ITTA BENA, Miss. — Mississippi Valley State University is pleased to announce that it will be removing the interim tag and naming Vincent Dancy as its 17th head football coach.
Dancy, 33, is a native of Shuqualak, Mississippi and the son of Mississippi Valley State University alumnus Willie Dancy ’74 and Evelyn Murray.
He served as MVSU football’s defensive coordinator since Feb. 2015 before being appointed to the interim role late last month.
MVSU Director of Athletics Dianthia Ford-Kee said promoting Dancy to the lead the Delta Devils is in the best interest of the program.
“I have had the opportunity to evaluate his energy, synergy, and love for Mississippi Valley State University along with his desire to change the culture of this program,” said Ford-Kee. With all hands on deck — the campus community, Itta Bena, Greenwood and surrounding communities, alumni, fans and most important our football athletes — I am confident that Coach Dancy will give us 100 percent of his effort to build a competitive program that will position MVSU football to win a SWAC Championship and the opportunity to vie for the National Black College Championship,” said Ford-Kee.
Since his appointment as interim head coach, Dancy has been visiting future players, parents and coaches across the state in hopes of strengthening relationships with the Mississippi high schools and community colleges to build our new brand.
According to Ford-Kee, Dancy’s first order of business as head coach will be to assemble a staff and secure future members of the 2018 recruiting class.
“He has really taken on the commitment of our new president’s (Dr. Jerryl Briggs) addition to the motto, ‘One Goal. One Team. Once Valley … In Motion,” she said.
“My goal is to build a championship program for the players, alumni, faculty, staff and fans of Mississippi Valley State University,” said Dancy. My immediate concerns are filling the gaps in those areas that we were missing as it relates to player personnel, and meeting with our alumni chapters and community stakeholders to reconnect and assist us in restoring our brand from the glory days of Delta Devil football.”
“I will be in the trenches with my staff to build a program that meets the expectation of our fans,” he said. You will not want to miss our home opener and fan experience. The stakeholders have expectations for the new head coach, and I have expectations for myself. I will be accountable for this program’s success on and off the playing surface.”
Dancy will officially assume his new role on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018.
“I want to first thank the search committee for taking time out of their very busy schedules and participating in this process,” said MVSU President Dr. Jerryl Briggs. I trust this process and I am very excited and supportive of the decision to promote Dancy to head coach of the Delta Devils football program. Valley is truly in motion and the efficiency in the way the committee handle this process is evidence of that.”
Dancy will available to greet fans during MVSU’s home basketball game against The University of Arkansas Pine Bluff at 2 p.m. Jan. 1 in the R.W. Harrison Complex.
The official news conference reception introducing Dancy to the public will be held the evening of Tuesday, Jan. 9.
Courtesy: MVSU Athletics
