Texas Southern hiring Michael Haywood as football coach

HOUSTON (AP) Michael Haywood will be the new coach at Texas Southern after agreeing to a four-year contract on Thursday.

Athletic director Charles McClelland tells KRIV-TV (http://bit.ly/1PB9ii2) in Houston: ''With his background and extensive experience we were lucky to get someone of Haywood's caliber.''

He replaces Darrell Asberry, who stepped down on Sunday after Texas Southern went 3-7.

Haywood most recently was the coach at Miami of Ohio. He was hired to coach Pittsburgh in December 2010, but was fired three weeks later when he was charged with domestic battery with a child present. The charges were eventually dropped.

''I apologized for this terrible mistake that I made,'' Haywood told the television station. ''It was wrong what I did. I have learned from this situation. It has gone through the legal situation and I have been cleared. I am thankful that I am able to continue my coaching career.''

He has worked in private business for the last five years. He doesn't believe his time away from coaching will hurt him.

''I really don't think it affects me at all,'' Haywood said. ''I've spent a significant amount of time consulting other universities and high schools in the area. At the same time I've done pregame and postgame shows for the University of Notre Dame. So I've been heavily involved in football over the last five years.''

Haywood orchestrated a major turnaround while at Miami of Ohio. In 2009 the team was 1-11 and 1-7 in Mid-American Conference play. The following season Haywood won MAC Coach of the Year honors after leading the team to an 11-1 record with an 8-1 mark in conference play.

Haywood worked as offensive coordinator at Notre Dame from 2005-08 and has also served as an assistant at Texas and LSU in his career.