BCSP Notes . . .
Lemon leaves Central State for Savannah StateOne year after helping one black college football program get off the deck, Theo Lemon has taken on a similar assignment.
Lemon, who as head coach returned
Central State to the gridiron in 2005 after an eight-year absence, was named Monday as the new head
man at Savannah State, an NCAA Div. I-AA
program that has won three of its last 43 games over the
past four seasons. Al West, a former CSU player
and assistant coach and the school's Dean of
Students, was named Lemon's replacement.
SSU Athletic Director Robert "Tony" O'Neal introduced Lemon as the school's 20th head coach replacing Richard Basil who resigned in March.
"We felt that Theo Lemon's skills and collegiate coaching experience will help kick start our football program," O'Neal said. "It is great to be in a position to bring in a coach with the credentials of Theo Lemon. He has a winning attitude and has been a part of a number of successful programs."
Lemon has over twenty years of coaching experience on the collegiate level and four years of collegiate head coaching experience. He was named head coach at Central State in 2003. He reestablished a Central State football program that had been dormant since 1996. With a team of walk-on players, Central State played its first full season in 2005 and finished with a 1-5 record. CSU's only win was over Savannah State, 28-27. Savannah State finished the 2005 season 0-11.
"I am excited about the chance to come to Savannah State as the head football coach," Lemon said. "The opportunity to compete and coach on the Division I-AA level is something I have been looking forward to my whole career. I know it will be a challenge, but I plan on it also being a rewarding experience."
Prior, to coaching at Central State, Lemon served as the head football coach at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Ill., from 2001 to 2002. From 1996-2000 he was an assistant football coach at Wake Forest. Lemon's collegiate coaching career also includes stints at Rutgers, East Carolina, Northeastern, Kentucky State and a graduate assistantship at Ohio University.
From 1985 to 1990, Lemon was the defensive coordinator, offensive line coach and running backs coach at Central State. He helped lead the school to six consecutive postseason appearances and the 1990 NAIA National Championship.
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