By REED DESALVO

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ — James Allen Coley thought he had the next four years of his life planned when he committed to the University of Louisiana-Monroe in July.

But now the Cathedral High School standout is searching for a new school with less than a week remaining before National Signing Day on Feb. 3.

Despite receiving a letter from then interim-ULM head football coach John Mumford, saying Coley’s commitment to the school will be upheld through the school’s coaching transition, the linebacker’s scholarship offer has since been pulled from the new ULM coaching staff, Coley said.

Mumford said in the letter that he spoke to both ULM President Nick Bruno and Athletics Director Brian Wickstrom, both of whom said Coley’s “commitment will be honored and you have a secured spot in the ULM 2016 Signing Class.”

Coley said he also spoke to ULM head football coach Matt Viator in mid-December, approximately a week after Viator was introduced as the Warhawks’ next head man.

“We talked for about 15 minutes,” Coley recalled of his conversation with Viator. “(Viator) said he looked at my film and that he talked to the other (ULM) coaches, and they couldn’t wait to have me.”

Bruno and Wickstrom did not return calls seeking comment Monday and Tuesday.

The News-Star in Monroe reported on Jan. 11 that Coley had decommitted from ULM.

Coley, who chose the Warhawks over offers from Louisiana Tech and Southern Miss, said Monday he never gave any indication of a decommitment to a ULM staffer.

The 6-foot-4, 245-pound linebacker prospect was set to visit the Monroe-based campus on Jan. 15. Coley, however, said he received a phone call from a member of Viator’s staff on Jan. 7 informing him that he no longer had a scholarship offer.

Coley could not recall the staff member who placed the call.

“He could never tell me why,” Coley explained. “All he said was, ‘We just feel like this is best for us.’”

Coley’s high school coach, Ron Rushing, said he received a phone call from Viator shortly after to inform him why Cooley’s scholarship had been pulled, but Rushing told Viator that he needed to speak with Coley and not him.

“I’m not owed anything,” Rushing said. “They told me they were going to call (Coley) and tell him what happened.”

Coley said he has yet to hear from the ULM coach.

The rescinding of verbal offers from colleges to prospective student-athletes is not unusual in recruiting, particularly during a coaching change.

In the last two weeks, the University of Michigan has rescinded one recruit’s scholarship offer and told another recruit there was a potential his scholarship could also be pulled. LSU, meanwhile, asked former 2013 pledge Tevin Lawson to accept a grayshirt offer a week before Signing Day after being committed to the Tigers for several months.

“I know kids get lost between coaches; it happens every year,” Rushing said. “But with the letter he received and the call from (Viator) … I just felt like he was owed an explanation …The family is owed an explanation.”

With less than a week remaining before Signing Day, Coley and his family are weighing a variety of options available in an attempt to find a new suitor.

“I’m just disappointed in the way they handled things,” Coley said. “I understand with a coaching change, (Viator) wants to bring in new people, and I understand that. But for the head coach to look at everything and talk to the other coaches, and then call me personally and told me my scholarship is good and not to worry about anything (it’s disappointing).”