redshirted the year, he’ll be eligible immediately and have four years left at Rutgers.

Mark Cuban wades into the NBC late night mess… I’m SO sending this to my boyfriend… If you live in Massachusetts, your vote today will absolutely count… A Big East basketball brawl. A Big East women’s basketball brawl…

Six years ago he left Rutgers for UConn. Now he’s leaving UConn for Georgia. (The Day)

One of Skip Holtz’s new staff additions is a UConn great. (Hartford Courant)

The secret to Charlie Strong’s recruiting prowess: bowling. (Louisville Courier-Journal)

Two of the country’s four-biggest winners in draft declaration season are from the Big East. (SI.com)

Kenny Britt was arrested. Pay those parking tickets, kid! (Tennessean)

It’s been exactly a month since the St. Petersburg Bowl, but the Daily Targum’s been on winter break. Here’s their welcome back highlight reel. (Daily Targum)

Great story about a former USF athlete giving back. (Tampa Tribune)

Current USF coach Skip Holtz is filling out his staff. (Rivals.com)

Meanwhile, could Jim Leavitt fill out Bob Stoops’ staff? (St. Petersburg Times)

A couple days after former assistant Doc Holliday stole a couple WVU recruits away to Marshall, Bill Stewart may be losing another to Mississippi State. (Commercial Appeal)

A look back at the decade that was - and a prediction that this next one will be stronger. (ESPN.com)

Now the Times wants to charge for online readers? Nooooo!…. Haiti’s president isn’t talking to his people; ours, thankfully, is… On a day that should officially be one of service, some of MLK Jr.’s strongest sentiments…

Here’s how UConn’s always had a strong running game, without a high-profile running recruit. (Hartford Courant)

UConn football fans still have plenty of questions. (Hartford Courant)

A Georgia QB originally headed to Florida is now coming to Louisville. (Louisville Courier-Journal)

Charlie Strong isn’t only poaching recruits: Miami’s top recruiter is set to join his staff. (Orlando Sun-Sentinel)

Skip Holtz is keeping four of Jim Leavitt’s coaches and saying good-bye to five. (Tampa Tribune)

Holtz’s first commit is a 6-foot-9 offensive tackle from New Jersey. (St. Petersburg Times)

Holtz is making a rock star impression already. (St. Petersburg Times)

Syracuse freshman Torian Phillips is transferring closer to home. (Syracuse Post-Standard)

Syracuse has enrolled six new football players this semester. (Syracuse Post-Standard)

Two one-time WVU commits are now following Doc Holliday to Marshall. (Charleston Daily Mail)

Today is obviously Skip Holtz’s day. We’ll dispense with the usual current events and just get right to him then.

When Holtz got off the plane in Tampa last night, he went straight to his new players. Whose emotions are still raw. (ABC Action News)

Holtz will definitely have to a lot of healing. (St. Petersburg Times)

Of course, a lot of those kids are just relieved there’s a new coach in place. (St. Petersburg Times)

Holtz will be collecting a pretty impressive paycheck. (Tampa Tribune)

Holtz is a “really good” choice and he’ll definitely set a new tone. (Tampa Tribune)

Holtz was once a QB. And a Notre Dame flanker. (Tampa Tribune)

Maybe Holtz was destined to coach in the Big East. (ESPN.com)

Five year hiring plans are a good idea. (Bonesville.net)

USF’s recruiting should get a boost. (Orlando Sentinel)

SI.com’s very early preseason Top 25 rankings are out. The Big East yet again has no impressively ranked teams. Sigh. (SI.com)

UConn’s tight ends coach is headed to Morgantown. (Hartford Courant)

Rick Pitino thinks kids may be getting too much power. (SNY.tv)

Another early look. This one’s at Rutgers’ 2010 depth chart. (Bleed Scarlet)

Devine and Sanders back is the biggest recruiting coup for West Virginia this year. (Wheeling News Register)

Devine wants that degree. Really. (nflmocks.com)

PISCATAWAY  – Hamady Ndiaye folded his 7-foot frame onto the thin little bench in Rutgers’ track locker room.

Jonathan Mitchell had pretended he didn’t hear the booing. Mike Rosario had sworn he didn’t. Freshman Dane Miller had admitted the catcalls at his coach hurt and then changed the subject and Ndiaye, with a turned ankle too big to slide into his boot, could’ve done exactly the same.

But after logging 108 games as a Scarlet Knights, after yet another demoralizing, oh-so-close loss – this one an 81-65 setback to no. 5 Syracuse – Ndiaye wasn’t taking any easy route. He looked straight at the television camera, he smiled at the four people arced around him and the senior from Senegal said there’s no shying away from the truth.

