Bowie State is in the market for a football coach while Stillman has hired a familiar name to lead its program. Bowie State Athletics Director Derek Carter and head coach Mike Lynn reached agreement on Lynn's resignation from the Bulldogs after five seasons and a 26-25 record, tying him for the most wins at BSU. Lynn's best season was 2005 when the Bulldogs went 8-4, reached the CIAA championship game and advanced to the Pioneer Bowl.

In Tuscaloosa, Ala., former Tennessee State and Alabama State coach L.C. Cole has been hired at Stillman. He comes from Texas Southern, where he was defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. "It's a great opportunity for me to come back to the state of Alabama and to coach at Stillman," Cole said. "Stillman is known for its competitiveness. I look forward to getting Stillman back into that winning spirit. I plan to start recruiting right way to get the program on a winning track." Cole, who has 26 years of collegiate coaching experience, is Stillman's third coach since the school brought back football in 1999.

But Cole's a winner with a 48-31 record in seven collegiate seasons at Tennessee State and Alabama State. Cole also earned a pair of Ohio Valley Conference titles at TSU, a fact not lost on the committee that unanimously recommended his hire. "We hired the best coach available. We are excited about bringing coach Cole to Stillman," Athletics Director Curtis Campbell said. "His experience separated him from the pack. ...That speaks to his caliber of coaching and his ability to turn programs around."