"Situation" at Alabama State.....

[kdinva]

http://footballscoop.com/the-scoop/


Alabama State (FCS): Head coach Reggie Barlow, who just signed an extension a few months ago, has reportedly been asked to resign. Barlow confirmed to the Montgomery Advertiser tonight (http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/sports/2014/11/04/asu-football-coach-reggie-barlow-asked-resign/18496329/?sf33347537=%5B%271%27%5D) that ASU athletic director Melvin Hines met with him today and gave him an ultimatum, walk away now or at the end of the year. Lawyers are now involved. Unfortunate. As always, we’ll keep you posted as this plays out.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

What is going on at HBCUs? First Grambling, then FAMU, now Alabama State.

[superman7515]

Check out the last line of the article, Athletic Director Hines says he's being asked to resign after just signing the extension because the AD is getting phone calls from fans complaining about 4 straight losses.

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/sports/college/alabama-state/2014/11/04/asu-football-coach-reggie-barlow-asked-resign/18496329/ (http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/sports/college/alabama-state/2014/11/04/asu-football-coach-reggie-barlow-asked-resign/18496329/)


Less than two months after signing a new three-year contract with Alabama State University, football coach Reggie Barlow has been asked to resign.
Barlow confirmed to the Montgomery Advertiser on Tuesday night that ASU athletic director Melvin Hines met with Barlow earlier in the day and gave the eight-year head coach an ultimatum: walk away now or at the end of the year.

"I'll be honest, it was a complete surprise to me," said Barlow, who has a record of 46-41 as a head coach at ASU. "It caught me off-guard completely. We just signed a contract here."

Barlow, whose team is in the midst of a four-game skid, said he declined to give Hines an answer, telling the athletic director that he wanted to speak to an attorney first and weigh his options.

Barlow's attorney, Don Jackson, told the Advertiser that Barlow would not be resigning and called Hines' actions "potentially fraudulent."

"This athletic director has presented (Barlow) with a valid contract, agreed to terms, and it was signed," Jackson said. "What's more, the school began paying (Barlow) at the increased rate of salary over a month ago. What we have here, given those facts, is either a valid and binding contract or an act of promissory fraud."

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Wasn't Reggie Barlow actually a candidate for a Sun Belt FBS job at one point? What a mess.

[PAllen]

Win four straight, get an extension. Lose for straight, get canned. Doesn't bode well for future prospects.

[WileECoyote06]

What is going on at HBCUs? First Grambling, then FAMU, now Alabama State.

That is a problem at those schools. BTW, what AD asks a coach to resign? That's stupid. If I were a coach, you have to buy me out. I'm not quitting unless it's health related.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

That is a problem at those schools. BTW, what AD asks a coach to resign? That's stupid. If I were a coach, you have to buy me out. I'm not quitting unless it's health related.

Don't mean to paint with such a broad brush, but it's super-strange that the circumstances are similar. I almost forgot Hampton, where Uncle Joe was canned a while ago (where he then went to FAMU, and then was canned there). Hampton has been reeling ever since Uncle Joe was forced out. Big fan of Uncle Joe.

[WileECoyote06]

Don't mean to paint with such a broad brush, but it's super-strange that the circumstances are similar. I almost forgot Hampton, where Uncle Joe was canned a while ago (where he then went to FAMU, and then was canned there). Hampton has been reeling ever since Uncle Joe was forced out. Big fan of Uncle Joe.

My memory fails me. I thought former President Ammons poached Joe Taylor from Hampton? I remember him having former NCCU AD/A&T Coach Bill Hayes as AD and everyone just knew he was going to go after Rod Broadway who was at Grambling St.

Hampton, despite their successes in the Joe Taylor years wasn't even paying him 100K. FAMU offered north of 200K and he bounced!

As far as the similarities in the circumstances, Grambling and FAMU are historically good football programs; and have a rabid if somewhat unrealistic fanbase. Alabama State has won, two SWAC championships in 25 years. .. a decent program but their fan base shouldn't have the same expectations. But in all three scenarios, a lot of blame should be put on the ADs or the university president for making emotional decisions.

