Southern Fires Head Coach Terrence Graves After Two Seasons

The 2025 FCS football coaching carousel has officially started.

After only two seasons, Terrence Graves is out as head coach at Southern. Graves was fired just days after Southern's homecoming loss to Prairie View A&M.

It's been an abysmal season for the Jaguars, which fell to 1-6 (0-3 SWAC) after Saturday's blowout loss. In those six losses, the Jaguars were outscored 224-58, losing every game by 17 or more points. Southern's only win came against Mississippi Valley State, a program without a Division I win this year.

"I want to thank Coach Graves for the energy, determination, and for leading the team to a Western Division championship," Southern athletic director Roman Banks said in a released statement. "Graves' connection to Southern University runs deep - he will always be a Jaguar.

"This was a difficult decision, but the results on the field were not acceptable. After evaluating every aspect of the football program. I believe that it is in the best interests of Southern football student-athletes, our fans, and our university."

Southern Jaguars' head coach Terrence Graves — Southern head coach Terrence Graves | Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In his two seasons, Graves finished 10-11 overall, including a win in the Bayou Classic as the interim head coach in 2023. He led the Jaguars to the SWAC Championship game last season, finishing 8-5, but fell to Jackson State in a 41-13 rout.

Southern ranks dead last in the SWAC in scoring offense (13.1), total offense (285.4), and offensive efficiency (106.1). The Jaguars haven't found any success defensively either, ranking No. 11 in scoring defense (36.1) and total defense (424.3).

Former Alcorn State head coach Fred McNair will serve as the interim head coach. In seven seasons at Alcorn State, McNair was 48-33 overall and won back-to-back SWAC Championships in 2018-19.

McNair served as the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach this season. He also took over play-calling as the co-offensive coordinator after Week 3.

In an ironic twist, Southern's previous head coach, Eric Dooley, was also fired after losing to Prairie View A&M in 2023. The Jaguars will be searching for their fourth head coach since Dawson Odums departed for Norfolk State in 2020.

Graves had multiple stints at Southern, starting his career as a graduate assisstant in 1994. He served as the co-defensive coordinator from 2000-02, returning in 2004 as the defensive coordintor and linebackers coach until 2009. He was the assistant head coach in 2023 under Dooley, where he was named interim head coach after Dooley was fired.

Follow FCS Football Central on social media for ongoing coverage of FCS football, including on X, Facebook, and YouTube.