Custom Search By Kyle T. Mosley
On Tuesday, Prairie View A&M's president Dr. Ruth Simmons terminated the contract of their athletic director Dr. Donald Reed, per sports reporter Mark Berman.
Reed told Berman he "will not be continuing in this position, effective immediately. A national search to identify an outstanding candidate will begin at once. In the interim, John Gardner, chair of the Athletics Committee, will step in as director until a new leader is named."
President Dr. Ruth Simmons gave a statement and insight into what may have precipitated Reed's ouster. "For months, I had been hearing about the fact that things were not functioning well in the department, and it was causing severe problems for our athletes," Dr. Simmons stated. "Culminating two weeks ago when the football team went to Alabama State, they arrived at the airport, and there was no plane to take them to the game. They waited five hours for a plane to come and transport them. Nevertheless, they won the game, and I keep asking how did that happen because they had a horrible experience...We had no choice but to set this on the right course and do this as quickly as possible...I take full responsibility as president. I have to make those decisions when it's necessary."
A new search will begin for Reed's successor.
Statement from the President:
“Donald Reed, Director of Athletics, will not be continuing in this position, effective immediately. A national search to identify an outstanding candidate will begin at once. In the interim, John Gardner, chair of the Athletics Committee, will step in as Director until a new leader is named. It is important that the legacy and tradition of the PVAMU Athletics program remain a transformational experience for our student-athletes, coaches, and staff. Acknowledging the department's breadth of activities and needs, I have asked alumnus Fred Newhouse to serve as a consultant to the Director, coaches, and staff during this period. In that capacity, he will be attentive to assisting the Interim Director in representing athletics, reaching out to constituents, answering questions, and supporting the Director's activities."
Prairie View leads the SWAC East division with a 3-1 overall record and 3-0 in the SWAC. Their former head football coach Eric Dooley will visit The Hill with his new team, the Southern University Jaguars. The game will also feature former Panthers' defensive lineman Jason Dumas. Dumas earned the SWAC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 5.
The contest will have a 4 PM CT kickoff at Prairie View on Saturday, Oct. 8.
~si.com