Deion Sanders is in place as Jackson State's head coach, and his staff is already coming together.
According to Joe Cook of WAPT-TV in Jackson, the Tigers' new staff will break down as follows:
Offensive coordinator: Jason Phillips
Wide receivers coach: Terrell Owens
Defensive coordinator: Dennis Thurman
Defensive line coach: Warren Sapp
Defensive backs coach: Mario Edwards, Sr.
JSU holdovers TC Taylor Otis Riddley will remain on Sanders' staff in as-yet-undefined roles, Cook also reported. Taylor, the Tigers' offensive coordinator in 2019, was a strong candidate for the full-time job that ultimately went to Sanders. Riddley coached the team's offensive line, and will presumably remain in that role on the new staff.
FootballScoop has also been told Thurman, Edwards, Taylor and Riddley are expected be part of Coach Prime's new staff in some capacity. We can not confirm the others.
Jason Phillips is the former NFL wide receiver who coached previously at Baylor, SMU, Houston, Oregon State, among other stops, and currently coaches wideouts at Utah State -- not the Alcorn State coach of the same name, FootballScoop is told.
Edwards is a former NFL player with the Cowboys, Buccaneers and Dolphins. The father of the standout Florida State defensive tackle and formerly a senior defensive analyst with the Seminoles, he has extensive ties to the Dallas-Fort Worth area high school scene, where he now coaches at Rockwall.
Thurman has spent over three decades coaching defenses in the college and professional ranks, culminating in a 4-year run as the Jets and Bills defensive coordinator from 2013-16. He last worked as the defensive coordinator for the AAF's Memphis Express in 2019.
Owens and Sapp have no relevant college coaching experience, but have busts near Sanders's in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
"We've met twice a week on Zoom for quite some time. We've already had installs, offensive and defensively, as well as special teams. The reluctancy is just to secure people. Some of those people are still employed at various colleges," Sanders said Tuesday. "We're just trying to secure them to make sure they don't ruffle any feathers, but that staff has been completed for quite some time. Probably for the last several months, it's been done.
That staff, like I alluded to yesterday, has 84 years combined of NFL coaching and playing experience."
The staff has already hit the recruiting trail aggressively, offering 5-star defensive tackle Maason Smith on Monday night. As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.
Update> Prime has tweeted that Joe Cook's full list is incorrect. Will have more on the staff when we can confirm.
Warren Sapp told Katherine Smith he will not be part of this staff.
TO says he's not in either.