The Texas Southern job formally opened three days before Thanksgiving. As we sit now three days after Christmas, the Tigers are no closer to hiring a head coach than they were back in November.
Industry sources indicated the week before the holiday that Alcorn's Fred McNair was close to becoming Texas Southern's next head coach. The university called a Dec. 15 meeting to approve a 4-year contract that would have paid McNair $313,000 per year, according to HBCU Legends. The meeting came and went without formal approval for an offer.
Four days later, on Dec. 19, Texas Southern called another board meeting, again with the express purpose of gathering the votes necessary to approve McNair's hiring. Again, the meeting came and went without an offer.
The same day, Alcorn State announced it could not come to an agreement on a new contract for McNair. Defensive coordinator Cedric Thomas was promoted to replace McNair.
Then, on Thursday, the TSU Board of Regents met for a third time within a 2-week period to hire a new head football coach, and for the third time the board was not able to agree on a candidate.
At this point, more than five weeks after the job opened, Texas Southern hasn't even zeroed their search down to one person.
TSU AD Dr. Kevin Granger said in a statement he will be taking "a few additional days" to consider candidates. Candidates, with an s.
BREAKING: Texas Southern’s Board of Regents has announced it has again tabled a decision to name a football coach. pic.twitter.com/q7eDfsOGNC
— HBCU Sports (@HBCUSports) December 28, 2023
According to HBCU Legends, two members of TSU's board want the Houston-based university to hire former Houston Texan Andre Johnson for the job. Johnson played the bulk of his Hall of Fame-level career in Houston, but his coaching experience is limited to one season as a special advisor to the Texans' front office. A November article in the Houston Chronicle argued for Johnson's hiring, and the former Texan said he "would be open" to becoming a Tiger.
Beyond Johnson, Dave Campbell's Texas Football reported that former Tennessee State head coach Rod Reed and longtime NFL assistant Alvin Reynolds are names that could be discussed.
Perhaps the Johnson contingent wins enough of the board over to garner him the necessary votes. Perhaps Reed or Reynolds emerge as compromise candidates. Or perhaps the board circles back to where it started and hires McNair.
Only one thing is certain: the Texas Southern search is not over until it is o-v-e-r. And maybe not even then.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.