Green resigns as coach of NEO

November 05, 2008 01:09 am

— From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
Saying it was time for a change, Rob Green resigned Monday as head football coach at Northeastern A&M College.
“After evaluating our performance on the field for over two seasons, I feel that a change needs to take place,” Green said in a press release. “It is with the best intentions for the future of NEO athletics that I submit my resignation today.”
Green compiled a 19-20 record in four seasons at the Norse helm.
“Rob is an exceptional football coach,” vice president for student affairs Bob Walker said. “He’s a good person. He led our program in a good direction. We just had a set of circumstances here that were beyond his control. I know people are tired of hearing about the flood, but it affected a lot of things.”
NEO had an on-field record of 2-7 in 2008 but picked up a forfeit victory from Arkansas Baptist College on Saturday after it was learned that the Little Rock, Ark., school had used an ineligible player.
The Golden Norse were sixth in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference with a 2-5 record.
They lost four straight to conclude the season, including a 31-7 loss at Tyler Junior College in Saturday’s season finale.
“We talk and preach to our players about accountability,” Green said. “The same is true for the head coach. I think it is time for a change.”
The NEO release said Green would like to see the Golden Norse football program regain the national prominence it once had.
“Rob didn’t have the level of success he wants NEO to have,” Walker said.
“He thought it was time for a change. I respect him for that. It’s never always the head coach’s fault for what happens and never all their credit to be received when times go well.”
The Norsemen were 9-3 in Green’s first season (2005), beating Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College in the Dalton Defenders Bowl in Coffeyville. The Norse finished the season ranked sixth nationally.
NEO was second in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference in 2006, finishing with a 3-3 record. NEO forfeited two games to finish 3-6 on the year.
The Golden Norse were 4-5 in 2007.
Green was secondary coach and special teams coordinator at Missouri Southern in 1993 and 1994, head assistant coach and offensive coordinator in 1995 and 1996 and interim head coach in 1997.
He was offensive coordinator from 1998 to 2000 at NEO. The Norsemen won the SWJCFC championship in 2000 at 6-1.
Green served as offensive coordinator and head assistant coach at Missouri Southern from 2001-03. He completed the 2003 season as interim head coach.
Green led Grove High School to the Class 5A Oklahoma playoffs in 2004.
Walker said an interim head coach would likely be named within the next few days.
“We want to get after it pretty quick,” he said. “I foresee us getting organized within a week or so, getting things posted and start the process.
“We need to have someone plugged in there that’s going to lead the program in the interim while we start finding the right fit. We owe it to our student-athletes to have someone in place as quick as we can, but we’re not going to do a knee-jerk deal just to name a head coach.”