With her decision to go public with an oral commitment to South Carolina, junior golfer Meredith Swanson immediately felt the relief of having the recruiting process behind her.

Then, within an hour, her world had turned upside down.

South Carolina coach Kristi Coggins called Swanson on Tuesday night to say that she had resigned.

"I was really shocked," said Swanson, a junior at Hidden Valley High School. "I didn't know what to say. Here we are in the middle of exams and I was under enough stress already."

Swanson said Coggins resigned after learning that the men's and women's programs will share an assistant. Until now, each program has had a full-time assistant.

Marci Korengay, who formerly assisted Coggins, had left to become the head coach at South Florida.

Swanson's oral commitment is non-binding but she has no plans to re-open her recruiting. She has been in touch with Puggy Blackmon, who, as director of golf, oversees both the men's and women's programs.

"He said they're going to get a new coach up to [Coggins'] potential," Swanson said. "I still want to go to South Carolina; it's just not going to be with Kristi."

Tech commitment

Lost in the hype of running back Ryan Williams' commitment to Virginia Tech at the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, was a second commitment the Hokies received Sunday from Dwight Tucker, a 6-foot-2, 280-pound defensive lineman from Oviedo, Fla.

Tucker is the 30th player to commit to the Hokies for 2008 but those numbers are a little deceptive. Three players will enroll in January, meaning that they can count toward Tech's 2007 quota, one other player (Cameron Demps) had his offer withdrawn for behavioral reasons and at least 2-3 others are expected to need prep school.

Tech remains in the running for four uncommitted in-state players. They are Roanoke Times Top 25 selections Marcus Davis and Randall Dunn from Ocean Lakes in Virginia Beach, quarterback Ju Ju Clayton from Hermitage in Richmond and defensive end Joe Jones from Green Run in Virginia Beach. Davis played quarterback but both he and Dunn project as collegiate receivers.

More recruiting

Notre Dame has taken an oral commitment from Deion Walker, a 6-foot-4, 186-pound wide receiver from the Christchurch School who is rated the No. 6 prospect in Virginia by The Roanoke Times.

Walker, who took visits to Penn State and Florida State before committing to the Irish, had the most impressive offer list in the state but received enough mixed reviews to drop outside the top five.

n Connecticut may have gotten a steal in 6-foot-4, 210-pound quarterback Casey Turner from Great Bridge in Chesapeake.

Turner, the No. 34 prospect in the state, passed for 2,840 yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior and set a south Hampton Roads record for career passing yardage.

In memoriam

An obituary for former William and Mary football player Greg Freaney did not mention his appearance as a guest picker with the Fearless Forecasters earlier this decade. Freaney, best known locally as a baseball coach and administrator with the Cave Spring National Little League, was recruited by Lou Holtz and had his share of Holtz stories from three seasons as a Tribe letterman from 1971-73.

n Salem attorney and former Washington and Lee football player Jim Guynn notes the passing this fall of Rob Lindsey, a three-time All-America lacrosse player during the mid-1970s, when the Generals played many of the current Division I powers. Lindsey, a 1999 inductee into the W&L athletic hall of fame, also led the W&L football team in rushing in 1973 and twice was the Generals' leading scorer.

UVa women

The Virginia women's basketball team had a major scare before an MRI revealed that 2007 second-team All-ACC selection Lyndra Littles did not have a torn anterior cruciate ligament as originally feared when she was injured in practice prior to a Jan. 2 game at Rider.

Littles is being listed as day-to-day and may be available when the Cavaliers (11-4) entertain Virginia Tech at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Britnee Millner, a junior from the Carlisle School in Martinsville, is playing more than 18 minutes per game this season -- up from a 6.8-minute average in 2006-2007, when she was named the Cavaliers' most improved player.

Local update

Ryan Price, a graduate of William Fleming High School, has been named to the staff at Division II Gannon in Erie, Pa. Price, a graduate assistant at Henderson (Ark.) State while he completed degree work this fall, is the son of one-time Virginia Tech player and University of Memphis head coach Tic Price. The older Price currently is an assistant at North Texas State.

Henderson State made the Division II NCAA Tournament last year, with Price starting all 32 games.

He spent his first three seasons at McNeese State while his father was head coach and was named team defensive player of the year for three straight seasons. Only Joe Dumars, who had an illustrious NBA career, had accomplished that feat at McNeese State previously.