Emotions are always going to run high and cover the spectrum of thought. I am writing as the proud parent of a football player that had the good fortune to play from 1999 to 2003 ‘- one year for Coach Barry Gallup and four for Coach Don Brown, who took that team from a laughingstock to a championship in two years and the best three-year record in school history.

As for the latter, we were picked by one of the college football magazines as a pre-season No. 1 for the 2003 season. After four great years, the university decided to let Coach Brown go. There were back and forths, she said and he said, and even lawsuits. But if there was a serious commitment ever to be made to the program, that was the time to make it. The decision then was to bring in Rocky Hager.

That was not the decision that the search committee proposed, but that was over ruled overruled by Athletics Director Dave O’Brien. I know because my son was on that committee. We will never know if a better coach might have produced a better outcome. What I do know is that we had a winner and there was not a tougher place to play than Parsons Field. Those were the years that we beat UConn at UConn, spoiling their homecoming, and the years that we went to play Ohio University the week after they lost to Pittsburgh and beat them 31-0. We played in front of 5,000 to 7,000 people every week then. ‘Who Let the Dogs Out’ by the Baja Brothers was the theme song, and it was loud and it was proud.

I am sad that it has come to this for the Huskies. My son had a great five years there, received a great education and an Atlantic 10 Championship ring. I wish all the current players well as they decide their next steps.

‘-Kevin Dwyer is the father of Tim Dwyer, a 2004 graduate and former Northeastern football player.