Jesse Salters, whose name should possess a familiar ring to even the most casual local basketball follower, confirmed Friday afternoon he has been named new athletic director at Blake High.

Salters, who has spent the last two years as an assistant principal in Blake's student affairs office, was on a family outing Friday and unable to talk at length. He replaces Steve Williams, who left to become boys basketball coach at Steinbrenner.

A 1990 Chamberlain graduate, Salters led the Chiefs to the Class 4A state title game as a 6-foot-6 senior forward and finished his career with 2,222 career points -- then the second-highest career total in Hillsborough County history.

He signed with Florida State, but transferred to USF after one year and started every game in his three seasons with the Bulls (1993-95). The team's leading rebounder all three seasons, he still ranks in the top 10 of many Bulls career statistical categories.

Salters graduated from USF in 1994 with a degree in speech communications, and was named USF's Most Outstanding Senior in a class of more than 4,000.

JOEY KNIGHT