TO THE CHAPTER INVISIBLE
By Aaron Williams Marino H. Casem 1934–2020 College Football Coach, Athletic Director, Hall of Fame Inductee, U.S., Army L ongtime college football head coach at Alcorn State University and Southern University and
football coach at Alabama State Uni- versity for one year prior to return- ing to Alcorn State in 1964 as head football coach. Two years later, he was appointed Athletics Director. He also, at the time, Assistant Professor of Health and Physical Education. His Alcorn State Braves teams won four black championships (1968, 1969, 1974 and 1984 and seven Southwestern Athletic Conference football championships. As Alcorn State's AD, Casem led the effort to build the Davey L. Whitney Complex, the home to the school's basketball and volleyball programs, which opened in 1975. He also pushed for the construction of a new football stadium complex. The Braves play their home football games in a stadium named in his honor, Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium. Casem left Alcorn State for Southern University where he served as the head football coach at Southern from 1987-88 and as the Southern’s AD from 1986 until he retired in 1999. As AD, his Southern teams won seven SWAC Commissioner Cups, six SWAC men's all-sports trophies and nine SWAC women's all-sports trophies. During his career, Casem served on numerous collegiate ath- letic national committees including various NCAA committees and the USOC Minority Task Force. Among his many achievements, Casem was elected in 2003 to the National Football Foundation (NFF) and College Football Hall of Fame. He is also an inductee to the SWAC Hall of Fame, Alcorn State University Athletic Hall of Fame, Black College
College Football Hall of Fame inductee Marino H. Casem entered the Chapter Invisible on April 25, 2020 at the age of 85. Southern University Athletic Director on Southwestern Athletic Conference legend known as the “The Godfather”, "We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Legendary Coach Marino Casem, our deepest condolences and thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time. Coach Casem was an icon who left his mark on the SWAC and college football as well as his con- tributions on the administration side. I can't thank him enough for all he has done for Southern University Athletics.” Marino H. Casem was born in Memphis, TN on June 23, 1934 to Eloise (née King) Casem and Benito A. Casem. He graduated from Memphis’s St. Augustine High School and subsequently graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana. He later earned a master's degree from the Uni- versity of Northern Colorado in Greeley, CO. Casem began his career in education and coaching at Utica Junior College in Utica, MS after serving in the United States Army from 1957-1959. He joined the Alcorn State University football coaching staff as an as- sistant and taught in Health and Physical Education.
Football Hall of Fame, and the Mississippi Hall of Fame. He was voted Southwestern Athletic Con- ference Football Coach of the Year in 1968, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1979, and 1984. He was selected ESPN's Top 100 Greatest of All Time Football Coaches. In 1998, he was awarded the NFF's Out- standing Contribution to Amateur Football Award. He received in 2017 a Doctor of Humane Letters from Alcorn State University. A Life Member of the Fraternity, Casem was a member of the Ba- ton Rouge (LA) Alumni Chapter. He was also a member of Men of Distinction. An active member of St. Joseph's Cathedral, he and his wife received the St. Joseph Ap- prentice Award in 2016. He was also a member of the Knights of Peter Claver. Brother Marino H. Casem was preceded in death by his parents, grandmother Bessie Hall King, grandfather Roy King, brother Benito A. Casem, Jr., sister-in-law Patricia N. Casem, and brother- in-law Billy Joe McCain, Sr. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, the former Betty Jean McCain, a sister-in-law, Sylvia McCain, five nephews, four nieces, and many great nephews and nieces, and friends.
In 1963, Casem became the head
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