Fired Clark Atlanta coach plans lawsuit

By Ken Sugiura

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The day after football coach Ted Bahhur was fired by Clark Atlanta University, his attorney said they plan to take legal action against the school.

Bahhur was dismissed Tuesday, three days after an 18-point homecoming loss to Kentucky State. Ed Gadrix, Bahhur's attorney, would not specify the basis for the lawsuit.

"There's been a pretty good injustice against Coach Bahhur that has to be redressed and redressed properly," Gadrix said.

Interim athletics director Tamica Jones said that the school was grateful for Bahhur's leadership but that "we had great expectations for the program and right now, I think that they could be doing a better job."

Said Bahhur, "The whole truth will come out and the school's going to have to pretty much accept responsibility. That's all I can say right now."

Jones had no comment about the lawsuit.

Hired in 2005, Bahhur appeared to be turning around the Clark Atlanta program. In the four years before his hire, Clark Atlanta was 4-39 under three coaches. Bahhur's record was 20-29 with a 6-5 record last year, the team's first winning season since 1991.

After winning three games in a row to start the season (one by forfeit), the Panthers lost their next three, including the 31-13 loss to Kentucky State Saturday, to fall to 3-3. Jones said that the losing streak was the "tip of the iceberg" in the decision to dismiss Bahhur.

"Expectations for the team are not W's and L's as much as they are that we have a responsibility to commit to our young men as well," she said. "That's where we were most lacking."

Jones said that the midseason change was necessary because she "just didn't want to see the wheels fall off the bus and that's basically where we were at this moment."

Assistant coach Keith Higdon has been named interim head coach. The Panthers' next game is Oct. 17 against Albany State.