New Orleans native Marshall Faulk is returning to his home state as Southern University head coach after serving as Deion Sanders’ running backs coach at Colorado for one season.
Faulk admitted he is putting himself in an “uncomfortable” position by taking the job and leaving Colorado during his introductory press conference on Dec. 1.
“I could have stayed at Colorado. I was comfortable. But I’ve never done well in life when comfortable. And I’m not gonna lie to you. This is uncomfortable. and I like it,” Faulk said on the Southern University campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The NFL Hall of Fame running back, who starred with the St. Louis Rams and was a major component of “The Greatest Show on Turf,” won a Super Bowl and played in another. The 2000 NFL Most Valuable Player was also All-Pro in seven seasons.
But he has only the single year in Colorado on his coaching resume. It was not a season of gleaming success.
Faulk oversaw a Colorado rushing offense that finished 15th of 16 teams in the Big 12 Conference. The Buffs averaged just 125.6 yards per game during a dismal 3-9 season that ended last Saturday with a 24-14 loss at Kansas State.
According to Wali Pitt of HBCU Gameday, Southern has been courting Faulk as far back as 2021 but “conversations began but stalled, largely because the timing never aligned. And Southern moved forward.”
The Jaguars played in the SWAC championship game last year, but after a 1-6 start to the 2025 season, head coach Terrence Graves was dismissed and a rebuild of the football program began.
Fred “Air” McNair, who starred at Alcorn State and later returned as its head coach, served as interim head coach for Southern after Graves was fired at midseason. He led 1-10 Southern to a shocking 28-27 win over favored Grambling in the 52nd Bayou Classic last Saturday in New Orleans.
Kevin Batiste of WAFB 9Sports reported last week that Southern officials traveled to Boulder to meet with Faulk and that a deal was struck during the talks.
“A prominent donor helped accelerate the process, and the agreement was reportedly finalized soon afterward,” Pitt wrote.
The acclaimed Southern University marching band lit up the atmosphere minutes before Faulk was introduced, and the new coach promised it would not be the only show on game days.
“I hope that you guys like football in the second half as well as you do in the first half,” Faulk said.
“Although I love the band, there will be football played in the third and fourth quarters.”
The Reid Roundup
Many media members, me included, found Marshall Faulk to be somewhat abrasive and aloof during interviews but also at nonprofit and other public events… Faulk joins a list of former Black NFL players who joined HBCU coaching ranks. Deion Sanders won back-to-back SWAC titles at Jackson State before moving on to Colorado… Eddie George guided Tennessee State to the FCS playoffs before taking over at Bowling Green… DeSean Jackson turned around Delaware State’s fortunes in his first season, closing at 7-3… Michael Vick’s first season at Norfolk State was rough, with his team ending the season 1-11… Albany State topped Benedict College on Nov. 29 to advance to the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Division II playoffs. The HBCU Golden Rams are 12-1, the best record in school history, and host Newberry College on Dec. 6… Oregon State has hired Alabama co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard as its next head coach. This is his first head coaching position after serving as a trusted assistant under coach Kalen DeBoer at Washington and Alabama… Detroit wide receiver Jameson Williams posted six catches for 112 yards and a 41-yard touchdown in the Lions’ Thanksgiving Day loss to the Green Bay Packers. He also took blame for a key drop in the fourth quarter, although QB Jared Goff’s pass was off the mark. “I dropped it. I catch that, we get a first down, we don’t have to kick a field goal.”… Some Pittsburgh Steelers fans want coach Mike Tomlin gone. Many chanted “Fire Tomlin” throughout a dismal loss to the visiting Buffalo Bills.