Monday 12 March 2012

No problems expected at JSU-Southern game

While Jackson State head football coach Rick Comegy voiced some concerns earlier this week about Saturday's game in Baton Rouge, La. against Southwestern Athletic Conference rival Southern, officials at both schools said they aren't worried about any incidents occurring at the game.

"Our fans are coming, I'm coming with my family," Jackson State president said.

"We enjoy the atmosphere and the camaraderie of the game."

Southern University Chancellor Margaret Ambrose said she didn't expect any problems at the game.

"If they show up, it's an indication of good faith, that they believe the spirit of what we're about," Ambrose said.

During the SWAC coaches teleconference this past Monday, Comegy, in his second season as Jackson State head coach, said he was concerned about safety at A.W. Mumford Stadium and said it might be a hostile environment for his team and fans.

Tony Clayton, the chairman if the Southern University Board of Supervisors athletic committee, said he contacted interim SWAC commissioner Duer Sharp to ask that Comegy's statements be investigated.

Jackson State released a statement Tuesday afternoon saying the school "regrets any misunderstanding caused by Comegy's comments."

"Coach Comegy never intended for his comments to suggest in any way that the atmosphere at Southern football games is unsafe. He has never experienced the excitement and intensity of playing in Baton Rouge," the statement said.

One of the most-heated rivalries in all of Black college football, the Southern-Jackson State games that have been played at A.W. Mumford Stadium have had their share of incidents away from the field of play.

Two games have been marred by gunfire. In 1990, one man was shot during a dice game under the stands and in 1996 Southern police had to fire weapons into the air to halt a brawl near the stadium.

One of the biggest draws in all of college football, the Jackson State-Southern game draws from 50,000 to 60,000 fans either at Munford Stadium or at Memorial Stadium in Jackson, Miss.

But maybe of more concern that the JSU vs. Southern clash may be the lack of Black head coaches in college football.

Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom doubts diversity can be mandated in college football.

The Black Coaches Association has suggested Division I college football, possibly through the NCAA, needs to implement guidelines similar to NFL's Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview minority candidates when hiring a head coach.

"I don't think that's feasible ... because every institution is so different," Croom said Wednesday during a teleconference. "You have so many parties to satisfy in college football.

"The NFL is an organization. It's a lot easier to have missions and address issues. I don't see how that would work at this level."

The Rooney Rule has resulted in a gradual increase in black coaches around the NFL. The NCAA has said it does not have the authority to control the way its members hire coaches.

Croom is one of only six Black coaches at 119 major college football schools, along with UCLA's Karl Dorrell, Buffalo's Turner Gill, Washington's Tyrone Willingham, Kansas State's Ron Prince and Miami's Randy Shannon.

Shannon was one of only two minorities hired to fill 23 coaching vacancies at Bowl Subdivision (formerly I-A) schools after last season. The other was Florida International's Mario Cristobal, who is Hispanic.

Shannon said minority candidates have been getting more interviews for top jobs.

"You just have to make sure you're not interviewing somebody just to interview them," he said. "That's what kills you about the Rooney Rule."

Shannon was the defensive coordinator at Miami for six seasons before being promoted to replace the fired Larry Coker after last season. He was talked about as a potential head coach for several years and often his name came up when jobs opened.

He interviewed just once during that time at Mississippi. Ed Orgeron was eventually hired by Ole Miss, but Shannon felt the school was giving him a serious look. He also said a coach can do himself a disservice by taking too many interviews.

"You can't just interview just to interview. You have to make sure you have a legit shot at a job. Sometimes you can interview just to interview and you won't have a shot, but you'll fill their quota," Shannon said.

"This entire process to me is about changing people's attitudes," Croom said, "The fans' attitudes. The people in the hiring process. It's simply a matter of changing attitudes."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[Author Affiliation]

Defender Staff Report

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