By James B. Ewers Jr. Ed.D.
Life gives us a lot of opportunities over time. Some would say it’s about being in the right place at the right time. We also need role models and mentors who will guide us to know when the time is right.
Being prepared technically and emotionally will be characteristics you’ll need as you progress during your career. Promotions and tenure only come to the qualified and to the certified.
Maurice Flowers had an asterisk beside his name on the success box. Being a coach in any sport is a calling. Coach Flowers answered the call with a resounding, “yes, I can.”
He was a star quarterback at East Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte, NC.
Setting records and being recruited to colleges defined his early life as an outstanding student-athlete.
He is a 1990 graduate of Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU), also in Charlotte; where he continued to receive All-American honors at the quarterback position. Receiving these accolades showed that he had the leadership and the temperament to be a leader on the football field.
Coach Flowers said, “I wanted to play in the National Football League. I believed that I had the skill set to play in the professional ranks.”
His self-assessment was echoed by teammates and opponents alike.
However coaching opportunities came calling quicker than the NFL, thus he started on a path to coaching young men at the high school and college level.
Coach Flowers was called a “quarterback whisperer” in some circles because of his ability to get the very best out of young men who played that position.
He had high school coaching positions at Sam Houston High School (TX), Duncanville High School (TX), Chester Senior High School (SC), Olympic High School (NC), West Charlotte High School (NC) and Myers Park High School (NC). It is safe to say that Coach Flowers mentored and groomed a lot of quarterbacks to play that same position in college.
Coach Flowers also had college coaching positions at Fayetteville State University (NC), Johnson C. Smith University (NC), Miles College (AL), Mississippi Valley State University (MS) and Shaw University (NC).
These positions served as a springboard for him to become the head football coach at Fort Valley State University (GA) in 2020. His offensive efficiency is well known in HBCUs.
For example, his offense was one of the top-rated offenses in the CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) averaging 34 points per game and during the 2019 season, six offensive players earned All-CIAA recognition.
He served as the offensive co-ordinator and quarterbacks coach at JCSU where they ended their season with a victory over SIAC (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) champion Miles College in the 2011 Pioneer Bowl.
He was prepared for his dream coaching position as he was named the head football coach at his alma mater, JCSU in 2022. Upon being named the head football coach at JCSU, I am sure it was a full circle moment for him.
Family members and friends celebrated with him as this news spread throughout the Queen City. I suspect one of the head- lines must have been, “the quarterback is coming home to become a college head coach.”
Coach Flowers believes the future is bright for JCSU football.
He said, “We are building a championship culture here. Our students are committed to being champions on the field and in the classroom.
During this past season, JCSU received an invitation to play Fort Valley State University in the Florida Beach Bowl in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Coach Flowers was thrilled about this opportunity as it gave JCSU football a national stage. This type of publicity has already paid dividends in recruiting.
Coach Flowers is excited about spring football and the upcoming 2024 season. He has already signed a strong class and has a great core of returning players.
He is looking forward to continuing a Golden Bulls winning stampede.
Stay tuned. I believe he will.
Dr. James B. Ewers, Jr. is a long-time educator who hails from Winston Salem, N.C. One of the top tennis players in the state, he was inducted into the Black Tennis Hall of Fame in January 2021. A graduate of Johnson C. Smith University, he received his M. A. degree in Education from Catholic University in Washington, DC, and Ed. D. degree in Education from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA. He has also done post-doctoral studies at Harvard University and Ewers is a life member of the NAACP and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
