RALEIGH -- Darrell Asberry can't erase this loss from his mind. The fourth-year Shaw football coach holds on to defeats and uses them as a source of energy.
This particular loss, to Elizabeth City State, came during his first season with the Bears, in 2006. And it wasn't so much that his team lost, but that they were crushed 36-0 near the end of an ego-bruising 3-7 campaign.
Vikings coach Waverly Tillar called for a two-point conversion after a fourth-quarter touchdown with five minutes to play. The run attempt failed, though it came as a stark reminder of how weak opponents considered the Bears.
"He called time out and went for two," Asberry said last month through coarse laughter.
It's only funny now because that was the last game the Bears lost to Elizabeth City State. Two years later, Asberry's team won its second consecutive CIAA championship, defeating the Vikings 36-7 in the title game.
Last season, the Bears were a botched snap away from returning to the conference championship game - led by their offensive-minded coach, who despite limited resources has spearheaded a successful program.
"He made it known, you got me down now, but I'm not going to stay down," Tillar said.
A former quarterback at Jackson State, Asberry helped head coach Rod Broadway - now at Grambling State - orchestrate two CIAA championships at N.C. Central in 2005 and 2006, serving as an assistant head coach before accepting his first head coaching job at Shaw.
In a short time, Asberry, 38, has won 28 games, captured two conference titles, led the Bears to the NCAA Division II playoffs and distinguished himself as one of the nation's top Division II coaches.
"To do what he's done at Shaw definitely puts him in the arena with successful [historically black college and university] coaches in the country," said LeCounte Conaway, an analyst with Heritage Sports Radio Network.
"He's winning. ... He's proven that his teams are going to be very competitive, well-prepared and also they're going to have talent."
A lot of that talent - more than 30 junior college transfers - comes from the South.
Asberry is a son of the South, born in Baton Rouge, La. He attended Southern Laboratory High School on the campus of Southern University, home to the Bayou Classic.
He cheered, though, for Jackson State, then a Division I-AA program in Jackson, Miss., the school where he would spend five college football seasons.
Asberry became a starting quarterback there as a senior in 1994. Before graduating with a degree in criminal justice, he played for coaches W.C. Gordan and John Shannon, a former offensive coordinator at Marshall.
He possessed a decent throwing arm, accurate if not overpowering.
"He was a quarterback that could make some plays below the belly button," Shannon said. "If the offensive line wasn't perfect, I could rely on him to scramble and make a throw. Or scramble and extend the chains with his legs."
Those legs carried Asberry through two professional seasons in the Canadian Football League and the World Football League.
Coaching future
With no future in the NFL, Asberry returned to his alma mater as a graduate assistant. He lived in the dorms for two years and immersed himself in the language of football.
Shannon, still head coach, assigned Asberry to the defensive scout team, where he was required to memorize coverages and instruct without using play cards.
"I knew right there, this was my calling because it came so natural to me," Asberry said.
Asberry accepted his first professional job as an offensive coordinator at Albany State during the 1997-98 season. He returned to Jackson State in 1999 and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2000.
In 2001, the Tigers led the nation among Division I Football Championship Subdivision schools with an average of 344 passing yards per game. The following season they led the nation in total offensive yards with 485 per game.
"I call plays just like I'm playing the position," Asberry said.
The 6-foot-3 Asberry looks a little heavier than in his playing days and is a lot less nimble. Yet he can still put a little mustard on his passes.
Airing it out
Last month, during the final practice of the spring before the team's annual Maroon and White scrimmage, he inserted himself at quarterback for seven-on-seven play.
The Bears practiced at N.C. Central during the spring because of poor field conditions at Chavis Park, where they usually practice. On this night, dressed in sweat pants and a gray hoodie, the head coach talked with typical bravado, warming up his aged right arm.
"Whenever you want some, call me up," Asberry announced to defensive coordinator Robert Massey.
His first pass skidded in the grass.
Shuffling his feet in the pocket, Asberry's dropped three steps for his second pass and found wideout DeAndre Okonji over the middle.
On his third pass, he heaved a rainbow spiral to wideout Julius Gregory that went for a touchdown.
Asberry launched his fourth pass down the right sideline, hitting Gregory in stride in the end zone.
From his playing days at Jackson State, Asberry studied passing offenses, borrowing and developing what he calls the "Magnolia Spread." It's a wide-open offense that provides receivers with multiple route options on any given possession.
He found success with it at N.C. Central, where in 2004 the Eagles had the top offense in the CIAA.
Broadway, who coached the Eagles from 2002-2006, said Asberry understands the importance of defense but his strength is offense.
"He's very creative," Broadway said. "They come to see the offense throw the ball in the air. ... He obviously does his homework in terms of what defenses are presenting. That Magnolia spread is exciting."
Program limits
Asberry must level with recruits about Shaw's deficiencies. The program does not have a private practice facility or a home stadium.
Last season, the Bears played games at Millbrook High after two seasons at Durham County Memorial Stadium. It's a sore subject for Asberry, who has pleaded with the athletic department to build a stadium. He has also looked to the city for support.
For inspiration, he recalls his time at Jackson State, where coaches spoke about how famous alumni like Walter Payton succeeded despite meager facilities.
"We lifted on the same weight bench that he lifted on, so that tells you we didn't have much," Asberry said. "But what we did have is some coaches that were loyal to us; we were loyal to them. They wanted the best for our career, the game and after football."
He tries to deliver the same.
Emotional connection
"You can really see the emotion through his eyes and the way he's talking," former Shaw quarterback Travis Robinson said. "You can really tell that he connects with the team. Everybody loves him."
It's a mutual feeling that has kept Asberry awake at night thinking about last season. He watches film of the game against Fayetteville State, where a bad snap sailed over the punter's head and led to a Broncos safety and one-point lead with four minutes remaining.
The 29-28 loss pushed the Bears out of contention for the Western Division title and a shot at a third consecutive conference title. Asberry watches the film over and over.
"Every night," he said. "We had them where we wanted them, and it slipped away."
It's sure to motivate him.
