TGIF Monarchs. We’re keeping it short and sweet because we have A TON to jam into today’s Brew.

Schedules? ✅
Scouting Report? ✅
Scholars? ✅
Soccer? ✅
Signings? ✅

We’ve got it all today!

What else can we stir into today’s edition of the Brew? Check it out!

🗓 Save Those Dates
⛳️ Acing The Course
🤠 Heading To Houston
👑 And much, much more!

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Save Those Dates. We’ve got save the dates for you and we didn’t even have to pose for any corny pictures in meadow fields.

That’s right, the ODU men’s and women’s basketball teams released their full 2023-24 slates this week and you don’t want to miss out on all the exciting action coming to Chartway Arena this winter.

🔼 Heading To Houston. For four years, he was a dominant force on the defensive line for the Monarchs.

Now, he’s with sixth NFL team as an offensive lineman. That’s right, this week, former ODU standout Rashaad Coward signed a free agent deal to join the Houston Texans.

Coward, who was an undrafted free agent, originally switched to offensive line back in 2017 with the Chicago Bears. Since then, he’s seen time with the Steelers, Jaguars, Falcons, Cardinals and now the Texans.

Over the course of the past six years, Coward has played in 34 games on the offensive line, earning starts in 15 of those contests.

🔼 Acing the Course. An ace on a golf course is extremely rare. The percentage for an amateur golfer is 0.04%. The rest of us, it’s less than 0.01%.

This week, a trio of ODU men’s golfers were honored for acing things away from the golf course and in the classroom.

Jakob Chicoyne, Jacob Gunther and Philip Minnehan were all named 2022-23 All-America Scholars by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).

In order to be eligible for the award, an individual must be a sophomore, junior or senior both academically and athletically. In addition, they must participate in 50% of their team's competitive rounds, have a stroke average under 76.0, and maintain a minimum cumulative career grade-point average of 3.2.

🔼 Working on the Pitch. No, we’re not talking about them singing, we’re talking about the ODU women’s soccer team being back on the pitch and in exhibition action this week against Liberty.

The Monarchs warmed up for the upcoming 2023 season with an scrimmage against in-state rival Liberty on Wednesday night.

Up next? The season opener in Fairfax against the George Mason Patriots next Thursday at 6 p.m.

🏈 SO FRESH, SO CLEAN

Preparing your fall schedules? We’ve got plenty of promotions coming this fall at Ballard Stadium that we promise you don’t want to miss!

Game 3: Sept. 23 vs. Texas A&M Commerce, 3:30 p.m.
HOMECOMING

🏈 SCOUTING REPORT FRIDAY: LIBERTY

Opponent #10: Liberty
Date: Saturday, November 11th
Location: Lynchburg, Va.
Time: 1 p.m.
Broadcast Coverage: ESPN+/ODU Sports Radio Network

Last Meeting: Liberty 38, Old Dominion 24 - Oct. 1, 2022
All-Time Series: Liberty leads 3-1

Famous Alumni Battle: 

ODU: Nancy Lieberman (Basketball Hall of Famer), Justin Verlander (MLB All-Star), Taylor Heinicke (NFL QB), Jay Harris (ESPN Anchor), Ben Bailey (host of Cash Cab), William Fallon (Four Star Navy Admiral)
Liberty: Jason Elam (former NFL kicker), Sam Ponder (ESPN Host/Reporter), Sid Bream (former MLB first baseman), Seth Curry (NBA Guard, Dallas Mavericks), Shannon Bream (Fox News host), Malik Willis (NFL QB - Titans)

Liberty was rolling to an 8-1 record in 2022 before dropping four straight to end the year and losing its head coach to Auburn. Enter Coastal Carolina’s Jamey Chadwell.

Chadwell’s offensive firepower is well known, but there are a lot of question marks entering 2023 for the Flames as Liberty lived in the transfer portal this offseason, so finding the right fits will determine their success for this fall.

The QB situation will be a battle throughout camp with returning leading pass Johnathan Bennett back in Lynchburg, alongside Tennessee transfer Kaidon Salter and Southern Miss transfer Trey Lowe.

Two new faces will star in the running game with Wake Forest transfer Quinton Cooley and incoming star recruit Vaughn Blue having the possibility of being a two-headed monster this fall.

Last fall, Liberty’s defensive unit led the nation in tackles for a loss, third in sacks and generated a ton of takeaways. But, as the transfer portal giveth, it taketh away as well with most of the Flames top playmakers now gone to graduation or the portal.

Kendy Charles (DL) and Tyren Dupree (LB) will lead the way for an unknown, but potent unit in 2023.

🤔 MONARCH TRIVIA

This week, the ODU men’s soccer team got on the practice field for the official start of their training camp in preparation for the upcoming 2023 season.

The Monarchs will be hunting a return to the NCAA Tournament, a place that they’ve visited frequently during the program’s history.

How many times has the ODU men’s soccer team earned an NCAA Tournament berth?

Got a guess?

Scroll down to the bottom of this email and see if you had the right answer!

🏈 COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: 22 DAYS

Despite being at ODU for only one season, Tobias Harris made an immediate impact for the Monarchs last fall.

Harris, a D2 transfer from West Texas A&M, earned a spot in the defensive secondary right away and ranked eighth on the team in total tackles with 44, including 22 solo and 22 assisted.

He also led the team with 11 pass breakups and was one of 10 Monarchs with an INT last fall.

Now, he’s a member of the Ottawa Redhawks in the CFL, staring as a returner and member of the secondary.

📬 STICK WITH US

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🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: 14.

Beginning with their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 1989, the Monarchs have earned a spot in the postseason 14 total times: 1989, 1991, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2017.

Have a great Friday, ya’ll!