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After a grueling series of events, the horizon for Alcorn State appears to be big changes.
ASU Athletics Director Derek Horne has resigned. The news was first reported by Footballl Scoop and later confirmed by Horne Scoop. The website reported that the school and Horne were in talks about a possible takeover. According to the report, Cyrus Russ, the school’s senior associate athletics director and head of NCAA compliance, will be named interim AD.
“I would like to thank the Alcorn State leadership, especially Dr. (Felicia) Nave, for entrusting me with the honor of leading our athletics division,” Horne said in a press release via WAPT. “I take great pride in what we were able to achieve for our student athletes, trainers and employees during my time here. I would like to express my gratitude to our loyal alumni and supporters, as well as our friends in the Lorman community, for their unwavering passion in making our sports programs a success on and off the field. I’m leaving with excitement and enthusiasm and I’m looking forward to the next chapter of my professional career. “
The change comes two weeks after the school made headlines across the country for missing several exercises after the temporary athletic training staff contracted COVID-19. Head coach Fred McNair announced that the lack of a full-time athlete coach to oversee the program had sidelined its football program as it prepared for a guarantee game against South Alabama.
ASU would hire a full-time coach a few days later, but the effects were already being felt. South Alabama would win the game 28-21 after Alcorn State lost a half-time lead. McNair said he believed the lack of preparation days could have helped his team end the surprise.
“I think the biggest thing that hurt us on Monday and Tuesday – we didn’t get a chance to condition the young men the way we should have done. Due to the circumstances, we had no chance at all to condition ourselves. It kind of caught up with us later in the game. Some of my boys got cramps because of it, â€McNair said at the SWAC media session. “Physically, the boys fought. Only the conditioning part that helps us through the week (was missing) – the first two days of our conditioning are the most important days. They peel back in conditioning on Wednesday and Thursday. We had to condition these guys on Wednesday when we got the chance to practice and now it’s kind of what if you do or not. “
Horne’s tenure at Alcorn State began in 2014 after joining Florida A&M. Horne selected McNair to take on the program after Jay Hopson left the two-time defending SWAC champion after the 2015 season. The decision paid off in four consecutive SWAC East titles, including SWAC titles and Celebration Bowl appearances in 2018 and 2019.
But signs of a possible rift between the head of Alcorn State’s senior athletics administrator and the face of his program have been from Lorman, Miss, for most of a year. That conversation heated up when Alcorn State was the only SWAC program to end the spring football season and initially raised concerns about COVID-19. And then there was the coaching problem, which seems to have been the last straw.
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