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Before Thursday, not many people knew about Northwestern State University. But they made waves as the school announced the cancellation of the remainder of the football season and their coach, Brad Laird is resigning from the program.
This came as a bit of a surprise to hear, but Northwestern State gave proper reasonings. On October 12, junior safety Ronnie Caldwell was shot and killed at an apartment complex just outside of campus. Caldwell became part of the coaching staff as he was recovering from an injury. He was working as a volunteer coach for the defensive backs while rehabbing his ailment.
Northwestern State President Dr. Marcus Jones issued a statement on how the team decided to take this time to heal from the tragedy.
"While our instinct was to return to the field of play following [Ronnie's] death, we've since learned that the hurt on our team was too deep. Now it's in the best interest of our players, coaches, and staff to pause and to take this time to mourn, to heal, and to support Ronnie's family... Ronnie was a beloved member of our community, and we miss him dearly." H/T USA Today
The outgoing coach Brad Laird thinks that Caldwell was the voice of the locker room, and he can't give his 100% after safety's demise. Here's what he said on resigning from the program:
"Due to the loss of Ronnie and the emotional burden it has caused me, I don't feel I can give my all to these players or this program. Any coach will tell you that their players become like family, so the loss of Ronnie was like losing a son. I love this program and this university and I know it will persevere and move forward with the competitive spirit that is at the core of our DNA." H/t ESPN
The Southland Conference supported the school's decision.
Who will coach Northwestern State after Brad Laird's resignation?
The Northwestern State Demons are in the midst of a lot of change as Brad Laird is no longer with the program. While the university begins a search for a new head coach, defensive coordinator Weston Glaser will serve as the interim coach.
It will be interesting to see if the university decides to remove the interim tag off him and allow him to get the coaching position, if that is what he wants.
