Mississippi Valley State fans are starved for a winning program, and Rick Comegy says he can give them that.
“I’m going to show you how to get there,” Comegy said Tuesday during a press conference where he was named MVSU’s new coach.
Comegy, 60, who was fired from Jackson State last month after an eight-year tenure in which the Tigers won more than 60 percent of their games, wasted no time challenging his new players.
“Let’s get ready to play Division I football. I want to win. I came here to win. I expect you to play Division I football. If you’re Division II, it’s time to move out,” he said.
Valley junior defensive end Byron Scott was at the press conference and is excited about his new coach.
“I think it’s a good move by the school,” said Scott of Tunica. “Coach Comegy has a proven resumé and should be able to continue his winning ways here.”
Early last week, Comegy’s name surfaced in multiple reports as the leading contender for the job at Valley. The story of Comegy’s allegedly imminent hiring, however, cooled later in the week after WABG-TV in Greenville reported Morehouse head coach Rich Freeman was offered the job after Valley was unable to meet the salary requirements of Comegy and his coordinators.
But Valley President William Bynum Jr. said Tuesday that Comegy was always the choice, and there was never a thought about having to go with Plan B.
Bynum said he was active in the search for a new coach for several reasons.
“This thing is bigger than football,” said Bynum, who took over in Itta Bena in October and who had played middle linebacker while earning his undergraduate degree at Davidson College in the early 1980s. “If you’ve got a successful football team, applications (to enroll) are going to increase. A winning team increases school pride, and when you’ve got great school pride and spirit, (student) retention increases. And increased retention means increased graduation for our students.
“I am excited about what Coach Comegy will do with our football program, and what that will mean for the overall good health of our school.”
Comegy takes over a program with no sustained winning success and with limited scholarships to offer, since it is one of the poorest in Division I. In the most recent athletics spending data reported to the federal government, covering the 2011-12 academic year, only seven of 242 Division I football-playing schools (Bowl and Championship subdivisions combined) reported spending less than Valley’s $1.09 million. But all of those are in the Pioneer Football League conference, which does not award athletic scholarships.
Due to the limited budget, Valley has had only 39 scholarships to offer. The maximum number allowed by the NCAA for Football Championship Subdivision teams is 63.
“We’ve got some things to overcome. Once we do overcome some of these smaller things, I think we’ll be in position to get things turned around,” Comegy said. “There have been some talks with the president and (Athletic Director Dianthia Ford-Kee) about finding some ways to raise extra money.
“I don’t want to have a winning team every couple of years. I want to build a winning program, and it takes a little time to build a consistent winner.”
With just 14 winning seasons in 60 years of football, that’s something Valley has never had. The Delta Devils have had just four winning seasons in the last 25 years.
Greenwood’s Preston Ratliff, who served on the 14-person search committee, believes his alma mater hit a home run with the hiring of Comegy, who has a career record of 164-86 over 22 seasons at Tuskegee, Cheyney State, Central State and Jackson State.
Of the four finalists to interview in person, Ratliff said the former JSU coach was the unanimous No. 1 choice by the committee.
“We’ve hired a proven winner and a seasoned coach. This is something Valley hasn’t had in a long, long time,” Ratliff said. “In the past, we’ve brought in guys who were trying to make a name for themselves. Now, we’ve got a coach who is well-respected throughout the coaching circle.”
Bynum said Comegy’s contract is a four-year deal starting at $116,000 a year, with the pay structured to increase the next three years.
Comegy’s predecessor, Karl Morgan, who compiled an 8-35 record in four seasons in Itta Bena, had been earning about $75,000 a year. Comegy was earning $191,580 annually at JSU.
Contact Bill Burrus at 581-7237 or bburrus@gwcommonwealth.com. Follow on Twitter:@Bill_Burrus.
