Texas Southern Engages Search Firm in Men's Basketball Coach Hunt

HOUSTON — Texas Southern University has launched a national search for its next men's basketball head coach, hiring a nationally recognized search firm to lead the process—a key step for an administration still stabilizing after a coaching departure and an empty athletic director's office.

Interim Athletic Director Dr. Paula L. Jackson confirmed the search on April 23, indicating Texas Southern's intent to pursue a structured, deliberate process to select its next leader for one of the SWAC's top programs.

"Texas Southern University men's basketball is a storied program that has stood as a leader in developing student-athletes on and off the court," Dr. Jackson said. "We are committed to conducting a thorough and strategic search to ensure we evaluate a strong and diverse pool of candidates from which we will find the right leader who can build upon our tradition of success and continue to elevate our program."

The vacancy follows head coach Johnny Jones’s departure after eight seasons to return to his alma mater, LSU, as an assistant under new head coach Will Wade.

Jones ended his tenure at Texas Southern as one of its top coaches, with four NCAA Tournament appearances, nine straight postseason berths, and the program's second NCAA Tournament victory in 2021. He is the third SWAC head coach in recent years to leave for an assistant job at an FBS program.

Longtime assistant under Johnny Jones, Shyrone Chatman, is serving as interim head coach while the search proceeds.

Dr. Paula Jackson - Texas Southern's Interim Athletic Director | Texas Southern University

The Search Firm Factor

Texas Southern has not named the search firm, but options are well-known for mid-major and HBCU athletic searches. Major players include Collegiate Sports Associates, Parker Executive Search, and CarrSports Consulting, each offering a unique approach to candidate selection and fit.

Renaissance Search & Consulting, founded by Herb Courtney, is a Black-owned firm focused on diversifying college athletics, including hiring for HBCU positions. Another firm specializing in HBCU leadership and executive retention is .

Collegiate Sports Associates, led by longtime Division I administrator Todd Turner, emphasizes deep institutional knowledge of campus culture. Prairie View A&M used CSA to land athletic director Anton Goff. He told HBCU Legends that Collegiate Sports Associates coordinated the search that produced head football coach Tremaine Jackson.

Parker Executive Search, based in Atlanta, is a leading firm in college athletics, directing over 90 FBS-level head coaching and athletic director searches. CarrSports Consulting has made 130 national placements in 25 years and has been recognized by the Black AD Alliance for advancing opportunities for Black athletic administrators and coaches, in line with Texas Southern's mission and the SWAC landscape. The firm recently led Marshall University's search for an athletic director.

Regardless of which firm Texas Southern hired, expectations are for a structured, multi-phase process: needs assessment, candidate identification, vetting, finalist interviews, and selection. The firm’s HBCU and mid-major basketball networks will affect the quality of the candidate pool.

The Financial Impact?

Search firms usually charge a retainer, often near 30% of the coach's first-year pay. Some searches include or exclude incentives and bonuses in the final invoice.

HBCUs have faced scrutiny for using firms not primarily Black-owned. Also, with tight athletic budgets, what message does hiring a search firm at the cost of one or two assistant coaches send?

Still, a search firm may streamline the process for an overwhelmed institution by handling candidate identification, prescreens, interviews, and negotiations. The value is often understated.

What this means for Dr. Jackson

Dr. Jackson and her committee face a complex challenge: Texas Southern has no permanent athletic director or head coach, and the transfer portal opened the same week Jones resigned. Keeping the current roster stable during a coaching search is one of college athletics’ toughest tasks.

Could a successful search give Dr. Jackson an advantage to motivate President J.W. Crawford to remove the “interim” tag and elevate her as the next Texas Southern University athletic director?

TSU's Priorities

The university says it seeks a coach with strong leadership, student-athlete development, and proven competitiveness in the SWAC and beyond. Jones’ program posted the top Academic Progress Rate among HBCU men’s basketball in 2023–24, a bar the next coach must meet.

Texas Southern has long used its Houston base—one of the nation’s best prep basketball markets—to build rosters capable of postseason wins. That advantage remains, but the next coach must sell the city, program, and HBCU experience to top recruits.

Texas Southern stated that further updates on the coaching search will be shared as developments occur. With nine straight postseason appearances, the urgency for a strong hire is clear. By using a search firm, the university emphasizes its commitment to finding the right leader, and readers are encouraged to follow updates as the process continues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Johnny Jones leave Texas Southern?

Jones departed after eight seasons to join LSU as an assistant coach under new Tigers head coach Will Wade — a homecoming to the program where he played and previously served as head coach from 2012 to 2017.

Who is running Texas Southern athletics during the search?

Dr. Paula L. Jackson is serving as Interim Athletic Director following the firing of Kevin Granger in early March. She is leading the head coach search.

Who is the interim head coach at Texas Southern?

Longtime assistant Shyrone Chatman, 47, is interim head coach. He previously was an assistant at Memphis and UMass.

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