The Jerry Baldwin Saga: 1998-2020

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Baldwin HIRED: December 10, 1998

LAFAYETTE -- Jerry Baldwin, a 16-year veteran of collegiate coaching in Louisiana and one of the most highly-regarded teachers and recruiters in the state, has been named as USL's head football coach.

  The announcement of the hiring of the 45-year-old Baldwin, who has served for the past six years on the football staff at LSU, was made today by USL athletic director Nelson Schexnayder, who said that Baldwin would make a big impact on the Ragin' Cajun program.

  "There's no question that he has the Louisiana ties that you would want," said Schexnayder, "but he's also a person of tremendous integrity, a very personable man and a Christian man. He's also obviously an outstanding football coach and a tremendous recruiter, and we feel that he will be a motivating force in the continuing development of our football program."

  Baldwin's hiring is pending approval of the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System.

  Baldwin, highly regarded by his former players as a role model and teacher, just completed his sixth year on the LSU staff, serving as defensive line coach during the past season after working with the Tiger linebackers in 1993-94 and the defensive ends in 1995-97. During that time, he helped tutor such notables as Gabe Northern, a two-time first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection and a second-round NFL draft selection by the Buffalo Bills in 1996; Kenny Mixon, a second-round draft pick by the Miami Dolphins in this year's NFL draft; and James Gillyard, who teamed with Northern to make up one of the nation's top defensvie end tandems and combined for 39 quarterback sacks during their careers.

  Another of his prominent Tiger products is nose guard Anthony "Booger" McFarland, who completed his LSU career during the past season after earning two All-SEC honors, being named the defensive Most Valuable Player in the Peach Bowl in 1996 and was the SEC's Defensive Freshman of the Year in 1995.

  Baldwin was instrumental in developing LSU's defense that rose from last place in the SEC in 1993 to that league's top ranking in 1994. He also helped lead the Tigers to an Independence Bowl berth in both 1995 and 1997 and a Peach Bowl berth in 1996.

  Before his LSU career, Baldwin had served for 10 years on the defensive staff at Louisiana Tech, joining the Bulldogs in 1983 as defensive end coach and later assuming the duties of assistant head coach -- becoming the first African-American in school history to hold that position -- as well as linebacker coach in 1988.

  During his Tech career, Baldwin guided linebacker Glenell Sanders, a two-time All-America honoree in 1987-88; linebacker Myron Baker, who now plays for the NFL's Carolina Panthers; and defensive end Walter Johnson, an all-Southland Conference first team selection in 1984.

  While at Tech, Baldwin helped guide the Bulldogs to a berth in the 1990 Independence Bowl, where Tech tied Maryland 34-34, and coached in the NCAA Division I-AA National Championship game in 1994 against Montana State.

  At both LSU and Tech, Baldwin was also heavily involved as a recruiter, recruiting more student-athletes than any other staff member during his tenure at both universities. Overall, he coached three All-Americans and seven players who played in the NFL during his assistant coaching career.

  Baldwin began his coaching career in South Louisiana with a one-year stint as an assistant at Zachary High in 1975, and then coached at Davidson High as head coach and athletic director for three seasons. He moved from there to Ferriday High, where he coached and served as athletics director from 1979-82 and led the Trojans to three district championships and a state semifinal berth in 1981. For his team's impressive efforts in 1981, Baldwin was named Class AA State, Mississippi/Louisiana and District 4-AA Coach of the Year. He left Ferriday one year after that to move into the collegiate coaching ranks at Tech.

  Baldwin's achievements don't end on the football field. He was the founder and president of New Living World Ministries in Ruston, La., and was the first African-American appointed to former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer's Advisory Council on Drug-Free School Schools and Communities in 1988. He was also active in directing and developing LSU's Fellowship of Christian Athletes and worked with the LSU Football Life Skills Program and the Inner Circle, a program in which skills necessary for successful living were taught to football players. He had previously served as director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at La. Tech.

  Baldwin was a three-year letterman at Mississippi Valley State University and earned his bachelor's degree from MVSU in 1975. He later finished work on his master's degree in 1978 at Alcorn State.

  A native of Natchez, Miss., Baldwin played both
football and basketball in his prep career at North Natchez High and was named the school's Athlete of the Year in 1971.

  He is married to the former Juliet Harvey of Pelahatchie, Miss., and they have two children, Kimberly and Kia.

