Jury: Grambling State owes Coach Spears nearly $600,000

Alcorn State Coach Melvin Spears

An East Baton Rouge Parish jury awarded former Grambling State University head football coach Melvin Spears Jr. nearly $600,000 on Friday after finding the school breached his contract when it fired him in late 2006.

Spears, who guided Grambling to the Southwestern Athletic Conference and black college national titles in 2005, was named head football coach at Alcorn State University earlier this year.

“It’s a great opportunity to be vindicated. I’m elated,’’ Spears, 51, said of the verdict by a jury of nine men and three women.

The panel voted unanimously to award Spears $449,500 for breach of employment contract and tacked on $11,000 in penalty wages and $139,000 in attorneys’ fees.

Spears wins lawsuit against Grambling State

Baton Rouge, LA — Former Grambling State head football coach Melvin Spears Jr. was awarded nearly $600,000 by a jury that ruled the school breached his contract when he was fired in 2006.

Spears had a five-year contract when the university believed it could fire him with cause after the third season due to an NCAA investigation. However, the NCAA didn't find any major violations.

Spears, who was 20-14 at Grambling State and led the Tigers to Southwestern Athletic Conference and black college national titles in 2005, was named head coach at Alcorn State, also a SWAC school, earlier this year.

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