On Sunday, April 26, 2020 the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) lost a true patriarch in the college sports industry. Marino “The Godfather” Casem died at his home at the age of 85 (1934-2020).
For 22 seasons (1964-1985) Casem was the Head Football Coach at Alcorn State University (ASU) and its Athletic Director for 20 years. While at ASU, Casem spearheaded the Braves to four Black National Championship titles (1967, 1968, 1973, 1984) and seven times he was named SWAC Coach of the Year. Casem accumulated a record of 132-65-8 while coaching for the Braves. For his numerous accomplishments on and off the field, Alcorn partially named its football stadium Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium in his honor.
Casem’s accolades knew no bounds as he was inducted into the SWAC Hall of Fame in 1992, the Alcorn Hall of Fame in 1993, the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.
Casem will have a graveside service on Saturday, May 2, 2020 at 11:00 am at Green Oaks Memorial Park Cemetery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana located on 9595 Florida Boulevard.