PERSONAL INFORMATION:
Date of Birth: November 24, 1953 at Natchez, Miss.
Wife: Juliet, Children: Daughters Kimberly and Kia

Educational History:
North Natchez High School, Natchez, Miss. Mississippi Valley State University, Itta Bena, Miss. (bachelor's degree 1975, political science) Alcorn State, Lorman, Miss. (master's degree 1978, political science) Masters Plus 30, Southern-Baton Rouge, LSU-Baton Rouge, Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe and Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, 1982

Coaching Experience:

1976-79 Davidson High School, St. Joseph, La., Athletic Director head FB/Basketball coach

1979-83 Ferriday High School, Ferriday, La., Athletic director, Head football coach

1983-93 Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, La., Assistant head coach, Linebacker coach

1993-95 Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, La., Assistant head coach, Linebackers

1995-96 Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, La., Defensive coord., Linebackers

1996-98 Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, La., Defensive ends coach, Special teams

1998-2001 USL, Lafayette, La., Head football coach

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December 2001
Jerry Baldwin is completing his third year as Cajun football coach. Will there be a fourth?
Is time running out for Jerry Baldwin?

On Sept. 14, 1996, the University of Louisiana defeated Texas A&M 29-22. The victory came before a record crowd of 38,783 and was the first of four UL wins at Cajun Field, the last season the Cajuns had a winning record at home. Two weeks later in Ruston, Nelson Stokley's club beat Louisiana Tech 37-31.

It was the last time the Cajuns defeated a Division 1-A team that actually finished the season with a winning record.

Sixty-one games and five years later, the Cajuns are still statistically ranked near the bottom of the country's Division 1-A teams. Since that victory over the Aggies, UL has compiled a 13-50 mark, and their only conquest of a team with a winning record came courtesy of the 1-AA Wofford Terriers (31-27 in overtime) at the end of the 1999 season.

George Patton once said that the American people will not tolerate losing. The UL administration might disagree. Stokley wasn't dismissed as head coach until his third straight losing season in 1999, the second such streak during his 13-season tenure. Under Stokley, the Cajuns finished with winning records seven times but won only three of their final 19 games as attendance slipped to an all-time low.

Three seasons later, the numbers for Jerry Baldwin are strikingly similar. The 2001 season will be the team's third straight losing effort, and a loss this weekend at Central Florida would put Baldwin's career record at 6-27. Announced attendance for last week's 49-46 loss to New Mexico State was 9,321 but the actual number of people in the stands was considerably less. Although attendance was up in 1999 - Baldwin's first season as head coach - it's steadily declined since then, and this season's 13,323 average turn-out announced by the athletic department more resembles a wish list.

By the Numbers

Those are the numbers that may do Baldwin, an eternal optimist, in. An average 1-A home attendance of 15,000 has been mandated by the NCAA beginning in 2004. Even with the inflated announced numbers, the university hasn't reached that mark in five years and hasn't drawn as many as 20,000 for a home game since 1996. Apathy is now rampant to the point that a movie about an 11-year-old wizard drew more of a crowd Saturday than did the Cajuns.

To many UL backers, the question is not can the school afford to make a change but can it afford not to?

University President Dr. Ray Authement and Athletic Director Nelson Schexnayder were scheduled to begin discussions on Baldwin's fate this week. They face a difficult task. Baldwin still has a year on his contract and there is a faction that firmly believes that a head coach should be given at least four years to prove himself. While the Cajuns are certainly a better team than they were four years ago, the improvements haven't translated into either wins or acceptable attendance.

Sophomore quarterback Jon Van Cleave has excelled to the point that he now holds a handful of school records and Cajun fans shudder to think where this year's club would be without him. Statistically, the offense has made impressive strides since Baldwin took over - in 1999, the Cajuns were ranked 110th in total offense and 101st in scoring. Two seasons later, they are listed 81st in both categories.

But the numbers are misleading. Only in three games has the offense accounted for at least 21 points and the Cajuns lost two of those. Meanwhile the defense is allowing more than 33 points per contest and the opposition has exceeded the "magic" 21-point total eight times. While the Cajun total defense ranks 59th in the country, the scoring defense is mired in 94th place.

