Jackson Free Press

Mississippi State made it official on Tuesday, introducing Sylvester Croom as the Bulldogs' new head football coach at a raucous news conference attended by hundreds of State fans. State's pioneering hiring of Croom has created untold good will for the university and for Mississippi. Not to mention publicity: ESPN News aired Croom's news conference live and he was interviewed by both CNN and ESPN, to name a few. ESPN.com had lots of good things to say. Ivan Maisel says Croom is the right man at the right time. And recruiting analyst Tom Lemming writes, "Mississippi State is a sleeping giant in the college football world, and the hiring of Sylvester Croom could be just the wakeup call it needed."

Previous Commentsshow

Now, let's all thank MSU for seeing the light and accepting the truth...

Fry

Dec 3 2003

Great column about Croom by Sid Salter today: "In hiring Croom, MSU became the first SEC school to hire a black head football coach. That milestone reached in a state with as much racial baggage as Mississippi is something of which we can all be proud. State has a history in that regard." "My dad always talked about the courage it took for former MSU President Dean Colvard to sneak the 1963 Bulldog basketball team out of state to play Loyola in the NCAA tournament against the bellowing of segregationists in the Legislature. Years later, I would come to know Red Stroud and others from that 1963 team." I'm proud, too , to be a bulldog. Go dawgs! My early prediction is all this good karma will pay off big time next year. ;-D

ladd

Dec 3 2003

Forgot the link to Sid's column.

ladd

Dec 3 2003

Here's a transcript of an interview with Larry Templeton in the Washington Post. "Larry Templeton: We're known as the people's university. We also have about 23 percent of our student body of 16,00 are minority. Dr. Lee and I didn't look at it in the same tone as those monumental decisions that were made years ago by Dr. Colvard. We just were looking for the best football coach. When we found him we knew we were doing the right thing in hiring him."

ladd

Dec 3 2003

Great ESPN piece, Doc. Croom seems an infinitely classy man who is really enjoying breaking race barriers. His comments: "I am in a lot of ways the recipient of the sacrifices that other people made," he said. "I realize that it's not my doing. I'm just the one that's reaping the benefits." and "Croom figured his chance to be the first black head football coach in the SEC had passed. 'I always thought that if it did happen in the SEC it would happen, for whichever individual was fortunate enough to have that opportunity, it would be at his alma mater because people knew him,' Croom said." ... "Thirty or 40 years from now, one of these mornings while we're sitting there watching 'Jeopardy,' my name will come up," Croom said. Sounds like a wonderful role model for kids of all races. ;-D

ladd

Dec 3 2003

I'm with ya, Ladd! I'm an MSU grad as well, and I am really impressed with Coach Croom. It'll be interesting to see how we do next year with a coaching staff that will be DOING THEIR JOBS! *sigh*

John

Dec 4 2003

Yes, *sigh*. It's very exciting; I want season tickets for the first time since I came back home. The stories about Coach Croom's past are really heart-warming. He's such a success story, and should be very inspirational to young people. And MAYBE all that will translate into a good season next year! And, boy, is it refreshing that this is how *our* alma mater matches (not purposefully, of course) all that goofy Colonel Reb hoo-haa. I've always thought that State was shall we say, much better adjusted than old UM. This proves it. Go to hell, Ole Miss.

ladd

Dec 4 2003

Donna: I've always thought that State was shall we say, much better adjusted than old UM. Holy Donald Rumsfeld, Batman! I'm already making plans for Super Bulldog Weekend to catch some baseball & the spring football scrimmage.

Ex

Dec 4 2003

ladd

Dec 4 2003

Very touching column today by Orley Hood in The Clarion-Ledger about Croom. This may be my favorite piece I've read about the hiring, yet. Kudos. http://www.clarionledger.com/news/0312/07/oorley.html

ladd

Dec 7 2003

Alan Grant of ESPN.com has a good article on the Croom hire as well.

Ex

Dec 8 2003