Sport: College Sports Category: Coaching

East Mississippi Community College fires head coach Buddy Stephens

2 sources • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 1, 2026, 2:51 AM

Last updated Sep 1, 2026

East Mississippi Community College fires head coach Buddy Stephens

Summary

East Mississippi Community College terminated head coach Buddy Stephens on Monday. The school announced the change in leadership without mentioning Stephens by name in its official statement. Instead, the college revealed that associate head coach Marcus Wood would assume the role of interim head coach for the remainder of the season. The decision ends a long tenure for Stephens at the program. The school has not provided further details regarding the specific reasons for the coaching change. Wood will oversee team operations immediately as the program transitions to new leadership.

Source Links

The Commercial Dispatch Footballscoop.com

Key Details

•East Mississippi Community College fired Buddy Stephens on Monday.
•The school did not name Stephens in its official announcement.
•Marcus Wood takes over as the interim head coach.
•The program is moving forward with an interim staff for the season.

Latest Updates

2:51 AMThe Commercial Dispatch — 18-year vet Buddy Stephens out as EMCC head coach - Commercial Dispatch
2:22 AMFootballscoop.com — East Mississippi Community College fires longtime head coach Buddy Stephens - FootballScoop.com

What they're saying

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Five-time national champion head coach Buddy Stephens is no longer the head coach at East Mississippi Community College. The college announced Monday
— The Commercial Dispatch