Grambling coach's credentials confirmed
June 9, 2004
A department chair at Northern Arizona University has confirmed that Grambling
State interim head football coach Melvin Spears completed coursework but failed
to submit needed paperwork to get a diploma for the master's degree listed on
his resume.
Dr. William Wright, Chair of the Department of Research, Foundations and
Leadership, told the Monroe
News-Star on Friday night that he will personally walk
through the paperwork to complete the process.
“It’s just an unfortunate misunderstanding,” Wright was
quoted in the paper. “He satisfied the requirement for the degree. What
he did not do was file an application for graduation. That’s what he’s
out here doing right now.”
When Spears was hired by former coach Doug Williams in 1997, he had just finished
the required studies at NAU but was also dealing with the pain of losing his
grandfather, who passed away. Spears was named interim head coach in February
when Williams left for a position with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“It’s not uncommon that someone would complete their degree requirements
but not follow through with the necessary paperwork,” Wright said. “In
Spears’ case, a person gets a promotion, there is illness in the family.
He’s a good man — a good moral person. This was just a matter of
paperwork.”
In the story written by Nick Deriso and posted on TheNewsStar.com Friday night, Wright indicated that the official course completion notice will
be posted within the next few days. “The effective date of the degree
will be May of ’04, because the application was tardy,” Wright
said.
Grambling State has announced its intention to address the issue at a press
conference at a later date.
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