{
  "id": 4894447,
  "title": "'Last Chance U' coach Buddy Stephens out at EMCC after condemning new scheduling, playoff formats",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/last-chance-u-coach-buddy-stephens-out-at-emcc-after-condemning-new",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-01T16:30:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/article/last-chance-u-coach-buddy-stephens-out-at-emcc-after-condemning-new-scheduling-playoff-formats-163025787.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "East Mississippi Community College's (EMCC) football coach, Buddy Stephens, has been dismissed after criticizing new scheduling and playoff formats in the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC). Stephens, who led EMCC to five NJCAA national championships between 2011 and 2018, made controversial remarks about the conference leadership in an article published last week in The Commercial Dispatch. The MACCC recently increased its regular season from nine games to 10, with each team now playing five home and five away games. The conference also altered its postseason qualification requirements, with only the No. 1 seeds from each division eligible for the state championship. Stephens accused conference leaders of wanting to avoid traveling and spending money to participate in the national playoffs, opting for a system that would allow them to opt out of the NJCAA playoffs while still being able to host. Stephens called the conference officials \"idiots\" and accused them of \"junkifying\" the process. EMCC president Scott Alsobrooks strongly disavowed Stephens' remarks, stating that they were inconsistent with the college's core values and standards of professionalism, respect, and civility.",
  "summary": "Stephens was at the center of the first two seasons of Netflix's hit documentary series, which spotlighted JUCO sports across the country.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "'Last Chance U' coach Buddy Stephens fired after calling leadership 'idiots'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/last-chance-u-coach-buddy-stephens-fired-after-calling-leadership",
        "published": "2026-09-01T14:11:11.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}