Higgins: Hard to be friends and foes

Kevin Higgins' friendship with Pete Lembo dates back to at least 1998, when Higgins hired Lembo to be his running backs coach at Lehigh University.

When Higgins left for the NFL in 2001, Lembo succeeded him as the Mountain Hawks' head coach. And after Higgins moved to The Citadel as head football coach in 2005, Lembo followed him to the Southern Conference a year later as head coach at Elon.

The pair will meet on the field as coaching foes for the third time Saturday when FCS 12th-ranked Elon plays the 25th-ranked Bulldogs at Johnson Hagood Stadium in a key SoCon matchup.

But Higgins, who is 2-0 against Lembo-coached Elon teams, said this week that it's not getting any easier to compete with a friend.

"It's a hard thing to compete with somebody and to have the same kind of relationship that you did," Higgins said. "Some guys can do that, and some can't. When you are competing against a friend, it can make that awkward.

"When we don't play each other, I'm sure our relationship will be much better. But I respect Pete and like him an awful lot."

Higgins built a Patriot League juggernaut at Lehigh, and the Mountain Hawks' best seasons under Higgins came after Lembo was on board in 1998. Higgins' last three Lehigh teams went 12-1, 10-2 and 12-1 and won three straight Patriot League titles.

That set a very high standard for Lembo when he took over at Lehigh in 2001, and his teams went 11-1, 8-4, 8-3, 9-4 and 8-3 with one Patriot League title and one co-championship.

Both coaches have done stellar rebuilding jobs at their SoCon schools. Last year's 7-4 mark was The Citadel's first winning record since 1992, and Elon is off to its best start since 1999.

"Pete has done an incredible job," Higgins said. "In three short years, it's amazing how far they have come. I remember what they were like in my first year here, before Pete got to Elon, and this team does not resemble in any way, shape or form the team we played our first year."

No matter the outcome Saturday, there's not likely to be any ribbing, good-natured or otherwise, between the two intense competitors.

"I get a great feeling seeing what Pete has done, just because of all the time we spent grinding away together at Lehigh," Higgins said. "It's really satisfying for me to see what he has done."

--Jackson returns: Sophomore strong safety Demetrius Jackson will be back in the Bulldogs' lineup against Elon after missing the first five games because of an academic problem involving his high school transcripts and the NCAA Clearinghouse.

With Jackson out, true freshmen Demontrelle Smith and Rod Harland have been playing strong safety.

"Demetrius has been practicing all along with the scout team, and that's been good for him," Higgins said. "He's just a second-year guy, but gives us a bit more experience back there, a guy who understands what we are trying to do and can help the younger guys. He gives us a bit more depth back there, too."

Jackson, 5-10 and 190 pounds, played in nine games last year and was slated to start this season before he was declared ineligible.

--In addition to Parents Day at The Citadel, this weekend is the Marc A. Buoniconti Golf Tournament and Tailgate Weekend. The tailgate starts at noon Saturday on the South Club Terrace of the stadium. A $75 ticket includes the game and tailgate, and proceeds go to the Buoniconti Football Scholarship at The Citadel and The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis.

For information, call 1-888-782-6387 or go to www.thebuonicontifund.com