Around the State: Bert Emanuel named new HCU coach

Bert Emanuel is now the third head coach of the Houston Christian University softball program, announced by Robert Sloan, president of HCU, and Stan Williamson, director of athletics. A native of Houston and former Rice University standout on the gridiron, Emanuel was the founder and head coach of Texas KAOS from 2005 to 2017, an elite national college-prep softball organization in the Houston area. He built a nationally ranked program while developing and placing over 25 athletes into collegiate programs. Emanuel has most recently served as the athletic director for Fort Bend County, where he created a master brand while aligning facilities and programming to attract partnerships and sponsors, while also consulting for the American Flag Football League. Emanuel was drafted 45th in the 1994 NFL draft by Atlanta. He spent eight seasons as a wide receiver in the league, amassing over 350 catches and 4,800 receiving yards for the Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and Detroit Lions while playing under the tutelage of such legendary coaches as Dan Reeves, Tony Dungy and Bill Belichick.

East Texas Baptist University’s Department of Speech-Language Pathology program hosted “Camp Chit Chat,” a summer speech and language day camp designed to support communication and literacy development for children who have completed kindergarten through third grade. The camp served as an extension of ETBU’s newly established William B. Dean, M.D. Center for Language and Literacy Development, which provides no-cost speech-language pathology services to families throughout the East Texas region while serving as a clinical training site for students in ETBU’s MS-SLP program. Held at First Baptist Church in Marshall in the Family Life Center, the camp offered morning and afternoon sessions in an engaging, language-rich environment focused on speech clarity, vocabulary, literacy, and communication confidence through interactive activities. Led by ETBU graduate student clinicians under the supervision of licensed speech-language pathologists, Camp Chit Chat combined evidence-based clinical practices with hands-on learning experiences that encouraged creativity, collaboration, and meaningful connection.

Hardin-Simmons University and Cisco College have signed a new articulation agreement aimed at strengthening transfer opportunities for students across the Big Country. The partnership establishes a structured pathway for Cisco College students to transfer completed coursework toward a bachelor’s degree at HSU, helping reduce transfer barriers and streamline degree completion. Under the agreement, students may transfer up to 66 credit hours, allowing them to maximize earned credits while potentially reducing the time and cost required to complete a four-year degree. Leaders from both institutions said the agreement reflects a shared commitment to student success and expanding access to higher education in West Texas. Officials said the agreement will be reviewed regularly to ensure academic programs remain aligned with student and workforce needs while continuing to create opportunities for educational and professional success.