‘Last Chance U’ coach Buddy Stephens fired at EMCC after leadership complaints

The Buddy Stephens era at East Mississippi Community College is over, a stunning separation involving the most recognizable coach in junior college football and a program he transformed into a national brand.

Offensive coordinator and associate head coach Preston Rice will take over as interim coach for the remainder of the season, EMCC announced Monday.

EMCC Director of Athletics Cade Wilkerson declined to comment on the matter when reached by CBS Sports. Multiple attempts to reach Stephens were unsuccessful.

The school did not explicitly disclose why Stephens — who was featured in the first two seasons of Netflix's "Last Chance U" — is out after 18 seasons, five national championships and nine conference titles, but the timing leaves little room for interpretation.

Days earlier, Stephens criticized leadership within the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference over its new scheduling and playoff format. He called the decision-makers "idiots," questioned the thought process behind the changes and argued the revised setup could damage the league's position nationally.

Stephens' delivery was combustible. His larger point, however, deserves examination.

The MACCC had approved an additional regular-season game, giving each program five home dates and five road contests. It also scrapped its four-team conference playoff…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/