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Comegy could move to higher profile job
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Rick Comegy doesn't look like a football coach.
At 51 years old, Comegy's enjoyed too many alumni chicken dinners to carry the svelte frame he had as an all-conference defensive back at Millersville University in Lancaster, Pa.
In casual conversation, one almost has to lean forward to hear the soft-spoken Tuskegee University head coach.
Now, a practice field or game-time sideline aren't places for casual conversation. It's apparent that Comegy is able to get his point across when necessary.
Regardless of how he looks or sounds, Comegy is a football coach - one of the best around. Soon, he could be leaving Tuskegee behind for a bigger, higher-profile job.
Comegy's name has popped up in connection with a possible opening at Grambling - the prestige historically black college football program in the nation.
Closing in on the end of his ninth season as head coach at Tuskegee, Comegy has a 78-24 record. With next Thursday's Turkey Day Classic and a Dec.4 Pioneer Bowl meeting with Shaw ahead, the Golden Tigers are 9-1 - with a loss with no time remaining to unbeaten Albany State.
Comegy is 96-49 in 13 years as a head coach, and 22 of those losses came in his first two seasons at Cheney (Pa.) University. After back-to-back 0-11 seasons, Comegy returned to an assistant's job at Central (Ohio) State for a couple of years.
When he took over as head coach there in 1994, he took the team to an 8-2 record and the NAIA playoffs. The next season, Central won the NAIA championship before Comegy left for Tuskegee.
At Tuskegee, Comegy has four Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles, three Pioneer Bowl victories and four 10-win seasons - including a 12-0 mark in 2000 when the Golden Tigers were named the national champions of the historically black colleges and universities.
Comegy said he likes being a part of the Tuskegee community and he has a warm feeling for alumni, faculty and staff at the school.
"I've tried to work my tail off to give back because of all they've given me," he said. "I don't know when our relationship will end, but I do know at this point in time in my life, I think I've given everything I could give them. They've done a lot for me. I feel complete.
"I know things are ringing out there now. It will have to be something that's real that I don't have to chase. If it's good for me and my family, then I'll look at it. If not, I'm happy here."
Comegy left TU for a while when he took the job as head coach at Norfolk State after the 2002 season, but he returned four weeks later. Last season, the Tigers slumped to a 5-6 finish. Comegy rededicated himself, his staff and his team for this season and stressed discipline even more.
"I thought we needed to change more this year. We don't allow anybody to wear facial hair. We don't go with braids and stuff like other schools do," Comegy said.
"We want everybody to be one as a unit. Once we've got that oneness, we could develop discipline and develop that team concept. When everybody is an individual, that's hard to do." News staff writer Mike Perrin covers state colleges. Write him at mperrin@bhamnews.com.
Comegy could move to higher profile job
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Rick Comegy doesn't look like a football coach.
At 51 years old, Comegy's enjoyed too many alumni chicken dinners to carry the svelte frame he had as an all-conference defensive back at Millersville University in Lancaster, Pa.
In casual conversation, one almost has to lean forward to hear the soft-spoken Tuskegee University head coach.
Now, a practice field or game-time sideline aren't places for casual conversation. It's apparent that Comegy is able to get his point across when necessary.
Regardless of how he looks or sounds, Comegy is a football coach - one of the best around. Soon, he could be leaving Tuskegee behind for a bigger, higher-profile job.
Comegy's name has popped up in connection with a possible opening at Grambling - the prestige historically black college football program in the nation.
Closing in on the end of his ninth season as head coach at Tuskegee, Comegy has a 78-24 record. With next Thursday's Turkey Day Classic and a Dec.4 Pioneer Bowl meeting with Shaw ahead, the Golden Tigers are 9-1 - with a loss with no time remaining to unbeaten Albany State.
Comegy is 96-49 in 13 years as a head coach, and 22 of those losses came in his first two seasons at Cheney (Pa.) University. After back-to-back 0-11 seasons, Comegy returned to an assistant's job at Central (Ohio) State for a couple of years.
When he took over as head coach there in 1994, he took the team to an 8-2 record and the NAIA playoffs. The next season, Central won the NAIA championship before Comegy left for Tuskegee.
At Tuskegee, Comegy has four Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles, three Pioneer Bowl victories and four 10-win seasons - including a 12-0 mark in 2000 when the Golden Tigers were named the national champions of the historically black colleges and universities.
Comegy said he likes being a part of the Tuskegee community and he has a warm feeling for alumni, faculty and staff at the school.
"I've tried to work my tail off to give back because of all they've given me," he said. "I don't know when our relationship will end, but I do know at this point in time in my life, I think I've given everything I could give them. They've done a lot for me. I feel complete.
"I know things are ringing out there now. It will have to be something that's real that I don't have to chase. If it's good for me and my family, then I'll look at it. If not, I'm happy here."
Comegy left TU for a while when he took the job as head coach at Norfolk State after the 2002 season, but he returned four weeks later. Last season, the Tigers slumped to a 5-6 finish. Comegy rededicated himself, his staff and his team for this season and stressed discipline even more.
"I thought we needed to change more this year. We don't allow anybody to wear facial hair. We don't go with braids and stuff like other schools do," Comegy said.
"We want everybody to be one as a unit. Once we've got that oneness, we could develop discipline and develop that team concept. When everybody is an individual, that's hard to do." News staff writer Mike Perrin covers state colleges. Write him at mperrin@bhamnews.com.
