Insight from the SWAC’s new 'Dean'

He looked around this small meeting room in Birmingham, Ala., last week, and he saw new faces. Lots of new faces. Times have changed in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Everywhere Anthony Jones turned, he saw proof of that. He’s now in his ninth year as the football coach at Alabama A&M. When he made his first appearance at a SWAC football media day, way back in 2002, Doug Williams was still at Grambling. He’s long gone. Back then, Robert Hughes was still at Jackson State. He’s gone, too.

And every single year, Jones could count on seeing Pete Richardson from Southern. Now, Richardson is gone, too. For so long, Richardson was the Dean of the SWAC, with five titles and 17 years. Now, the dean’s title falls to Jones. Through eight seasons at A&M, he’s made four trips to the SWAC Championship Game, winning it all in 2006. He has averaged eight wins per year. And even in down seasons, opponents knew that when they played the Bulldogs, they were in for a long afternoon.

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