Is the opposition too difficult? Hardly. The 26 teams that have beaten the Cajuns during the last three years are a total of six games over .500, while the half-dozen UL victims are just 15-48. According to the records, Cajun opponents since the start of the 1999 season are 14 games under the break-even mark and in 2001, the team is 3-7 against what the NCAA rates as the 111th toughest schedule in the country.

Decision Time Looms

But the university hasn't exactly gone out of its way to load Baldwin's gun, either. Compared to many of the schools that the Cajuns are competing with, salaries, recruiting budgets and even perks are low in comparison. There has been no marketing campaign aimed at increasing fan interest, and Baldwin doesn't even have a sponsored television show this season.

Then there's the fact that Baldwin is one of only five black Division 1-A head coaches in the country, a number that even casual fans will admit is uncomfortably low. One wonders if this university would be willing to lower it even more.

Baldwin wasn't UL's first choice to replace Stokley three years ago. He wasn't even second or third. By the time Dave Cully, Rich Rodriguez and Chris Scelfo had taken themselves out of the running, the Cajuns were deep into the 1999 recruiting campaign and time was running out in Martin Hall. The LSU assistant coach and Troy State head coach Larry Blakeney were the last candidates standing and Authement chose Baldwin.

Now, three years later, he has another choice to make.

The rest of the story
Don Allen
Sports and Movies

Listen for Don Allen's Out of Bounds sports-talk show at 9 a.m. weekdays on KVOL 105.9 AM and 1330 AM; e-mail him at timesedit@timesofacadiana.com.

[Turbine]

Baldwin since 1998 . . .

Trying to find positives. . .

In the three years since Nelson Schexnayder's interesting decision to hire Jerry Baldwin, he has,

With limited personnel maintained his positive attitude.

Has brought the University of Louisiana, 6 wins.

* Has shown flashes of his recruiting ability.

Set several passing records in 2001

* He was able to recruit the 23rd ranked-by some reports-quarterback in the country in Jon VanCleave.

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Cajuns and Head Coach Baldwin Part Ways November 26, 2001

LOUISIANA La - The University of Louisiana announced today that head football coach Jerry Baldwin has been relieved of his duties effective immediately. UL Lafayette athletic director Nelson Schexnayder declared that a coaching search would begin immediately. No timetable has been set for the hiring of a new coach.

The University will honor the final year remaining on Baldwin’s contract. Terms of the payout will not be disclosed.

Baldwin was hired as the 19th head coach in school history prior to the 1999 season. In three years, Baldwin compiled a 6-27 record, including a 3-8 finish this season.

---

PRESS CONFERENCE FROM NOVEMBER 26, 2001

University of Louisiana - Athletic Director - Nelson Schexnayder
"We are announcing today that have relieved head coach Jerry Baldwin from his duties as head coach of the Ragin' Cajuns. Jerry and his staff have worked hard and have done some things very well. However, we believe that we needed more wins, more success on the field. That was the basic reason that decision was reached to make the change." "The change is affective immediately, the University will honor the remaining year on Coach Baldwin's contract. We will begin the search immediately for his replacement and move on."


Former UL Head Football Coach - Jerry Baldwin
"I want to thank Nelson and Dr. Authement for the opportunity to serve as head football coach. However, I do feel that we have been deceived and mislead. We thought we had time to build a program, but little to my knowledge, we haven't had the opportunity to do that."

"I think that the football program under our direction has made tremendous progress from the day we got here. We started with forty-nine kids on the team, that's counting the walk-ons and not enough linemen to even go to practice. We had the opportunity to develop this team to what we feel would be a Sun Belt Conference Championship team next year. However, we won't get to coach them."

"We have been coaching somebody else's team up to this point. I think that we were led to believe that we had a four-year commitment from the administration to build the football team. However, that's not the case. Had we known that from the beginning, we probably would have taken a different approach."

"The coaching staff has done a marvelous job and have put in a tremendous effort in to developing this program. I appreciate their efforts. I feel like I have let them down in that I operated on the commitment of four years. I feel like I was misled and therefore I misled them, and do apologize to them and to the kids. They have worked so hard and I think the kids in the program came here because of the commitment we had to build the program. I do apologize to them."

"I've been a coach a long time and I know that wins is the bottom line in any program. We do feel that there was some games we should have won that we did not win. However, we feel like the program is far better now than when we took over. As a matter of fact, when we took over the program it was no program. We took over nothing and developed into what we think would be a Sun Belt Conference team for the next year. This team is returning practically everybody on offense and they are missing a few players on defense."

