Mark Hudspeth Suspended at Austin Peay Before Resigning

We now know a little of the backstory as to why Mark Hudspeth resigned as head coach of the Austin Peay Governors on July 3.

When the former UL coach called it quits after just one season with the team, he was serving a 20-day suspension from the university for "unacceptable conduct."

As to what that conduct was, we don't know. We do know that Hudspeth was suspended without pay from June 17 to July 10, according to an email from athletic director Gerald Harrison.

Harrison would not elaborate further as to what led to Hudspeth's suspension and then eventual resignation.

Harrison previously told the Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle that Hudspeth's resignation did not have anything to do with the school suspending athletic activities when 11 players tested positive for COVID-19.

"In regards to Coach Hudspeth's suspension, I'll refer to that email," Harrison told The Leaf-Chronicle. "I'm not going to get into any more than that. In both of those clauses that were referenced in the email, nowhere does it refer to COVID-19."

Hudspeth guided the Governors to an 11-4 record in 2019, and captured the team's first OVC title in more than 40 years and the program's first FCS playoff appearance.

Former UL assistant Marquase Lovings was named the team's interim coach.

Mark Hudspeth coached the Ragin' Cajuns from 2011 to 2017, officially going 29-38 on the field and reached five bowl games. As you may recall, the NCAA vacated 22 of the team's wins during his tenure because of academic fraud and recruiting violations.