First White Head Coach at an HBCU
Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2018 6:53 pm
New book: Mr. Townsend & The Polish Prince. This looks like an interesting read. It tells the story of Joe Purzycki, Delaware State head coach from 1981-1984 and first white man to be the head coach of an HBCU. He took a team that had lost 105-0 to Portland State and gone 2-9 in 1980 and made them into an 8-2 team in 1984, before taking the HC job at James Madison and leading the Dukes to their first ever I-AA playoff appearance in 1987.
http://sportspressnw.com/2241996/2018/n ... ck-college“Tubby was right,” he said to himself. “What have I done? I left Camelot for this?” (Delaware head coach Tubby Raymond was Purzycki’s now former boss who had advised Purzycki not to take the job.)
Purzycki left the office and found Townsend. He had a few routine HR documents to fill out and he needed Townsend to show him where he had to go to get that done. As they walked Purzycki’s mind raced: “I was so exhausted. I didn’t expect 400 protestors. I didn’t expect the players not to show up for the meeting. I didn’t expect the office to look as pathetic and rundown as it was. I never expected the tidal wave that I walked into. I felt sick to my stomach. It was the loneliest day of my life. I began to think this might be a huge mistake in judgment on my part.”
Finally, he stopped walking and turned to face his new boss. “Nelson, I just don’t know if this is going to work.”