"I appreciate the job done by the coaches in all phases. I think our team has really made some progress academically. We have made some progress in the area of discipline. We've made some tremendous progress. In athletics we say that matters but it really doesn't matter. The bottom line is the W's."

"I'm disappointed but I'm not discouraged. I'll move on from here. One of the greatest arts in the world is not ever falling but getting up every time you do. So for Jerry Baldwim, we move on to the next page. For the coaching staff, each of these guys is fine coach, they have done a tremendous job. They all remain on their feet."

"For the team, I wish them the best. I hope they continue to build on the values that have been established in their life both athletically and off the field. I hope they come back next year and get done what we were unable to do this year."


Reporters - Jerry Baldwin
What does the future hold for you- "For me it's very bright. I'll do whatever I'm led to do. All things work together for them that love God and call according to his purpose. So for me I don't really worry about it. For me the future is bright. I hope the future is as bright for the program as it for Jerry Baldwin and the coaching staff."

What is the situation with the staff- "They have no contract. They will be at the liberty of the University. Nelson will explain that more. I think they have until February 1. Unless they are retained by the new coach."

If you knew that it would have boiled down to wins and losses, would you have heavily recruited from the Junior Colleges- "We were told to build a football program. That's what we come to do. Build a football program and establish a recruiting base in Louisiana. That's what our plan was. That plan was no stranger to the administration. If we knew that an immediate fix was important, perhaps we would have gone to the Junior Colleges."

"I don' think you can survive at this level by establishing a recruiting base by going to the Junior Colleges. We did what we thought was the right thing for the program. The right thing was to try to build a team with high school recruits and establish men of integrity and character and all of that would translate into wins. We feel that beyond a shadow of a doubt that we had the opportunity to coach our team, that's next year's team."

"We are still coaching the team that was here the team that we inherited. We red shirted some guys with the intentions of planning to be here to put it all together in year number four. Unfortunately for us, we won't have the opportunity to do that."

Reporters - Nelson Schexnayder
Did the attendance figures play a large role in the decision- "I think the primary consideration was wins and losses, who we beat and who we lost to."

How long ago was this decision made-"Dr. Authement and I met last week, discussed the possibility and put off a final decision until after this past Saturday's game. We talked again on Sunday and a final decision was reached Sunday."

Have the three losses to Arkansas State, New Mexico State, and North Texas figured into the decision or was it the entire season- "I think it was the entire season. Obviously those three mentioned are games that we thought we would have played better and possibly won. Some of the games of last year's season obviously had an impact on it. Especially with three losses to I-AA schools."

What is the future of the assistant coaches- "As Jerry said, the coaches are not under contract. They are just as everybody else in the athletic department, with the exceptions of the head football, basketball, and baseball coaches are employed at the pleasure of the University. So we could all have our employment end. The last time we were in transition, we employed the assistant coaches through February 1. It is our intent to at least employee them that long and then we'll see what happens as we approach that date."

Is there anything that will be done different in the hiring process than from three years ago- "Last time I think that we may have interviewed too many people and it may have drug somewhat. Obviously the goal is to find the right person as quickly as possible. So we'll see where that takes us."

Is there any concern that not finishing the contract will hamper you in bringing in another coach- "I don't see it as a concern. Obviously we will honor the contract. The contract is a guarantee of income, not employment and it is specifically stated as such. Had we seen more progress toward our goal of having a winning football program, then maybe the employment aspect would have continued. We believe that the kinds of people that we would want as our coach will have the confidence to come in and take on this challenge."

How do you respond to Baldwin feelings of being misled and deceived- "I can empathize with Coach Baldwin's feelings. I would disagree that he was mislead or deceived by myself or anyone at the University. He was hired to be the football coach, he was signed to a contract which as I said earlier provides a guarantee of income. It specifically does not guarantee employment. We made the decision that we have not seen the progress that we had hoped."

Do you think that three years is long enough for a football program to get back on it's feet- "I think three years is long enough to show significant improvement. When you look at the I-AA games last year and some of the games mentioned earlier, we didn't see enough improvement."

On the recruits Baldwin received and recruited being part of his team- "I don't know of the people playing today, how many were recruited by Jerry and his staff and how many were recruited by the prior staff. My concern is that we have not improved substantially in the past three years. We've made some strides, but I don't think enough to continue without a change."