“We’re going through some crisis right now,” he said. “There’s a lot of words going around about us, the coaches, the team. It’s hard on the team but at the same time we have to learn how to deal with it. No matter what people say outside, it’s not about that right now. It’s about us coming out and giving it our best.”

For a while there Wednesday night, the Scarlet Knights really seemed to be. It’s been a brutal week, from supposed cornerstone forward Gregory Echenique requesting a release from his scholarship to former forward JR Inman’s ranting diatribe against coach Fred Hill on Facebook. The calls for Hill’s dismissal have turned into a chorus, chatter has made a Rosario departure seem like a fait accompli and then came the introductions at Rutgers Athletic Center, when the boos rained down on Hill.

And yet, after falling into the usual ugly halftime hole (this one was 18), the Scarlet Knights kept clawing. 

Keep reading right here.

The tsunami apparently taught aid organizations how to cooperate. Here’s a list of ways YOU can help. That is, of course, if you don’t believe Pat Robertson’s correct in saying this is the consequence of Haiti’s “pact with the devil.” Again, prayers to the people and nation of Haiti… Our government’s leaving no stone unturned when it comes to terrorists; we’ve got an eight-year old on the watchlist… The key to the Obamas’ marriage? Sportscenter…

Cincinnati’s new president talks about his new football coach. (News Record)

Cincinnati owes Brian Kelly thank you. (SI.com)

Charlie Strong keeps bringing familiar faces into his staff. This time it’s the new line coach. (Louisville Courier-Journal)

It just might be fun to be a Cardinals fan again. (Card Game)

Two weeks in, Dave Wannstedt’s calling it a smooth off-season. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

A bunch more notes from that media session with Wannstedt, including Pitt’s scholarship numbers. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Checking in with former RU QB Mike Teel, who now has a new coach up in Seattle. (Home News Tribune)

The attorney for the kid who said Jim Leavitt hit him, then that he didn’t and then again that he did will have a news conference today. (Tampa Tribune)

Here’s another witness to the alleged incident saying Jim Leavitt got railroaded. (St. Petersburg Times)

Skip Holtz interviewed. So did former Grambling coach Doug Williams. Tommy Bowden may and Miami offensive coordinator Mark Whipple might too. This USF job really is hot. (Tampa Tribune)

Holtz may still be the guy in the lead, though. (St. Petersburg Times)

Calm down Cuse fans. Doug Marrone’s not going to Tennessee. (Syracuse Post-Standard)

Oh boy. Syracuse is going back to the West Coast Offense. Maybe it won’t be the same one Greg Robinson thought he was putting in. (Syracuse Post-Standard)

Any chance any other assistant in the league has an action figure on eBay? (Syracuse Post-Standard)

It’s a WVU prof leading the research on football-related brain injuries. (West Virginia Public Broadcasting)

Top 10 moments in the Big East’s 2009 season. (ESPN.com)

Crazy night in Big East hoops. Pitt upsets UConn… St. John’s upends Cincinnati…Rutgers’ Greg Echenique is transferring to Creighton…

Our prayers to the people of Haiti… Wyclef Jean’s already started raising relief money… A junky trunk’s apparently better than love handles… I don’t really get it; has Lane Kiffin won anything yet?…

Summarizing the Cincinnati bloodlines on Brian Kelly’s new staff. (The Observer)

Of course, Kelly’s just one of the new breed of suspect role models masquerading as coaches. (The Stanford Daily)

But that’s the past; Cincinnati has its new offensive coordinator. (GoBearcats.com)

More and more recruits are seeing UConn as the big time. (Hartford Courant)

Charlie Strong will open his first spring at Louisville with four QBs. (Louisville Courier-Journal)

Tracking Rutgers’ commits. (Bleed Scarlet)

Meanwhile, could Rutgers’ hoops program be in any more disarray? (SNY.tv)

There’s a lot of musts for the new USF coach. Could Skip Holtz be the man to meet them? (Tampa Tribune)

Holtz’s buyout at East Carolina won’t hold him back. (Tampa Tribune)

And Holtz definitely wants the job. (St. Petersburg Times)

But wait. Bucs’ assistant head coach Rich Bisaccia may really be the best choice. (St. Petersburg Times)

Meanwhile, why was Coach P let go in Miami? (Syracuse Post-Standard)

Losing his recruiters hasn’t fazed Bill Stewart. (Times West Virginian)

A redshirt nose guard’s leaving WVU for ODU. (Charleston Daily Mail)

The takeaways from the Big East bowl season. (ESPN.com)