By BILL BURRUS
Sports Editor
Vincent Dancy always believed he would run down his dream, but he never expected it to happen this quickly.
But when the 33-year-old Dancy was named the interim head football coach at Mississippi Valley State back in November, he said it was an opportunity to prove himself.
Turns out MVSU’s 17th head coach was right under its nose. Dancy was officially introduced Friday in Itta Bena during a press conference.
“I am humbled and grateful for this chance. I have high expectations for myself,” said Dancy, who served as Valley’s defensive coordinator for the last two seasons. “I really had no idea I would get this chance just 13 years into coaching, but I plan to make the most of it.”
His aspirations to become a head coach started at an early age while running the sidelines at Noxubee County High School, where his dad, Willie Dancy, was the head coach.
“Football is in my blood. This is what I have always wanted to do,” he said.
Dancy, a former All-SWAC safety at Jackson State (2003-2006), replaces Rick Comegy, who went 6-38 the last four years. Dancy remains close to Comegy, and said he always will.
“I have learned a lot from Coach Comegy through the years. I am proud to be a part of a coaching tree that starts with a coach with a championship pedigree,” Dancy said.
But he still plans to be his own coach so expect plenty of changes. Dancy plans to only keep one assistant from Comegy’s staff and is making sweeping changes on the offensive side of the ball.
“I am interviewing three guys for the offensive coordinator job. I want to have an up-tempo attack with a run-first philosophy, and to use that to find big plays in the passing game off play-action,” Dancy said. “I am looking for a coach who is not just a system coach, but a guy who can fit with the pieces we already have in place.”
It’s been since 2006 that the Delta Devils have had a winning season so Dancy knows his work is cut out for him, but he doesn’t seem fazed by it at all.
“Patience will be needed as we build this program, but I have plans to win this upcoming season,” he said. “We’ve got more than 20 juniors and seniors returning who have played since they were freshmen.
“I want those guys to experience a winning season. I can’t just be thinking about winning down the road.”
Dancy got his start in coaching at Jackson State under Comegy. He then had a one-year stint as defensive coordinator for Paine College in Augusta, Georgia, in 2014 before rejoining Comegy at MVSU.
nContact Bill Burrus at 581-7237 or bburrus@gwcommonwealth.com. Follow on Twitter:@Bill_Burrus
