East Mississippi Community College has fired head coach Buddy Stephens, concluding a tenure that spanned 18 seasons and five national championships. The program announced Monday that associate head football coach and offensive coordinator Preston Rice has been named interim head coach for the remainder of the season, effective immediately. The decision to remove Stephens and promote Rice was made by athletics director Cade Wilkerson.
Public Controversy and Leadership Conflict
The coaching change follows comments made by Stephens in an interview with the Columbus (Miss.) Dispatch published Thursday. Stephens publicly criticized the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) leadership regarding changes to the league’s football schedule and playoff format. Specifically, he opposed the decision to expand the regular season to 10 games and to limit playoff participation to only division champions. Stephens alleged that conference presidents structured the postseason to avoid the costs associated with traveling for National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) playoffs.
Buddy Stephens, former EMCC head coach, told the paper that those involved were idiots and that the decision-making process was poorly executed and lacked serious consideration, adding that he was deeply surprised by the outcome given that the plan was developed by individuals who hold doctorates.
On Monday, EMCC president Scott Alsobrooks issued a statement via the college’s Facebook page addressing the remarks. The school stated it strongly disavows
the comments, citing a lack of alignment with the institution’s standards.
Scott Alsobrooks, EMCC President, stated that these comments are inconsistent with the college’s core values and standards of professionalism, respect, and civility and do not reflect the views, mission, or expectations of EMCC, noting that while the college supports open and constructive dialogue, personal attacks have no place in that discourse and are contrary to the standards upheld within the college community.
18 Years of Program History
Stephens took over the program in December 2007 and compiled a 155-31 record. Under his leadership, the Lions won national titles in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2018, along with nine conference championships. In 2024, Stephens was inducted into the NJCAA Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. The program gained significant national attention as the centerpiece of the first two seasons of the Netflix documentary series “Last Chance U,” which covered the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Notable NFL players who played under Stephens include Jarran Reed, Za’Darius Smith, and Dakota Allen.
Transition to Interim Leadership
Preston Rice takes over a team that opened its 2026 season with a 14-6 win against Southwest Mississippi on Thursday. A source told FootballScoop that Stephens did not coach that game. Rice, who is in his second season at EMCC, previously served as the team’s quarterbacks coach in 2025 before briefly taking an offensive coordinator position at Shorter University in Georgia. He returned to Scooba, Mississippi, this past June. The Lions are scheduled to play their home opener this coming Thursday against Hinds.