Was there a straw that broke the camel's back- "Not necessarily. I think you look at all of the games. You look at how our team is playing, the things we are doing well, the things we are not doing well, why we are getting beat, how we are getting beat. So I think it was more of a sense that we have not progressed as much as we would have liked."

What are you looking for with the next coach- "As we have always said, we would like someone who has head coaching experience. We would like someone who has had college coaching experience. We would like someone with ties to the state of Louisiana and the University. Most importantly, we want someone who has been successful and that we can expect to have success. Whether we will find one person with all those attributed interested in the position, I don't know. That's what we are looking for."

What were the positives with coach Baldwin- I think Jerry has worked very, very hard. He has been very loyal to the athletic department and the University. He has always remained positive toward the University, the athletic department and his football team. I think his staff has been very professional, they have worked hard, and they tried the best they could to put a quality product on the field. I think they have represented us well. They are good people who are good coaches. You don't get this position without having had success before. They are good people and hopefully the coaching profession will continue for them."

What does the school need to do to compete at this level- "We need to recruit, it is one of the keys. I think that fan support is very, very important and that's the old chicken and egg question. Which comes first? Do you wait to support the program when it's winning or do you do it from the start and start buying season tickets and attending games. I think our Sun Belt Conference affiliation is very important. I think the affiliation with the New Orleans Bowl is extremely important and will be an added plus for us to recruit and to motivate for our football teams in the future. There is enough talent in east Texas, Louisiana, and the Gulf Coast to get enough quality football players here. I think this is a great institution and a great part of the country and a great city, so we have a lot to recruit to. We have to go out and find the right players and coach them and motivate them to play well."

Do you have a date you would like to shoot for, for a new coach- "No. I would like to shoot for tomorrow, right? I don't know what's a reasonable time frame. Obviously we will try to do a thorough search as quickly as possible."

The rest of the story

[NewsCopy]

Baldwin feels 'deceived' over firing

LAFAYETTE, La. -- The University of Louisiana fired football coach Jerry Baldwin Monday, citing a lack of improvement during the past three seasons.

Baldwin had a 6-27 record as head coach of the Ragin' Cajuns, who finished 3-8 this season, their first in the newly formed Sun Belt Conference football league.

Baldwin had one year left in his contract and Louisiana athletic director Nelson Schexnayder said the university would honor it, paying him $150,000. But Baldwin was still angered.

"I feel I've been deceived and misled," Baldwin said. "I felt I would have the opportunity to build a program. I thought I had a four-year contract ... if that was not the case, then we might have taken a different approach."

Schexnayder said the university did not mean to mislead the coach.

"A contract is a guarantee of income, not employment," athletic director Nelson Schexnayder said. "If we had seen more progress toward our goals, maybe the employment aspect would have continued.

"We made the decision because we had not seen the progress we had hoped for. Three years is long enough to show significant improvement."

No replacement has been found. To help recruiting, Schexnayder said the university hoped for a swift selection process.

"We would like to have a head coach with experience in college football, someone with ties to Louisiana and to the university," Schexnayder said. "Most important, we're looking for someone who has had success."

[NewsCopy]

I don't know what surprised me more.

The fact that the administration at Louisiana actually fired Jerry Baldwin after three seasons as head football coach or the fact that Baldwin, a poster child for the positive approach, actually said something bad about someone.

"We've been deceived and misled," said Baldwin, just hours after being informed Monday of the university's decision. "I was under the impression that we'd be given time to build this program and that we had a four-year commitment.

"Obviously the commitment from the administration was verbal and not from the heart."

In three seasons as head football coach at Louisiana, I had never once observed Baldwin bad-mouthing a school, an opposing coach or even a rambunctious fan. The word "no" didn't seem to be part of his vocabulary and even when his team was badly outplayed and overmatched - an unfortunate but common occurrence - he paid homage to the Cajun effort.

Unfortunately it takes more than just the power of positive thinking to be successful in college football these days. If you're not going to win a schedule full of games, you'd better make yourself a popular individual in other ways. If you're not into glad-handing, then take Al Davis' advice and just win, baby. And if neither one of those things is available, hire a good marketing firm.

But in Baldwin's three years at Louisiana, he lost almost five times as many games as he won and went on record as saying that his job didn't include putting people in the stands. While not exactly the kiss of death, public comments like this are usually a precursor to a good-bye wave. By the time the Cajuns had concluded a 3-8 season with a 31-0 loss to Central Florida Saturday, Young & Rubicam couldn't have saved Baldwin.

