Coach Fred McNair Takes Over Play Calling For The Southern Jaguars

Coach Terrence Graves made a critical decision to salvage the remainder of the season for the Southern Jaguars.

Fred McNair Takes Charge Of Jaguars Offensive Play Calling | IMAGN; HBCU Legends, Kyle T. Mosley

On Tuesday afternoon, head coach Terrence Graves announced that Southern University has promoted Fred McNair to co-offensive coordinator, three games into the 2025 season. McNair will be the primary playcaller for the Jaguars for the remainder of the season.

Why? It's due to the team's offensive struggles under now co-offensive coordinator Mark Federick.

Coach Graves gave his rationale behind the switch: "His wisdom. Game experience. His championship pedigree. He's done it at a high level. And, he can add some things that will help us out because we're struggling in a few areas. We just need some expertise, some experience to help us with that."

Graves is aiming to leverage McNair's championship experience and expertise to enhance play calling and production after losing to Alabama State, falling to 1-2. Fortunately for the Jaguars, Saturday's loss would not count against them in the SWAC race.

Coach McNair being elevated to the co-offensive coordinator's role will revitalize a Jaguars offense that had underperformed against top opposition with a run-heavy scheme that was not yielding enough points.

"He can add some things that will help us out because we are struggling in a few areas."

Terrence Graves explains the decision to switch to Fred McNair as #Southern's play-caller.

I'll have a lot more on the move and comments from McNair on @WAFB at 6. pic.twitter.com/GmZonWC2gd

— Kevin Batiste (@KBatisteJr) September 9, 2025

Rationale for McNair's Promotion

• Head coach Terrence Graves specifically cited McNair's veteran leadership, previous coordinator experience, and championship pedigree as reasons for the move.
• In early 2025, Southern's offense appeared ineffective, struggling to generate points against strong opponents despite possessing a talented running back corps.
• The staff shake-up aimed to energize the offense and diversify play calling, with McNair becoming the primary play caller and sharing coordinator duties to create a new spark on offense.

2024 Offensive Production

• Southern averaged 20.9 points per game and scored 32 total touchdowns in 2024.
• The team posted 239 first downs (99 rushing, 118 passing), with a third-down conversion rate of 35.7%.
• The running game was solid, producing 156.2 yards per game.
• Passing efficiency lagged, with only 15 touchdowns, 2701 total passing yards, 207.8 yards per game, on the season.

2025 Offensive Production (through three games)

• Southern averaged 18.33 points per game through the first three games, a notable decrease from 2024's average.
• The team managed 217.0 rushing yards per game and just 130.3 passing yards per game, with a heavy reliance on the ground attack.
• Touchdowns were down: only five rushing and two passing touchdowns in three games.
• Average yards per play sat at 5.3, with a total offense output of 347.3 yards per game.

Final Analysis

The 2025 squad experienced a decline in offensive performance compared to 2024, especially in terms of scoring and passing yards.

The offense's heavy reliance on the running game generated yardage but did not translate into enough points or big passing plays, highlighting the need for a more balanced offensive strategy.

• McNair’s Alcorn State offenses consistently led the SWAC in total yardage and balanced scoring over several seasons, relying on dual-threat quarterbacks and dynamic running backs.
• His playbooks emphasized tempo changes, misdirection, and the exploitation of matchups. - Per Southern

Overall, Southern’s offense will become more disciplined and decisive.

McNair's promotion to head coach midway through the season indicates a push for offensive improvement, as he aims to utilize his play-calling and program-building experience to help the Jaguars get back on track.

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