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Northwestern State cancels remainder of 2023 season; coach resigns in wake of player shooting death
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Northwestern State on Thursday announced that it was canceling the remainder of its 2023 schedule, 2 weeks after the death of safety Ronnie Caldwell. In addition, head coach Brad Laird has resigned from the program.
“Ronnie was a beloved member of our community, and we miss him dearly,” school president Dr. Marcus Jones said in a statement. “While our instinct was to return to the field of play following his death, we’ve since learned that the hurt on our team was too deep. Now it is in the best interest of our players, coaches, and staff to pause and to take this time to mourn, to heal, and to support Ronnie’s family.”
Laird, in the same statement, announced his resignation due to the “emotional burden” brought on by the death of Caldwell.
“I don’t feel I can give my all to these players or this program. Any coach will tell you that their players become like family, so the loss of Ronnie was like losing a son,” he said. “I love this program and this university and I know it will persevere and move forward with the competitive spirit that is at the core of our DNA.”
Caldwell was the victim of a shooting that occurred in the early morning hours of Oct. 12. He was transported to a local hospital, where he died of his injuries.
A pair of arrests have been made — including a teammate of Caldwell’s — but none have been directly charged with the shooting.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