Baldwin leaves Louisiana a 6-27 career mark and one year remaining on his contract. Believe it or not, he departs with the Cajun program in better shape than when he found it.

But not enough.

Baldwin came to UL from an assistant's position at LSU with the reputation as a solid recruiter. But while some numbers improved during Baldwin's stay, others didn't. The offense, more prolific in terms of yardage, only scored at a rate to rank it 92nd in the country this season. And where the defense appeared stingy at times, only 20 teams gave up more points than did the Cajuns.

Few wins, fewer fans, even less hope.

"Our primary concern was wins and losses," said Athletic Director Nelson Schexnayder. "Even with double our attendance figures, I still would have recommended a change."

The university hasn't always been so quick to remedy what others perceived to be a hopeless situation. Nelson Stokley had three consecutive losing seasons before he was dismissed, but it was Stokley's second such streak in his 13-year tenure. Fans avoided the Cajundome like a plague during Marty Fletcher's final years as basketball coach before the redhead was finally replaced.

Baldwin, visibly disappointed and passionate at the press conference, has a point. Three years probably isn't enough time to consistently build and win at this level. But the university has a point as well - several, in fact - somewhere in that dark space between the rock and the hard place. Three times in 2000, Baldwin's team lost to 1-AA teams and not particularly good ones at that. In three seasons, the only Cajun victim that actually finished a season with a winning record was Wofford, and UL needed an overtime to accomplish that.

Under Baldwin, the Cajuns won just six times in 33 games, and the dirty half-dozen that succumbed won just 16 games between them. The 2001 schedule was rated by the NCAA as the 107th toughest among the 112 teams that faced at least nine 1-A opponents.

Only a blind man - or an eternal optimist - could have missed the handwriting on this wall. Many Cajun supporters - those who are left - wanted Baldwin gone at any price and, morally speaking, that may be what the university paid. Though as Schexnayder said, the contract guarantees compensation, not employment.

But memories fade and all things change - especially in college athletics. By the time his successor is named, most people will have forgotten about Baldwin's perception of shoddy commitment and empty promises. They will be concerned only with the Cajuns' future and their annual dosage of hope and expectations that might produce the school's first winning season since 1995.

And that won't surprise me at all.

The source of the story

Don Allen / Sports and Movies
Posted on November 28, 2001
Times of Acadiana - DON ALLEN

Listen for Don Allen's Out of Bounds sports-talk show at 9 a.m. weekdays on KVOL 105.9 AM and 1330 AM; e-mail him at timesedit@timesofacadiana.com.

[NewsCopy]

LAFAYETTE - Former Louisiana head football coach Jerry Baldwin has filed a federal lawsuit alleging he was fired because the director of the school's athletics program did not want an African-American in the position.

Baldwin also claims in the lawsuit, filed into the public record Monday, that UL Director of Athletics Nelson Schexnayder worked to scuttle the coach's plans to turn the troubled team around.

Baldwin's contract was terminated Nov. 26, 2001. The team's record under Baldwin was 6-27. University officials said at the time that he had not done enough to create the excitement needed to increase game attendance.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages from Schexnayder and the university. Schexnayder declined to comment, saying it was his policy not to discuss pending litigation.

The former coach said in the lawsuit that after he was hired, UL President Ray Authement told Baldwin he was not a "popular" choice with the "UL Community" and that other university officials told Baldwin that Schexnayder did not want him aboard because of his race.

Baldwin alleges that Schexnayder refused to approve plans to clean up the athletic complex or the dorms where athletes live, which Baldwin contends hampered efforts to recruit players.

Baldwin also claims the athletic director pulled the plug on plans to have games televised, wouldn't fill a position that oversaw marketing football games, cut the football equipment budget and took $25,000 donated to the football program to use for other purposes in the athletic department.

According to the lawsuit, Authement told Baldwin when he was fired that he supported Schexnayder's decision to terminate him because he "could no longer take the pressure" of having an African-American coach.

Link Broken

LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) -- Former University of Louisiana-Lafayette football coach Jerry Baldwin filed a federal lawsuit against the school, claiming he was fired because of his race.

In a civil rights lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court, Baldwin cites alleged comments about his race and other actions by university officials that he says sabotaged his recruiting and coaching efforts.

