Marino Casem facts for kids
Casem in 1974
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 23, 1934 Memphis, Tennessee |
| Died | April 25, 2020 (aged 85) Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
| Alma mater | Xavier University of Louisiana |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1959 | Alcorn A&M (assistant) |
| 1963 | Alabama State |
| 1964–1985 | Alcorn A&M/State |
| 1987–1988 | Southern |
| 1992 | Southern (interim HC) |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1966–1986 | Alcorn State |
| 1986–1999 | Southern |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 159–93–8 |
| Bowls | 1–0 (1968 Orange Blossom Classic) |
| Tournaments | 0–1 (1984 NCAA D-I-AA playoffs) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 4 black college national (1968–1969, 1974, 1984) 7 SWAC (1968–1970, 1974, 1976, 1979, 1984) |
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| College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 2003 (profile) |
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Marino H. "The Godfather" Casem (born June 23, 1934 – died April 25, 2020) was a famous American college football coach. He was also an important leader for sports programs at universities.
He coached football teams at Alabama State University, Alcorn State University, and Southern University. Coach Casem had an amazing career record of 159 wins, 93 losses, and 8 ties. His teams at Alcorn State won four national championships for historically black colleges. They also won seven titles in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
Besides coaching, Casem was the athletic director at Alcorn State and Southern University. This means he managed all the sports programs at those schools. In 2003, he was honored by being added to the College Football Hall of Fame.
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Marino Casem's Early Life and Education
Marino Casem was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1934. He went to Xavier University of Louisiana from 1952 to 1956. This university is a historically black school in New Orleans.
Coaching Success at Alcorn State
Casem started as a head football coach at Alabama State University in 1963. He then moved to Alcorn State University in 1964. Alcorn State is a historically black college in Lorman, Mississippi.
He coached the Alcorn State Braves for 22 years, from 1964 to 1985. During this time, he was also the athletic director for 20 years. Under Casem, Alcorn State's football team became incredibly successful.
Championship Wins
The Alcorn State Braves won seven Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) football championships. They also earned four black college football national championships.
In 1984, Coach Casem led Alcorn State to a perfect season with 9 wins and no losses. His team was ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division I-AA poll. This was the first time a historically black college team achieved such a high ranking. Casem became the coach with the most wins in Alcorn State's history.
Impact as Athletic Director
As athletic director, Casem helped other sports at Alcorn State too. The men's basketball team won 13 regular season titles. The women's basketball team won three regular season championships.
In 1979, Alcorn State's men's basketball team made history. They were the first historically black university to win a game in the National Invitational Tournament. Casem also helped build the Davey L. Whitney Arena and plan the school's football stadium.
Leadership at Southern University
In 1986, Casem left Alcorn State to become the athletic director at Southern University. Southern is another historically black college in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
He also coached the Southern Jaguars football team in 1987, 1988, and briefly in 1992. He served as Southern's athletic director for 13 years, until 1999. During his time there, Southern won six of the first seven SWAC Commissioner's Cup awards. This award goes to the best overall sports program in the conference.
Awards and Legacy
Marino Casem was a very respected figure in college football. He served on important committees for the NCAA, which oversees college sports.
He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003. He also joined the SWAC Hall of Fame and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Casem received many other awards for his contributions to football.
He was known for saying, "In the South, football is a religion, and Saturday is the holy day." This quote shows how important football is in the southern United States.
In 1999, he received the NACDA/NIT Athletics Directors Award for his work in basketball. Casem said this award honored all historically black colleges and their talented athletes and staff.
Marino Casem passed away on April 25, 2020. His legacy as a coach and athletic leader continues to inspire.
