JACKSON — Sporting a dapper suit, purple tie, Alcorn State cap and his trademark sunglasses, Melvin Spears stood at a lectern in a meeting room at the Jackson Marriott on Wednesday and delivered a speech well-suited for one of the motivational seminars taking place down the hall.

He hit all the right notes and had the crowd of about 75 Alcorn alumni and boosters in the palm of his hand, especially when talk turned to winning football games and restoring the school’s proud tradition.

That’s a job Spears — hired Wednesday as the 17th head football coach in Alcorn’s history — openly embraced.

“This is not about how many football games we win, but we are going to win those football games. This is about taking this institution to another level,” Spears said. “I’m elated. I’m kind of excited. I was taking that ride down that stretch of road — I remember when it used to be two lanes — and I was thinking about all the guys that have been down that stretch. I’m representing all the guys at Alcorn State University.

“I thought about all those guys that have done it very, very well. We had the Godfather, Marino Casem. Then we had Air McNair I and Air McNair II took it to another level. Now I’m the point of the spear.”

Spears got the job over fellow Alcorn alums Fred McNair and Dwayne White after all three were interviewed on Tuesday. Alcorn president Dr. Christopher Brown said negotiations wrapped up around 1 a.m. Wednesday morning, but details of Spears’ contract were still being finalized.

Spears’s coaching experience and track record of success made him the top choice, Brown said. Spears led Grambling to a Southwestern Athletic Conference and black national championship as head coach in 2005. In three seasons at Grambling, he went 20-14.

Spears has also spent time at Morgan State and Texas Southern. Most recently, he was the offensive coordinator at Alabama State.

“We had a clear profile of things we were looking for. That was championship experience, significant college experience, and knowledge of NCAA requirements,” Brown said. “By every account, Spears brought in the best and most articulate program of anyone.”

Spears was a popular choice not only for his coaching acumen, but also his ability to rally a downtrodden fan base. Alcorn has won nine SWAC championships in its storied history, but none since Steve McNair roamed the Reservation in 1994.

Spears will also be the Braves’ third coach in four seasons. Ernest Jones was fired after just one season in 2008, and Earnest Collins left earlier this month after two years in Lorman to become Northern Colorado’s head coach.

“We feel like we got the right fit for the university,” said Willie McGowan, Alcorn’s longtime baseball coach and a member of the search committee that interviewed Spears. “It was very important to have stability, because we’ve fallen flat on our face in athletics. You’ve got to have a good football program so it can gain a lot of revenue for the other sports. We had to find somebody that would come in and help us. Spears is the man.”

Spears said he was happy to come to the rescue of his alma mater.

“I’ve had the opportunity to come here three times. This is not a press conference. This is a homecoming,” Spears said to a rousing ovation from the crowd.

Spears also seemed to gain the immediate respect of his players. Quarterback Brandon Bridge, who attended Wednesday’s press conference, said the turnout and crowd reaction made it clear Spears was a coach who would reinvigorate the program.

“That will definitely translate into more fans coming out,” Bridge said. “The way he was talking, he made us feel like he was one of the guys on the football team. He’s not like our dad out there. He’s going to be one of the guys.”