Blackwell out as Freedom coach

A week after Freedom football coach Marquel Blackwell was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence, he has resigned as coach. According to principal Chris Farkas, the Freedom football program is "going to go in a different direction," and after last Monday's incident, Farkas asked Blackwell to resign and he complied.

"We felt like (Blackwell) had lost his effectiveness as a role model," Farkas said.

Farkas did, however, stress that the decision wasn't based solely on the latest incident, but a number of events in Blackwell's two years as coach. 

Blackwell, 29, was arrested by Tampa Police officers at 3:29 a.m. at the corner of Columbus Drive and Himes Avenue on Jan. 5. According to the arrest report, after a traffic stop was conducted, Blackwell was asked to produce a drivers license. At that time, "he held out a blue Visa card."

Blackwell consented to field sobriety exercises, but "exhibited clues of impairment." He refused a blood alcohol test and was booked at 5:17 a.m. into the Orient Road Jail. Blackwell, who was released that afternoon on $500 bond.

Blackwell, a former USF standout quarterback and Dixie Hollins alum, seemed to have the Patriots heading in the right direction on the football field. Freedom went 4-6 last season -- winning three of its first four games as well as beating New Tampa rival Wharton in Week 1 -- after going 1-9 in 2007, Blackwell's first year as coach.

In 2007, Freedom was involved in an ugly bench-clearing brawl with Tampa Bay Tech, an incident not blamed on Blackwell but resulted in a $1,500 fine and seven player suspensions. A few weeks later, there was an investigation into a verbal confrontation Blackwell had with another teacher.

Freedom athletic director Elijah Thomas said he hopes to make a hire for Blackwell's replacement by early February.

"We're looking for someone with head coaching experience," Thomas said. "Someone who can lead our students in the right direction."

-- Times staff

Read previous coverage here:
Freedom's Blackwell charged after DUI arrest
Collective missteps harming Blackwell

Comments

[colt99]

tough lessor for him to learn, but these Coaches have got to realize these young men look up to them. When they see you out at 3 AM Drinking and driving it is a bad thing.

Looks like it also affected his coaching