DaytonDailyNews.com

Central State football coach Al West said he was on the phone with a recruit when Kellen Winslow walked into his office at McPherson Stadium.

"I was surprised because it was the first time he'd ever come to my office," West said of that visit Friday afternoon, Jan. 23, by the NFL legend who took over the CSU athletic director's job five months ago.

Within seconds, West's surprise turned to numbness.

"He told me he wanted to change the direction of the football program and to do that you have to start at the top," West said. "He said it was the hardest part of his job, handed me a letter and walked out."

That's how West learned he'd been fired as the Marauders' head coach. Offensive coordinator and former CSU All-American Henderson Mosley and assistant coach Odell Jones were dumped, too, said West, who went 2-7 last season with no full-time assistants and no scholarship players, though most opponents had scholarship athletes.

Thursday afternoon, Winslow said CSU assistant Darryl Suber will serve as the interim head coach during the search for a new coach:

"Coach West is a good guy who did a wonderful job with limited resources, but sometimes you have to change the captain if you want the boat to go in a different direction."

As captains go, none was more loyal than West, a former Marauder player and assistant coach under Billy Joe, who'd left CSU in 1985 to work at the University of Cincinnati and in the Cincinnati Public Schools. He returned seven years ago to be the CSU Dean of Students.

At the time, CSU was in the midst of an eight-year moth-balling of its once nationally-dominant NAIA football program. In 2004 CSU hired Theo Lemon to relaunch football, but after a 1-5 campaign in 2005, he jumped to another school just before spring practice.

"When the other coach quit at the last minute, I agreed to take over and gave up my (Dean of Students) position," said West, who went 9-18 in three seasons. "I tried to establish some stability for the school and the kids and that's why this hurts."

There's talk that Winslow had an issue with Mosley, who recently had gotten his degree, connected with players and was someone West strongly supported.

"I didn't do anything wrong and now I'm out of a job," West said. "To be put out on the street like this is unconscionable. I haven't looked for a job in 25 years and to have this happen now — in these economic times — I don't even know where to look."

Winslow told the players of the decision on Monday. He said some talked of leaving the school, while others saw new opportunities.

As fore West, he's at a loss: "When I read that letter, I walked straight out of my office and I haven't been back. Right now I'm still in shock."