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WINSTON-SALEM (MCT) — Kermit Blount's 17-year career as the football coach at Winston-Salem State University will end Saturday.

Blount, who has more career victories than any football coach in school history, will be reassigned to another department to finish out his contract, which will expire in December 2010.

The Rams (1-9) will close one of the worst seasons in program history Saturday at Norfolk State.

''This wasn't about just wins and losses," said Chancellor Donald Reaves, who made a joint decision with incoming Athletics Director Bill Hayes to change coaches. "We need to re-energize the program, and that become obvious this season."

Reaves and Hayes, who will officially start at Winston-Salem State on Jan. 1, agreed that it was a tough decision but one that had to made. Blount was told of the decision Wednesday night.

The Rams have lost 10 of their last 11 games dating to last season, and with one more loss will finish with their worst record since 1975. Blount, 51, has a 91-86-3 record and two more wins than Hayes had during his 12-year career as Winston-Salem State's coach from 1976 to 1987.

Hayes, the athletics director at Florida A&M and Blount's former coach, said by telephone from Orlando, Fla., that although he and Blount have known each other a long time, a change was in the best interest of the program.

Blount's salary will be about $105,000 for the final year of his contract.

Reaves said that Blount's reassignment will not be in athletics. Blount has been in his position longer than all but two other college football coaches in North Carolina. Only Jerry Moore of Appalachian State (21 years) and Jim Sypult of Methodist (18 years) have longer tenures.

In addition to Winston-Salem State's struggles on the field, players and coaches have had to deal with the school's decision in September to abandon the move to Division I and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

The Rams also lost two running backs in midseason when Brandon McRae and David Ahola quit the team. On the field, the Rams struggled on offense, averaging just 11.1 points — the low during Blount's career. They lost two games decisively (27-10 to S.C. State and 45-14 to California Davis) and lost two others in overtime.