Hiring Hue Jackson would be a huge mistake for Morehouse College – Gudstory

Morehouse football is in desperate need of a shot in the arm. Hugh Jackson is a dose of bad medicine.

according to Reports, Morehouse College – an all-male HBCU in Atlanta – is in negotiations with Jackson to be their next head football coach. At this point, it seems like it’s inevitable. In all honesty, I am a Morehouse alumnus (male) and I love my school. But let’s be clear. This column is not written with emotion. It is a breakdown of how and why Jackson is literally unfit for the position, based on fact and logic.

Let’s start with the guy.

It seems like the idea that a program like Morehouse, one that is coming off back-to-back seasons 1-9 and will be its third coach in three years when the season starts, has a chance to be led by a former NFL coach. Great on paper. But that’s why appearances can be deceiving.

During his time in the NFL, Jackson was 11-44 as a head coach between stops with the Raiders and Browns. In his only season in Oakland, he was 8-8 before being fired. At the time, I felt wronged. But when Jackson coached his team again in Cleveland, his situation was exposed. He was 1-15 in his first season, then followed that up with a winless 2017 (0-16). He was fired during his third season after posting a 2-5-1 record in his final year as an NFL head coach.

The next time we saw Jackson lead a team was when he took over at Grambling in 2022. In his two seasons, he was 8-14, putting his career winning percentage as a head coach at 24.6 percent (19-58). But as bad as his record was, what Jackson showed at Grambling was even worse.

“I’m not a fan at all. I’m very, very disappointed in Grambling, I really do.” NFL legend and Grambling alum Doug Williams He told The Washington Post when Jackson hired Art Briles to his staff. “I spoke to the AD several times. They knew my position, but they did it, and if that’s what they want to do, that’s fine. I’m out.”

“Oh, no. I can’t do that. No, no, no. If I support them, I condone it.” Williams added, according to the report.

Briles has been banished from coaching in college and the NFL for being an enabler of “alleged” serial rape. It was Briles He was fired as head coach at Baylor After a sex scandal, she discovered that the school’s former president and leaders, all the way up to Briles, were looking the other way and ignoring the rape allegations. He claimed it was over 50 women were sexually assaulted and raped by more than 30 players During a period of four years. Briles’ appointment caused a sensation, but instead of fixing the problem, Jackson redoubled his efforts.

“The recent hiring of Coach Briles is a testament to the importance of these key factors: Forgiveness: We believe everyone deserves forgiveness and without it, healing cannot begin.” Read written words On the Jackson Foundation website. Redemption: Redemption follows forgiveness. Going from surviving a trial to thriving through new experiences requires restored faith and the opportunity to improve. Enlightenment: It is our own experiences that give us the wisdom to teach others how to live in a world of respect and honor.

The drama ended when Briles decided to move away from Grambling, as Jackson had no problem bringing him to an HBCU campus. This was evidence that Jackson did not care about the culture of HBCUs or the students and alumni of these institutions. He only cared about winning football matches.

Now, let’s take a look at why Morehouse isn’t the right place for Jackson.

Last season, Morehouse only played two home games, which is crazy. a look at Record books Going 7-3 in 2018 would show the most successful season in recent years, as the Maroon Tigers went 4-6 in 2019 and 2020 – School The athletic department was closed in 2020 due to the pandemic. The program has not won the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) since 1991. Jackson was the running backs coach in NFL Europe that year. I was seven years old.

To say that Morehouse is a different place is an understatement, as it is the only institution of higher education of its kind on the planet. It is a black college for black men. But on top of all the impressive alumni the college has produced since 1867, what many don’t know is that athletics are taken less seriously than other black undergraduate colleges. Athletics have never been and never will be the priority at black colleges, because sports, especially football, are not the reason students go there. A star quarterback will never be the big guy on campus, despite the NFL aspirations they may have. If athletics were not the focus at other black colleges, they were an afterthought at Morehouse.

This is not a disparagement of my school or any of the great athletes the school has produced. But you go to Morehouse to play school, not sports. For example, at our last homecoming, over 35,000 people were in attendance at the tailgate alone, while 3,000 people were not in the stands to watch the game. If you want to go “league” in life, come to Morehouse – if you can get it. If your only goal is to make it to the “league” in athletics, I would advise you to sign up elsewhere. as reads the alumni website: “The mission of Morehouse College is to develop men of disciplined minds who will live lives of leadership and service. A private, historically black liberal arts college, Morehouse College fulfills this mission by emphasizing the intellectual and personal development of its students. In addition, the college has a special responsibility to teach… Black history and culture.

But even for students who are, or those who want to, pursue a career in athletics/be professional athletes, Morehouse and Black college campuses should never be viewed as a last option, because that is how Jackson views us. Don’t come running to us when we’ve never been your priority. This is not your “last chance.”

“Despite their talent and experience, minority coaches continue to be overlooked and underrepresented at NFL and Power 5 schools.” Jackson once posted on social media. “I call on coaches to focus and consider coaching at historically black colleges. This will not only give them the opportunity to hone their skills, but could help bring more attention and resources to these great institutions.”

If Jackson was in negotiations with a majority white organization (PWI), I would find it funny because it would mean some misguided athletic director with a bad football team was trying to hire a name that would attract attention, not increase wins. but Morehouse, HBCUs, a different world. Improving the entire student body is the focus, not just the students who choose to play sports.

Morehouse has been rumored to be joining the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) soon, which lends itself to why someone like Jackson would be involved, as the conference is a step forward, especially in football. But in a few weeks, Morehouse College will be 157 years old. In that time she has built her legacy on the production of black men who repeatedly changed America and the world. The man most likely to become the new football coach doesn’t fit that bill. From his performance on the field to the terrible choices he made as captain, Hue Jackson not only deserves Morehouse – Morehouse will undercut his price by hiring him.