Prairie View A&M good fit for Northern
Staying put results in tag of coach in waiting
Prairie View A&M defensive coordinator Heishma Northern admits that the university and surrounding area have grown on him and his family.
Northern, who has been at Prairie View since 2005, enjoys living in the Houston area. His wife, Paula, an engineer, has a partnership with the university's engineering program, and their young son, Adam, regularly attends practice and is on a first-name basis with several of the players and marching band members. Plus, Northern has had virtually free rein to build one of the best defenses in the Football Championship Subdivision.
Thus, Northern is in no rush to leave the Panthers for another job.
Fortunately for Northern, he might not have to leave town any time soon. Prairie View named Northern head coach in-waiting Wednesday, meaning that he'll be the program's next coach should Henry Frazier III depart for another team within the next three years.
Northern said that the designation, which does not include a pay raise, simply solidifies his commitment to Prairie View.
"I'm not a 'job chaser,'" said Northern, who was a finalist for Southern University's head coaching vacancy in the offseason. "I'm always looking for the best situation and the best fit for me and my family. Being in Houston and particularly being at Prairie View is a great fit for not only myself, but for my wife and my son.
"A lot of people, when (talking) about coaching jobs, all they think about is the coach. But it's much bigger than me."
Given the Panthers' successful track record over the last few seasons, there's the increasing possibility that Frazier, or even Northern, will be lured away by another program.
Prairie View is 29-9 since 2007, including back-to-back 9-1 campaigns and a Southwestern Athletic Conference title in 2009. At 4-3 this season with five regular-season games remaining, the Panthers are in good position to capture their fourth consecutive winning season.
Frazier, who has three binding years left on his contract, said that he has no plans to depart in the offseason, but he praised athletic director Fred Washington and university president George C. Wright for their forward thinking on the matter of picking a possible successor.
"It's no secret that I've turned down a job every year I've been at Prairie View," said Frazier, who is 40-29 in six-plus seasons with the Panthers. "I don't want to leave, and I'm not looking to leave, but that is a possibility when you've been as successful as we've been. … I still have a three-year contract, and things are looking good, but I think it's definitely a smart move on the administration's part."
PVAMU
