Prairie View coach blasts officials

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Southwestern Athletic Conference Interim Commissioner Duer Sharp said Prairie View coach Henry Frazier III will likely face discipline from the conference after Frazier on Monday morning used the conference’s media teleconference to blast officiating.

“Either they’re cheating or they’re incompetent,” Frazier said of SWAC referees. “Either way you look at it, they have to go.”

When Sharp got on the teleconference later in the morning, Sharp said Frazier had crossed the line.

“It affects what we do, professionally, when we hear a coach say the referees don’t seem competent or are cheating,” Sharp said. “That was probably the most disappointing thing I heard. That’s just something we won’t tolerate here.”

Sharp said Monday afternoon he had talked with Frazier. Sharp said he was sending a letter to Prairie View, and Sharp said Prairie View could appeal any disciplinary action.

“It’s disappointing he used this forum to make those comments,” Sharp said. “It goes against the code of conduct.”

Prairie View won 17-7 at Alcorn State on Saturday.

In that game, Prairie View was called for nine penalties for 78 yards and Alcorn was flagged five times for 30 yards.

Frazier said calls were made in error against Prairie View throughout the game and that on Alcorn’s only score, Nate Hughes’ 70-yard punt return in the second quarter, Alcorn was guilty of clipping twice but not called for either one.

“The referees have to get coached up,” Frazier said. “They’re going to cost people jobs.”

Photo: Prairie View Head Football Coach Henry Frazier

Frazier, who said he also had issue with the statistics kept by Alcorn at the game, said he had forwarded the tape to the conference office and had informed SWAC interim coordinator of officials Harold Mitchell Sr. that he had problems with the way the game was called.


Sharp confirmed Frazier had taken those steps.
“I’ve had several apologies (from the conference office). It’s just the first time I’ve said something,” Frazier said of previous complaints during his four seasons at the school.

Sharp said he has not gotten complaints from Frazier this season until this weekend.

“I’ve never heard from Coach Frazier. &hellip That surprises me,” Sharp said.

Frazier said, in his time at Prairie View, his staff had counted 64 calls against his team in which a flag flew in behind a breakaway play.

“We’re going to put a highlight tape together,” Frazier said.

Frazier said Prairie View (3-2) may be getting penalized excessively because the program’s long history of losing.

“A lot of times people can’t believe we’re a good football team,” Frazier said.

Prairie View has been penalized 53 times for 499 yards this season. Of 10 SWAC teams, only Jackson State, with 53 penalties for 578 yards, has had more yardage stepped off than PV.

“It’s been like that all season long,” Frazier said. “It’s getting frustrating, because it’s on film.”

Sharp said his office routinely reviews officiating and regularly gets input from coaches.

“If you do make bad calls on a consistent basis, you won’t work in this league,” Sharp said.