[CockyGeek]

They take the Classic seriously there, apparently. No way I'm resigning after four losses, and no way any coach in his right mind would want to go there knowing a losing streak would get you canned that quickly.

[WestCoastAggie]

The AD needs to be fired. The timing is stupid and they just opened themselves up to another lawsuit.

[DFW HOYA]

What is going on at HBCUs? First Grambling, then FAMU, now Alabama State.

Don't forget that mess at Savannah State a few years ago.

[ejjones]

What is going on at HBCUs? First Grambling, then FAMU, now Alabama State.
I don't think anything different is going on than at any other institution. When you're in the minority, it's just easier for what you do to be highlighted. FAMU should have let Earl Finish season. Grambling State is 6-0 in conference right now...

[superman7515]

I don't think anything different is going on than at any other institution...

But this isn't going on at any other institution. There is no other D1 school right now, or that I've ever heard of, trying to fire their head coach weeks after signing a contract extension, that the AD may or may not have had the authority to sign before the Board of Directors approved it, because too many people are calling the AD to complain about a 4-game losing streak.

[mvemjsunpx]

We won… EXTENSION!
We lost… FIRE HIM NOW!!!!!!!


So message board fans are running Alabama State's athletic department now? xchinscratchx

[WileECoyote06]

But this isn't going on at any other institution. There is no other D1 school right now, or that I've ever heard of, trying to fire their head coach weeks after signing a contract extension, that the AD may or may not have had the authority to sign before the Board of Directors approved it, because too many people are calling the AD to complain about a 4-game losing streak.

This is true. . but it also isn't going on at every HBCU. This scenario is downright strange and at worst idiotic. It's fair to say that some of the ADs being hired by FCS HBCU are lacking public relation skills.

[Sandlapper Spike]

We won… EXTENSION!
We lost… FIRE HIM NOW!!!!!!!


So message board fans are running Alabama State's athletic department now? xchinscratchx

I guess that's better than having Paul Bryant Jr. trying to eliminate your program (speaking of other football follies in the state of Alabama).

[Libertine]

My memory fails me. I thought former President Ammons poached Joe Taylor from Hampton?
...
Hampton, despite their successes in the Joe Taylor years wasn't even paying him 100K. FAMU offered north of 200K and he bounced!


You're both right. In 2007, Taylor had been fighting off attempts by the Hampton admin to force him out -- being a legend has its privileges -- when FAMU stepped in and made him a better offer. So, yes, FAMU poached him but the Hampton AD wasn't exactly broken up about it. Interestingly, Hampton fired Taylor's replacement only a year later.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

You're both right. In 2007, Taylor had been fighting off attempts by the Hampton admin to force him out -- being a legend has its privileges -- when FAMU stepped in and made him a better offer. So, yes, FAMU poached him but the Hampton AD wasn't exactly broken up about it. Interestingly, Hampton fired Taylor's replacement only a year later.

Hampton IMO has been reeling since Uncle Joe's departure, with (I think) three head coaches in the last four years.

- - - Updated - - -


This is true. . but it also isn't going on at every HBCU. This scenario is downright strange and at worst idiotic. It's fair to say that some of the ADs being hired by FCS HBCU are lacking public relation skills.

I can get on board with this. xthumbsupx

[WestCoastAggie]

This is true. . but it also isn't going on at every HBCU. This scenario is downright strange and at worst idiotic. It's fair to say that some of the ADs being hired by FCS HBCU are lacking public relation skills.

Is this also a potshot at FAMU's AD?

[superman7515]

This is true. . but it also isn't going on at every HBCU.

Yeah, it wasn't my intent to concur it was happening across the MEAC & SWAC, just to say this is one of the oddest situations I've seen with a coaching contract, and to claim it happens at every school would be a big stretch.

[WileECoyote06]

Is this also a potshot at FAMU's AD?
Not just him.

[GAD]

Bama State was expected to win the SWAC east this year, but are already out of the race. Barlow has never made it to the SWAC champ game and has a 46-41 record with the best facilities in FCS

[superman7515]

Alabama State BOT voted to rescind the contract extension that Barlow and the ASU president had signed a few months ago. Let's see where this lawsuit goes.