Alcorn State fires assistant football coaches
Published Tuesday, December 2, 2008
LORMAN — Alcorn State University has fired seven of its nine assistant football coaches, and the head coach said the move was made without his knowledge.
Alcorn State head coach Ernest T. Jones said he was watching television at his home on Thanksgiving Day when he saw a report on the news that his coaches had been fired.
Jones said he was never notified the firings would occur.
“I got a message from (Athletic Director Darren) Hamilton that said, ‘Happy Thanksgiving, I’m on vacation and we’ll chat Friday.’ We never chatted Friday,” Jones said.
Jones said he did not plan to fire anyone and has received no explanation from Hamilton or the university.
Alcorn State Sports Information Director LaToya Shields confirmed Monday night that assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Earnest Collins Jr., offensive coordinator Dino Dawson, running backs coach Terrance Robinson, special teams coordinator and linebackers coach Zach Shay, secondary coach Jack Phillips, defensive line coach Keith Majors and strength and conditioning coach Lorenzo Guess would not have their contracts renewed.
Only offensive line coach Adam Shorter and wide receivers coach Michael Armour were retained by the university, Sheilds said.
Jones has hired two lawyers, Wayne Ferrell, of Jackson, and Ricky Lefft, of Columbia, S.C., to decide what his next move should be.
Lefft said no explanation has been been given for the firings.
“The athletic director met with the coach and Mr. Ferrell today, and they specifically asked why it had been done,” Lefft said. “The athletic director’s position was that he didn’t have to provide an explanation.”
Ferrell said there are grounds for a legal case.
“We would certainly think so,” Ferrell said. “When you terminate the entire staff, it constructively interferes with (Jones’) contract and his ability to perform his job.”
Now Jones’ job has been unfairly compromised, Lefft said.
“Coach’s contract obligates him to perform the duties of a head coach,” he said. “In order to do that, you have to have assistant coaches.”
Jones handpicked all nine of his assistant coaches. The hires were made months before Hamilton had been hired as the athletic director.
Several calls to Hamilton and to Alcorn State University President George Ross were not returned.
Ferrell said as of now, Jones and the lawyers are discussing options but have not decided what to do next.
“We haven’t really made a final decision,” Ferrell said. “It’s safe to say we’re going to do what’s best for coach Jones and for the Alcorn State football program.”
Jones said he is upset about the situation.
He has spoken to his coaches and is still unsure of what happened.
“They’re in shock just as I am,” he said. “It’s not good to be sitting at home on Thanksgiving Day watching the news and see something like that, and you don’t know anything about it.”