 |
| Jackson State photo |
Another one bites the dust.
Harold Jackson just became the latest HBCU football legend to be let go as head coach of his alma mater as Jackson State fired him on Tuesday.
Receivers coach Derrick McCall will serve as the team’s interim head coach.
“Jackson State is a tradition-rich school and our athletics have always been an important aspect of university life. We want to continue that spirit of improvement. In making this decision I considered both the recommendation of our interim director of athletics and responses from alumni and students,” JSU president Carolyn W. Meyers said in a release.
“We have worked well with and fully supported Coach Jackson. We honor and love him and wish him success in his future endeavors. Coach McCall has already proven his commitment to Jackson State as demonstrated by his work with our players,” Meyers added.
Jackson was 6-11 in one-and-a-half seasons. He was hired after the school decided not to bring back Rick Comegy following the 2013 season, when it won the SWAC East title.
Jackson starred at JSU in the late 1960s before embarking on a long NFL career. This marks the third year in a row that a SWAC program has parted ways with one of its legends. Grambling fired former quarterback Doug Williams early in the 2013 season and Alabama State decided not to renew former receiver Reggie Barlow’s contract last year. Over in the MEAC, Florida A&M fired Earl Holmes last season as well.
Moral of the story, being an HBCU legend won’t save you if your team underachieves.