Sure enough, Buddy Stephens is going to fight his ouster at East Mississippi Community College. The legendary ‘Last Chance U’ coach does not believe he deserved to be fired for expressing his opinion under the first amendment.
I had a feeling this was going to get messy…
One of the most successful coaches in junior college football history does not plan to go down easy. He has retained legal counsel.
Why did Buddy Stephens get fired at East Mississippi Community College?
Although East Mississippi Community College has not released a formal reason for the firing, we can assume. Buddy Stephens was critical toward the school and its conference during a scathing interview with a local news publication.
The Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference moved from a nine-game schedule to a 10-game schedule. It also changed the playoff format, which used to include the top two teams from the North and South divisions. Henceforth, only the top seed from each division will play in the state championship game. From four teams to two.
Stephens, who won five national championships and nine conference championships during his tenure, did not like the change. He expressed his frustration during a conversation with the Columbus Dispatch and referred to the decision-makers as “idiots.”
“We wouldn’t have won two national championships because we were the second-place team in the North [division]. It’s not a very well thought-out process. It was really junkified, the way they decided they were going to do it, and there wasn’t a lot of real thought. I was very surprised at how it came out because there were actual people who have doctorates that came up with this.”
Here is his account of why the change was made:
“Ultimately this is what happened. Some of the presidents in the state didn’t want to have to go to the national playoffs because they didn’t want to travel the first week. This is what really happened. If you really want to write something, write the truth – and this is what happened. The presidents decided they didn’t want to have to spend a lot of money to travel, so they did our system, our playoffs and our yearly schedule in order for them to be able to back out of the (NJCAA) playoffs if they wanted to and stay in our playoffs. But if they were going to be a No. 1 or No. 2 seed and they were going to get to host and they didn’t have to travel, then they’d get out of our playoffs and opt into the national playoffs so they can host.”
East Mississippi president Scott Alsobrooks released the following statement last Monday:
“[The school] strongly disavows the remarks published in a recent article. These comments are inconsistent with the college’s core values and standards of professionalism, respect, and civility and do not reflect the views, mission, or expectations of EMCC. While the college supports open and constructive dialogue, personal attacks have no place in that discourse and are contrary to the standards we uphold within our college community. EMCC sincerely apologizes for the concerns raised by these comments and remains committed to fostering a respectful, professional, and collegial environment for all.”
Stephens was relieved of his duties just a few hours later. He was fired.
It probably goes a little bit further. Although Stephens won a lot at East Mississippi, he is notoriously difficult to work with. And he has not won a lot in recent years compared to 2011-2018. It is also a question of— What have you done for me lately?
All of the factors combined led to his ouster. His criticism was the icing on the cake.
Let’s get litigious!
It did not take long for Buddy Stephens to come out against the reports. He claims that he was not actually fired by East Mississippi Community College. Rather, relieved of his duties.
He met with Human Resources on the day his ouster was announced but he had not yet met with the president. His status with the school remained unresolved. There were still a lot of details up in the air. It sounded like he was preparing to take legal action.
If the school was to fire him with cause that he does not think exists, the head coach could turn around and sue. If he is fired without cause, he would be owed a lot of money. Stephens was likely working behind the scenes with East Mississippi on a buyout but that was not confirmed. His account of what happened directly contradicted that of the administration.
Well, sure enough, Stephens is ready to fight against the ouster. Or, at the very least, its classification as a firing.
His attorney, Jim Waide, released the following statement on Wednesday, Sept. 9:
“The firing of Buddy Stephens is a grave disservice to the public service and football community of the State of Mississippi.
Coach Stephens has built an extraordinary legacy, including five national championships, and his contributions to the athletes, programs, and communities he has served cannot be overlooked.
His recent comments regarding the operation of the playoff system addressed a matter of public concern and represented his right to express his views under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
Buddy intends to do everything possible to rectify the wrong.”
Regardless of his opinion, I highly doubt he gets to return as head coach. This seems like a financial play to me. If the school does not choose to reinstate him, he wants to get paid. Let’s get litigious!