Blackwell resigns as Freedom's coach

JANUARY 12, 2009

A week after Freedom football coach and former USF quarterback Marquel Blackwell was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence, he has resigned as coach. According to principal Chris Farkas, the Freedom football program is "going to go in a different direction." After last Monday's incident, Farkas asked Blackwell to resign and he complied.

"We felt like (Blackwell) had lost his effectiveness as a role model," Farkas said.

Farkas did, however, stress that the decision wasn't based solely on the latest incident, but a number of events in Blackwell's two years as coach. Blackwell, a former USF standout and Dixie Hollins alum, went 1-9 in 2007, but improved to 4-6 last fall as the Patriots won three of their last four games.

-- JOHN COTEY, Times Staff Writer

Posted by Times Editor at 11:56:21 am on January 12, 2009 | Permalink | Comments |

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