Budget, other issues led Hopson to pull out of Alcorn search

Published 12:25 am Saturday, April 28, 2012

Concerns about the program’s budget, along with other issues, led Jay Hopson to withdraw his name from consideration for Alcorn State’s head football coaching position, university president Dr. M. Christopher Brown said Friday afternoon.

Hopson, a Vicksburg native and Warren Central graduate, was one of four finalists for the job.

After Brown emailed all four of the finalists for their input on prospective budgets concerning the football program, he said Hopson voiced concerns about the school having enough resources to be competitive in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.

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“I gave each of the candidates a supplemental assignment and wanted them to give me their recruiting budget and a personnel budget,” Brown said. “It was designed to really make them think. As far as I can tell from Jay, he had a concern about resources.”

Hopson withdrew his name from consideration Thursday night. In a text message Friday, Hopson said Alcorn’s budget was just one of several concerns he had. He did not specify the other concerns.

“There were quite a few issues, not just budget,” Hopson said. “We hashed them out for two days.”

The other three finalists for the job are interim head coach Todd McDaniel, who is directing Alcorn’s spring drills; Northern Colorado offensive coordinator Michael Armour; and former Kentucky State coach Fredrick Farrier.

Brown said Friday he also had a list of three alternate candidates, but did not name them.

Brown had planned to hire a new coach this week and introduce him after today’s spring game in Lorman. That decision has now been pushed back, and Brown hopes to have a new coach in place during commencement week May 7-12.

Brown said the decision to delay the hire was prompted, in part, by the concerns voiced by Hopson and the other candidates. He said all four finalists had concerns with the program’s budget.

“We’re just not a Division I program,” Brown said. “That’s caused me to rethink and the candidates to rethink. I have not made a decision on who the next coach will be. There has been no time for contract negotiations and then have a day for the lawyers to look over it.”

Brown said he also wanted to take some time to reassess the football program’s budget, adding he didn’t want to put unrealistic expectations on the new coach.

“I don’t want to say to the next coach, ‘I’m going to undersource you, but I want nine wins,’” he said.

Brown also expressed his desire to win the SWAC championship.

“It’s been 15 years, I think 1995, the last time Alcorn State has won the SWAC in football,” Brown said. “What can we do to get back there?”

Alcorn is seeking to replace Melvin Spears, who was dismissed after only going 2-8 last season.