Deion Sanders went 3-3 in his first season as Jackson State's head coach, but already the move has been viewed so successfully that it's inspired imitators. Eddie George is in place as Tennessee State's head coach, and another Hall of Fame running back could be on the way.
According to a report Tuesday from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Southern has held discussions about its head coaching vacancy with Marshall Faulk.
Faulk's bona fides as a player are beyond question. He turned down Power 5 offers as a defensive back to play running back at San Diego State, a risk that paid off as he became a three-time First Team All-American, the WAC Offensive Player of the Year, a Heisman Trophy runner up and, eventually, a College Football Hall of Famer.
As a Colt and a Ram, he won a Rookie of the Year award, an NFL MVP and a Super Bowl. He was a three-time All-Pro and a seven-time Pro Bowler. Most telling, Faulk's No. 28 was retired by San Diego State and the Rams, and he's a member of the Colts' ring of honor.
But Faulk wouldn't be hired to play, of course. The 48-year-old has no coaching experience, but he do the next best thing: he spent a long time on TV, analyzing football for the NFL Network. Faulk was removed from the network in 2017 over sexual assault allegations; he settled with the network in 2018.
Southern went 4-1 in the spring campaign. The Jaguars' head coaching job came open when Dawson Odums resigned last week to take the Norfolk State job.
Southern has also interviewed Alabama A&M head coach Cornell Maynor last week, according to HBCU Gameday. Maynor has Alabama A&M in the SWAC Championship against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.
