State Judge backs award in former Grambling coach-firing suit

Melvin Spears, Head Football Coach
Alcorn State University

BATON ROUGE, La. — A judge refused Monday to overturn an East Baton Rouge Parish jury’s May 6 decision to award nearly $600,000 to former Grambling State University football coach Melvin Spears Jr. The jury found the school breached Spears’ contract when it fired him in December 2006.

State District Judge Wilson Fields denied Grambling’s request for a new trial.

At the request of Spears’ attorneys, Fields also tacked on another $43,000 in penalty wages to the jury award. “His ruling today upholds the intent of the jury,’’ said Jeffrey Cody, one of Spears’ attorneys, after the court hearing.

GSU attorney Charles Tabor said the school can proceed with its appeal to the state 1st Circuit Court of Appeal in Baton Rouge.

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Alcorn narrows down list of head coaching candidates

THE NEW COACH WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON JANUARY 19TH.

LORMAN, MS — The Alcorn State University Head Football Coach Search Committee has narrowed the list of candidates for head football coach down to three finalists.

The finalists are Fred L. McNair, Melvin Spears Jr. and Dwayne A. White.

McNair, a Mount Olive native and former Braves standout quarterback and 2005 ASU Sports Hall of Fame inductee, is currently assistant coach and offensive coordinator for the 2009 and 2010 1A State Champion Mount Olive Pirates. He also served a five year stint as quarterback and wide receivers coach for the Millsaps Majors and spent 10 years in the Arena Football League as a quarterback.

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