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Former head coach Earl Holmes explains why he's suing FAMU

In an exclusive interview, I was able to talk to former head coach Earl Holmes before he made his official announcement of suing FAMU.

For reminder purposes, Holmes was a legend when he was a player at FAMU.  In his college days, he was known as the Hitman, finishing as the school’s all-time leader in tackles.

Holmes was inducted into the FAMU Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.

He went on to play in the NFL for 10 seasons, before getting a call to join the football staff at FAMU. He would later make the transition of being defensive  coordinator to head coach.

However it would be the week of FAMU’s 2014 Homecoming game where Holmes would be notified that his time as head coach was over.

Holmes tells me, "You know at the end of the day it was done…no one explained anything other than 'we're moving in a different direction'."

Holmes finished with an overall 6-16 record but contests that certain athletic department officials were either uncooperative or didn’t communicate  with him.

"I never really got a chance to sit down with Kellen Winslow…there was no communication…When you're a head coach you try to…especially with someone coming in late, you try to let that person or people know the 3-5 year plan [on rebuilding the program]...but that never took place," claims Holmes.

Now Holmes will be filing a wrongful termination lawsuit today in Leon Circuit Court.

Reasons for  Holmes’ suing the school range from the school allegedly breaking of a good-faith and negligent misrepresentation on the part of the university.

"To this day, no one has come out and said the truth," says Holmes.

Attorney Tim Jansen will hold a 3 p.m. news conference today at the Leon County Courthouse, where Holmes is expected to speak.

"It was very disrespectful.  Again, you put your faith in God and not in man,"says Holmes.

It has yet to be confirmed if Holmes has secured a coaching job at the University of Florida.

News965 has contacted FAMU’s athletic department and is awaiting their response.

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