HBCU Legacy Bowl Selects Head Coaches

The HBCU Legacy Bowl will have a mix of head coaches for the four major HBCU conferences.

The HBCU Legacy Bowl will have a mix of head coaches from the SWAC, MEAC, CIAA, and SIAC.  The selection of coaches have the following football experience and honors:

• HBCU National Championship,
• Division II AFCA National Coach of the Year,
• MEAC Coach of the Year,
• CIAA Coach of the Year,
• FCS Playoffs team, 
• NCAA Division II playoff teams

“The goal of this game is to showcase the immense talent in Black College Football today. These coaches are proven winners,” said BCFHOF Co-Founder and Trustee Doug Williams. “The Board of Trustees felt these coaches could bring out the best in each of these players and also be terrific representatives of the HBCU Legacy Bowl.”

Team Gaither

South Carolina State head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough is presented the Celebration Bowl trophy following the game in Atlanta, Ga., on Saturday, December 18, 2021. Cb49; Credit:© Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK

The HBCU National Champions will be represented in the Big Easy as South Carolina State's head coach Buddy Pough will coach the Team Gaither offense. For eighteen seasons, Coach Pough has been the well-respected leader of the SCS Bulldogs. He fielded the 2021 HBCU National Champions and Celebration Bowl winners this past season. Pough has an overall record of 120-64 and 94-33 in the MEAC.

Bowie State's Damon Wilson will lead the defense for Team Gaither. He is coming off a Division II AFCA National Coach of the Year campaign. Wilson and the Bulldogs won their third-straight CIAA championship and fourth-consecutive NCAA playoff bid in his twelfth season. Wilson's overall head coaching record is 89-45.

Team Gaither honors Florida A&M's legendary head coach Alonzo Smith "Jake" Gaither. In his 25 years as the Rattlers' coach, Gaither posted a 204-36-4 record.

Team Robinson

Coach Simmons hold Florida Classic Trophy; Credit: FAMU Athletics

Florida A&M Rattlers' head coach Willie Simmons will install one of the SWAC's potent offensive schemes for Team Robinson. Simmons' team was granted a berth to the 2021-22 FCS Playoffs after finishing second to Jackson State in the SWAC East division. The Rattlers lost to the Southeastern Louisiana Lions in the first round of the playoffs in Hammond, LA. Coach Simmons has compiled a 24-10 winning record as FAMU's head coach.

Gabe Giardina - Head Coach, Albany State Golden Rams

Albany State Golden Rams' leader Gabe Giardina will hope to stampede Team Gaither with his defensive strategy. Giardina completed his fourth season with ASU and earned a 2021 NCAA Division II playoff bid but fell to West Georgia in the opening round. His record is 30-14 as the Gold Rams' head coach.

Team Robinson will honor the GOAT of coaches, Grambling State's Eddie Robinson. Coach Rob was the head coach at GSU for 56 years and compiled a record of 408-165-15. At one point, Robinson eclipsed Paul "Bear" Bryant as the winningest coach in college football. His record stands at No. 3 on the overall winningest head coach list behind John Gagliardi (St. John's) and Joe Paterno (Penn State).

THE HBCU LEGACY BOWL BROADCAST

NFL Network will have will Steve Wyche (play-by-play), Charles Davis (game analyst), and Bucky Brooks (field analyst) in the broadcast booth to call the HBCU Legacy Bowl's live coverage from Yulman Stadium in New Orleans.

"We are thrilled to partner with the National Football League to broadcast the HBCU Legacy Bowl on NFL Network in February," said Doug Williams, Super Bowl XXII MVP and Black College Hall of Fame co-founder. "Providing standout players from HBCU's with the opportunity to showcase their skills and talent on a national platform is tremendously exciting and rewarding."

The HBCU Legacy Bowl, presented by the Black College Football Hall of Fame, is a postseason all-star game showcasing the best NFL draft-eligible football players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. For more information, visit HBCULegacyBowl.com.

The Inaugural HBCU Legacy Bowl will be held on Saturday, February 19, at 3:00 PM CT.

Partners of the HBCU Legacy Bowl:

• Adidas, 
• Allstate Sugar Bowl, 
• Coors Light, 
• New Orleans Saints, 
• State Farm, 
• The State of Louisiana, 
• National Football League, 
• 15 and the Mahomies Foundation, 
• Riddell, 
• The United States Coast Guard,
• Terron Armstead, 
• Aaron Donald, 
• Patrick Mahomes, 
• Bobby Wagner, 
• Jameis Winston

NFL Network is the exclusive broadcast home of four collegiate all-star games:

• Saturday, January 29 at 6:00 PM ET – 2022 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl
• Thursday, February 3 at 8:00 PM ET – 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl
• Saturday, February 5 at 2:30 PM ET – 2022 Reese's Senior Bowl
• Saturday, February 19 at 4:00 PM ET – 2022 HBCU Legacy Bowl

Links to the Black College Football Hall of Fame and HBCU Legacy Bowl:

1. www.HBCULegacyBowl.com
2. www.Instagram.com/HBCULegacyBowl
3. www.Twitter.com/HBCULegacyBowl
4. www.BlackCollegeFootballHOF.org
5. www.Twitter.com/BCFHOF
6. www.Facebook.com/BlackCollegeFootballHOF
7. www.Instagram.com/BlackCollegeFootballHOF
8. HBCU Legacy Bowl Ticket Information

HBCU Football Coverage

• Is Today's NFL Black Head Coach In a 'No-Win' Situation?
• Jerry Rice on Being a Head Coach: 'It's Starting to Cross My Mind'
• FAMU's Markquese Bell Invited to the NFL Combine
• NFL and HBCU Legend Thomas Henderson Interview
• Prairie View Selects Bubba McDowell as Head Coach
• Deion Sanders, Hue Jackson, and HBCU Coaches Can Capitalize on Comments
• Celebration Bowl Attendance Outpaced Several FBS Bowl Games
• HBCU Football's Top Stories of 2021
• HBCU Coaches Are Masters in 'The Art of Flipping Recruits'
• John Madden Coached These HBCU Legends
• Deion Sanders to Rich Eisen: At Jackson State, 'We Recruit Up'