bluedog
"Leader of Kings"
Whittington tries to revive PVU
By CHARLES SALZER
Special to The Advocate
If anyone had questions about Prairie View A&M's intentions on reversing their football fortunes, Athletic Director Charles McLelland sent out a firm answer in December 2002.
Third-year coach Larry Dorsey, who had received a two-year contract extension following a 3-7 season in 2001, had to resign in the wake of a one-win 2002 campaign.
McLelland's goals for Prairie View include competing for championships in all 18 varsity sports. And that meant losing football games would no longer be acceptable.
Prairie View plays Southern 6 p.m. Saturday at Shreveport's Independence Stadium.
To help steer Prairie View back to football respectability, McLelland brought in alumnus and former NFL defensive back C.L. Whittington. McLelland also armed Whittington with a full complement of scholarships.
"We're excited about what coach Whittington brings to our program," McLelland said. "Although this is his first head coaching job, he has a vast level of experience, including the professional level. Along with the staff that he's brought in, we feel this will speed up the process of turning the program around."
NFL experience highlights Whittington's staff that includes former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Donald Hollas serving as offensive coordinator, former Houston Oiler Al Johnson tutoring linebackers, and former Oilers assistant Andy Bourgeois coaching special teams.
Prairie View's staff will be aided by the NCAA I-AA maximum of 63 players on scholarship. The Panthers have competed with close to the minimum limit of 15.8 scholarships the last five years.
Whittington, who was previously an assistant coach with Prairie View, Texas Southern and Frankfurt of the World Football League, saw Prairie View sign 17 players in his first recruiting class.
"Recruiting has been fine because we have the scholarships to give out," Whittington said. "We were able to get some guys that we know are going to be helpful down the road. Next year we'll be in a better position because we'll have had a full year to recruit.
"The key is having scholarships to bring quality players into the program."
From 1991 to 1995, Prairie View offered no scholarships during which time the Panthers endured their NCAA-record 80-game losing streak. But Whittington, who starred for Prairie View in the early '70s, remembers the Panthers glory years.
In the 15-year period between 1951 and 1965, Prairie View won 120 games, eight SWAC titles and four National Black College championships. The program began to slip in the late '60s before tumbling to a freefall in the '80s.
In the last 37 years, Prairie View has managed only 69 victories while weathering 10 winless seasons. It is a trend that Whittington is committed to changing.
"One of the things that has plagued Prairie View through the years has been putting two halves together," Whittington said. "That's the major concern of this year. If we can put two halves together then we'll be victorious in most of our games."
Prairie View's season-opener against Texas Southern provided a perfect illustration for Whittington's assessment. The Panthers led 3-0 at halftime before collapsing in a 42-3 loss.
It was a familiar, if frustrating, scenario for Prairie View.
The Panthers led eventual division champions Alabama A&M and Grambling at halftime of their respective 2002 games. Prairie View went on to lose both contests.
"We need to play consistently and eliminate the mistakes and turnovers from last week," Whittington said. "It's a clich?, but the more you minimize your mistakes the better your chances for winning the game."
It also provides a better chance for Whittington to change Prairie View's football image, a task he faces every week.
"It's a challenge but its not insurmountable," Whittington said. "As one of the original members of the SWAC, Prairie View has had some classic battles through the years. Now it's just a matter of weathering the storm, getting the kids to buy into my system, and playing from there."
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