Baldwin went 6-27 in two seasons and had his contracted terminated on Nov. 26, 2001.

Baldwin alleged that university President Ray Authement told him he was not a popular choice with the community. Baldwin also said two deans on the selection committee told him that athletic director Nelson Schexnayder did not want him as head coach because of his race.

In a written statement, the university called the lawsuit unfortunate, "especially given the fact that when UL Lafayette hired Baldwin, it was the only Division I-A university in the country to have two African-American coaches in both football and basketball."

The university said it is confident "the community, its fans and its supporters truly understand the reasons for which coach Baldwin was terminated, and that he was given every opportunity to succeed."

The rest of the story

[RaginRash]

I cannot believe Baldwin would stoop this low. This is a baseless suit. Complete sour grapes on his part. I am embarassed for him. Shame on you Jerry.

[NewsCopy]

Baldwin claims discrimination cost him his job

Jerry Baldwin, once among only five African-American head coaches in Division I-A college football, has filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the University of Louisiana alleging that university officials hindered his ability to rebuild a floundering program he inherited and ultimately fired him last year because of his race.

"When I was hired, the university president told me that I would not be a popular choice because I was African-American. But he promised me that, although I wouldn't have the support of the athletics director, we would weather the storm together." — Former Louisiana football coach Jerry Baldwin

In a federal suit filed in U.S. District Court in La. on Nov. 26, the anniversary of his dismissal and the end date for the statute of limitations under the Civil Rights Act, Baldwin alleges that ULL athletics director Nelson Schexnayder made it impossible to run a competitive football program and his apparent enthusiasm for Caucasian coaches that both proceeded and succeeded him paint a clear picture of racial discrimination.

"The marketing director was fired when I was hired, but they hired one as soon as I left," Baldwin told ESPN.com. "The coach's TV show was canceled when I was there and they started it up as soon as I left."

Baldwin, who is seeking unspecified damages for his claims of mental anguish, humiliation, embarrassment and loss of enjoyment of life, also noted the equipment budget that had been cut during his tenure has been dramatically increased since his successor was hired. Baldwin's replacement, Rickey Bustle, led the Ragin' Cajuns to a 3-8 record this season, equalling Baldwin's final and most successful year at the school.

"It was so bad that when we played Minnesota in my final year there we had to borrow turf shoes from Memphis State so that our players had shoes to wear," said Baldwin, who noted that of the 85 players he inherited only 39 of them were on scholarship.

Dr. Ray Authement, the university's president, was unavailable late Thursday, and Schexnayder declined to comment when reached Friday. ULL sports information director Daryl Cetnar read a prepared statement that said the school planned to defend itself against Baldwin's charges in court: "The University of Louisiana finds former head football coach Jerry Baldwin's claim most unfortunate, especially given the fact that when UL hired coach Baldwin, it was the only Division I-A university to have two African-American head coaches, in both football and basketball."

The rest of the story

[NewsCopy]

It was deja' vu, all over again, at the UL athletic complex on Monday.

Jerry Baldwin was out as head football coach of the Ragin' Cajuns after a 6-27 record in three seasons, and Athletic Director Nelson Schexnayder quickly began the search for a replacement so the school wouldn't fall hopelessly behind in recruiting.

Three years ago, Nelson Stokley was at the podium in the 'S' Club room after his final game as the Cajun coach. He was on his way out with a 62-80-1 record which included a 3-19 mark in his final two seasons.

Get rid of Stokley, the critics cried, so we can get the program back on track. At the time, I said changing the coach was only part of the solution, and so here we are again with another coaching change.

There is one major difference, though. Stokley was granted a final campaign in order to coach his son Brandon in his senior year. The younger Stokley has since earned a Super Bowl ring with the NFL's Baltimore Ravens.

It was understood by anyone close to the school that it was Nelson Stokley's swan song, the final moments of a stay that included 7 winning seasons out of 13.

Baldwin's situation is much different. He was in the third year of a four-year contract aimed at rebuilding the program.

He structured the project with that fourth year in mind, enduring a 3-8 record in 2001 as freshmen and sophomores grew into their roles as heavy contributors. This year's Cajuns were a couple of plays away from a 5-6 finish, and that might have delayed Baldwin's demise.

