Hampton U. fires football coach after one season

Former head coach Jerry Holmes finishes Hampton career with 6-5 record. Holmes replaced Joe Taylor, who left for Florida A&M after building the Hampton program into a MEAC powerhouse.

Athletic director Lonza Hardy fired Jerry Holmes as the Pirates’ head football coach after only one season, and Holmes’ interest in the NFL was a primary cause. In a statement released by the school Tuesday, Hardy indicated he and Holmes had differences on the direction of the program, and he questioned Holmes’ commitment to the team.

He also announced the longtime assistant Donovan Rose, a Norview High and Hampton U. grad, would be the new coach. “I felt a dire need to have atop our football program a coach whose commitment, loyalty and devotion to Hampton University were without question,” Hardy said.

Hardy told the Daily Press of Newport News that school officials had heard Holmes might be seeking jobs with NFL teams. Then, Holmes informed the school that he planned to interview with pro teams at this past Saturday’s Senior Bowl. “We could not approve that,” Hardy told the newspaper. “He felt the need to go and do those interviews anyway.”

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Give it a break Hampton--you are not Boston College! Get ready to become the homecoming queen for entire MEAC. I know of no professionals that should not seek a higher office, a better paying job or greater job security, especially during a period of great economic depression for our country. How soon Hardy forgets--he jumped ship from Mississippi Valley on June 20, 2008 after a six year stint, to come to Hampton for more MONEY! Chump!!

Hampton coach says changes are coming after 6-5 season

Jerry Holmes eyes changes, possibly in the assistant ranks, after his first season at the helm.

Jerry Holmes isn't satisfied. Not with Hampton's 6-5 record in his first season as head coach. Not with a team that was 5-1 before losing four straight games and its focus. And not with some of his assistant coaches, many of them holdovers from former Pirates coach Joe Taylor's staff. "If I had to do it again, I still would give those guys an opportunity to try to prove themselves, but now, Year 2 is gonna be what I want," Holmes said. "I'm not a 6-5 kind of guy."

Holmes wouldn't specify any planned coaching changes, but clearly was unhappy with the Pirates' offensive imbalance. Hampton averaged 247 passing yards per game but just 106 on the ground. That changed in Saturday's season finale, when the Pirates snapped a four-game losing streak with a 17-13 win at Morgan State. The Pirates attempted just seven passes but ran for 124 yards against a defense that had been giving up only 92 per game.

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Comments by Hampton Pirates' coach annoy WSSU Rams

The rivalry that existed between Winston-Salem State and Hampton when both played in the CIAA is back in full swing. It was evident Saturday, after WSSU spoiled Hampton's homecoming with a 35-30 victory. Jerry Holmes, in his first season as the Pirates' coach, had a few choice words that didn't sit well with some of the Rams' coaches and players.

"Any time we have that much talent, there's no way they should beat us," Holmes said after the game. "We've got speed, we've got guys up front -- there's no way. There's no way they should have beat us." Hampton also has 10 transfers from Bowl Subdivision teams to WSSU's two, but WSSU had a 100-yard return for a touchdown by David Irizarry after Hampton missed a field-goal attempt. Coach Kermit Blount of the Rams said he didn't take what Holmes said personally.

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Taylor's replacement set for Hampton-Florida A&M

NORFOLK, Va. — FAMU's new football coach Joe Taylor has left some kind of legacy in the Hampton Roads area. He received one of the loudest applauses when he was introduced Friday at the MEAC football season kickoff luncheon. But even bigger is the handprint that he's left on the Hampton football program.

Taylor departed Hampton after 17 seasons to become FAMU's new head coach this season. He was replaced by his former defensive coordinator, Jerry Holmes, who credits Taylor for opening the door to his first head-coaching job after 10 years in the NFL.

Hampton University head football coach Jerry Holmes is on a collision course with his mentor, Joe Taylor. Who will prevail is the question on every one's mind (Mark's Digital Photography).

"Every individual has a foundation," said Holmes, who played for three NFL teams between 1980 and 1991. "Coach Taylor is a great part of Jerry Holmes' foundation. "I've learned so much from coach Taylor, not just football but character, how to treat other people and how to handle different situations."

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Hampton University 2008 Football Schedule
Date Opponent Location Time/Result
8/31/2008 Jackson State (MEAC-SWAC Challenge) Orlando, Fla. 2 p.m.
9/6/2008 Southern Illinois Carbondale, Ill. 6 p.m. (CST)
9/13/2008 * Howard Hampton, Va. 6 p.m.
9/20/2008 * North Carolina A&T Hampton, Va. 6 p.m.
10/4/2008 * Delaware State Dover, Del. 1 p.m.
10/18/2008 * Norfolk State - Battle of the Bay Hampton, Va. 1 p.m.
10/25/2008 * South Carolina State Orangeburg, S.C. 2 p.m.
11/1/2008 Winston-Salem State - Homecoming 2008 Hampton, Va. 2 p.m.
11/8/2008 * Bethune-Cookman Hampton, Va. 2 p.m.
11/15/2008 * Florida A&M Tallahassee, Fla. 3 p.m.
11/22/2008 * Morgan State Baltimore, Md. 1 p.m.

Head Coach: Jerry Holmes (West Virginia '79)
Running Backs: Milo Austin (West Virginia '05)
Offensive Line: Terry Beauford (Florida A&M '91)
Defensive Line: Canute Curtis (West Virginia '97)
Defensive Backs: Devan Hill (Hampton '04)
Quarterbacks: Roy Johnson (Hampton '99)
Director of Football Operations: Andrew Rhoden (Hampton '04)
Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator: Donovan Rose (Hampton '79)
Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers: Corey Sullivan (Tennessee State '02)

Hampton University stockpiling FBS Football Transfers

Photo: Hampton University head footall coach Jerry Holmes (Mark's Digital Photography).

Hampton gains a former I-A player at defensive end and is poised to add a former I-A wide receiver.

Pirates coach Jerry Holmes said Friday that Bryant Miller, a defensive end from Auburn, will play for Hampton this season. Holmes also said that former Florida State wide receiver Damon McDaniel wants to play for Hampton and that the school is "finalizing" the process of admitting him.

McDaniel and Miller would swell the list of I-A transfers to six since Holmes became the Pirates' head coach in December. The others are tailback LaMarcus Coker (from Tennessee), linebacker Brandon Peguese (South Florida), safety Ricardo Kemp (Tennessee) and linebacker J'Courtney Williams (Virginia).

McDaniel and Miller were ranked among the highest recruits at their positions in the Class of 2006, but played little during their first two years in college. Holmes said that Miller transferred to Hampton to get more playing time, while McDaniel plans to transfer because he wants to be closer to his Virginia Beach home.

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Hampton U football coach: Let's get physical

Photo: Returning starting DB Sam Pope will anchor the secondary.

Jerry Holmes is confident as he begins his first spring practice as HU's head coach.

HAMPTON - — Jerry Holmes' first day of spring football practice as coach at Hampton University was like a reunion. Enough past and potential NFL talent was on hand Monday to remind Holmes about the legacy he's charged to continue and the holes he must fill.

Greg Scott and Zuriel Smith, HU alumni who played in the NFL, watched from the sidelines. Kendall Langford and Marcus Dixon — All-American defensive ends last season — also dropped by after completing workouts in preparation for likely visits next month to NFL rookie camps.

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