College Football HQ

College football program signs $1.2 million deal with NFL legend

Rowan Fisher Shotton|
Los Angeles, CA, USA; NFL former player Marshall Faulk during the NFL Alumni Legends Party Presented by USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures at Avalon Hollywood.
Los Angeles, CA, USA; NFL former player Marshall Faulk during the NFL Alumni Legends Party Presented by USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures at Avalon Hollywood. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Southern University Jaguars

On the field this season, Southern University went 2-10 (1-7 SWAC), posting 18.6 points per game while allowing more than 36.

The season included heavy losses to FBS opponents and conference defeats, highlighted by a nine-game midseason skid, but the Jaguars salvaged the year with a dramatic 28–27 Bayou Classic win over Grambling to close the schedule.

The season also concluded with a high-profile move, with the Jaguars hiring Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk as their next head coach.

The school announced the hire on November 29, and Faulk was formally introduced on December 1. 

The move pairs a storied HBCU program that struggled on the field this year with one of the most accomplished offensive players in modern pro football, and it comes with a notable financial commitment from the university. 

Faulk’s agreement reportedly runs for three years, totaling about $1.2 million (roughly $400,000 per year), and includes an assistant-coach salary pool approaching $950,000.

This signals a clear commitment by Southern to invest in its coaching staff and program infrastructure as it seeks to regain competitiveness in the SWAC.

Faulk arrives in Baton Rouge after one season on Deion Sanders’ Colorado staff, where he served as running backs coach. 

More famously, he brings to Southern a Hall-of-Fame resume few schools can match: a 12-year NFL career highlighted by 12,279 rushing yards, 767 catches for 6,875 receiving yards, and 136 total touchdowns, an NFL MVP award (2000), a Super Bowl ring, and a 2011 Canton induction. 

Thursday Night football analyst Marshall Faulk.
Tampa, FL, USA; Thursday Night football analyst Marshall Faulk prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New England Patriots at Raymond James Stadium. | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Hiring a Hall of Famer for his first head-coaching job is as much a statement move as a football decision.

Southern gains immediate profile and recruiting leverage, with Faulk’s name expected to boost fundraising, transfer interest, and national exposure.

The longer-term outcome, however, will depend on whether that visibility translates into roster upgrades, stable staff construction, and measurable on-field improvement.

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Rowan Fisher
ROWAN FISHER SHOTTON

Rowan Fisher-Shotton is a versatile journalist known for sharp analysis, player-driven storytelling, and quick-turn coverage across CFB, CBB, the NBA, WNBA, and NFL. A Wilfrid Laurier alum and lifelong athlete, he’s written for FanSided, Pro Football Network, Athlon Sports, and Newsweek, tackling every beat with both a reporter’s edge and a player’s eye.

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