When the end came, Baldwin was miffed. Terms like "misled" and "deceived" were used in his emotional final address to the meda. He felt he would be given the time to develop things as he saw fit, and many of his players felt he would be here for them next season when things were supposed to come together.

That didn't happen, and it's a shame for the university.

Schexnayder said wins and losses determined the move, but attendance also had to be a factor as only 44.9 percent of Cajun Field was filled in the 15 home games under Baldwin.

Things bottomed out in the home finale against New Mexico State. An announced crowd of 9,321 fans was there on a perfect afternoon for football. Add to that the fact that Baldwin's squad threw away two 18-point leads in a 49-46 loss, and the skids had been greased.

In truth, Baldwin had a hard time from the beginning with a certain segment of the Cajuns' fan base. Many of them never got behind his efforts, setting up a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts.

He won't make it, they said with arms folded and wallet pockets sealed. See, I told you so.

Is Baldwin a good football coach? It's hard to tell. It's like asking whether your kid will pass algebra without a full report card. He might pull it together in the sixth six weeks. In this case, we won't know.

Honestly, I saw little to encourage me in Baldwin's first two seasons. He spoke of strides made, while I found it hard not to look at penalties and losses. But this year was different.

Sure, it was another subpar season, but the offense blossomed at midseason behind sophomore quarterback Jon Van Cleave and began putting up some impressive numbers.

Yeah, but that's in the Sun Belt, a mediocre league, you say. True, but it's also the Cajuns' athletic home, and it's an offense that could win the league in 2002.

Will they? Has Baldwin assembled enough pieces for someone to finish the job, or will the players lose focus in the throes of reorganization?

Whoever takes over will have a team that can contend in the Sun Belt, which was Baldwin's assignement all along. Whoever takes over will also have fun with a non-conference schedule that includes LSU, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Houston, Minnesota and UAB.

Good luck with the W's and L's with that bunch.

Good luck, too, to the university, which surely must take a hard look at its search procedures and decision-making process. If not, we'll be here again in three years, looking for another coach.

Link Broken

Bruce Brown's 'On The Line' column

[NewsCopy]

Ex-Coach Sues Louisiana-Lafayette
Associated Press

LAFAYETTE, La. - Former University of Louisiana-Lafayette football coach Jerry Baldwin filed a federal lawsuit against the school, claiming he was fired because of his race.

In a civil rights lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court, Baldwin cites alleged comments about his race and other actions by university officials that he says sabotaged his recruiting and coaching efforts.

Baldwin went 6-27 in three seasons and had his contracted terminated on Nov. 26, 2001.

Baldwin alleged that university President Ray Authement told him he was not a popular choice with the community. Baldwin also said two deans on the selection committee told him that athletic director Nelson Schexnayder did not want him as head coach because of his race.

In a written statement, the university called the lawsuit unfortunate, "especially given the fact that when UL Lafayette hired Baldwin, it was the only Division I-A university in the country to have two African-American coaches in both football and basketball."

The university said it is confident "the community, its fans and its supporters truly understand the reasons for which coach Baldwin was terminated, and that he was given every opportunity to succeed."

Baldwin alleges that Schexnayder ignored requests to clean up the athletic complex, which Baldwin contends hampered recruiting efforts.

The athletic director also pulled the plug on plans to have games televised, wouldn't fill a position that oversaw marketing football games, cut the football equipment budget and took $25,000 donated to the football program to use for other purposes in the athletic department, according to the lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, Authement told Baldwin when he was fired that he supported Schexnayder's decision to terminate him because he "could no longer take the pressure" of having a black coach.

The rest of the story

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. - Jerry Baldwin, former head football coach for the University of Louisiana, has sued his former employer again, this time in Baton Rouge.

Named as defendants are the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Nelson Schexnayder, the university athletic director.

The lawsuit, filed in the 19th Judicial District, has been assigned to Judge Jewel E. "Duke" Welch.

In December, Baldwin sued the university in a federal lawsuit that alleges he was fired because of his race.

The university fired Baldwin in November 2001, after he posted a 6-27 record during three seasons.

University of Louisiana President Ray Authement declined to comment Monday.

The most recent lawsuit says Schexnayder's actions "were intended to and had the effect of devastating the morale of the UL football team and staff," and Baldwin suffered "severe emotional distress" inflicted by the defendants.

The rest of the story

By BRUCE SCHULTZ
bschultz@theadvocate.com
Acadiana bureau