Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk has been named the new head coach at Southern University.
Faulk has one year of college coaching experience, serving as the running backs coach at Colorado under Deion Sanders.
Southern alumni Aeneas Williams and Avery Johnson were instrumental in recruiting Faulk for the position.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk introduced himself as the new head coach at Southern University by saying he found his calling as coach despite his lack of experience in the profession and was “sold” to take the job by two prominent Southern alumni — Pro Football Hall of Famer Aeneas Williams and former NBA player Avery Johnson.
Faulk talked about it Monday Dec. 1 at his introductory news conference in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Faulk, 52, has only one year of coaching experience in college football after spending the past season as running backs coach at Colorado under head coach Deion Sanders.
“I could have stayed at Colorado. I was comfortable,” Faulk said. “But I’ve never done well in life when comfortable. Like, I’m the kind of person who needs to be a little uncomfortable. And I’m not gonna lie to you. This is uncomfortable. and I like it.”
Aeneas Williams and Avery Johnson ‘sold’ Southern to Faulk
Before coaching at Colorado, Faulk worked in financial services and as an analyst for the NFL Network. He is from New Orleans and played high school football there before playing college football at San Diego State.
Asked about his lack of experience, Faulk downplayed it. He is the latest in a trend of NFL legends with little or no coaching experience to take over at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), including Deion Sanders (Jackson State), Eddie George (Tennessee State), DeSean Jackson (Delta State) and Michael Vick (Norfolk State).
“What’s there to question?” Faulk said when asked about his lack of experience. “You know and I know this is my first head coaching job. I don’t think there’s a question. You can’t give answers to anything like that. You know, it’s like anything else. Just wait and see. Like, time will tell. You’ll get to decide whether what they’re saying or what I’m doing works.”
Williams and Johnson “sold” Southern to him, Faulk said. He said they’re “like brothers to me.” Williams was a teammate of Faulk’s with the St. Louis Rams.
“This is indeed a pivotal moment for Southern University football,” said Johnson, who also was an NBA coach. To demonstrate how big of moment it was, Johnson added that “I’ve never flown here for a football press conference.”
Marshall Faulk said he’s decided on 90% of his coaching staff
Faulk said 90% of his coaching staff is in place but declined to reveal names until the hirings were made official. Some coaches from Colorado could join him after the Buffaloes finished the season with a 3-9 record.
Faulk takes over a Southern team that finished 2-10 in 2025 but won the Bayou Classic against Grambling State on Saturday in New Orleans, 28-27.
Southern athletic director Roman Banks said he wanted a “game-changer” to help Southern compete in this new age of college sports, when players are paid for their name, image and likeness. Faulk’s fame already has drawn more attention to Southern. Banks said the hire recently led to “phone calls that we’ve never been able to get to upgrade” facilities.
Looking forward to the 2026 season Faulk just had a special request for Southern supporters. He said he hopes they stay after the halftime show featuring Southern’s famed band.
“I hope that you guys like football in the second half as much as well as you do in the first half,” Faulk said. “Although I love the band, there will be football played in the third and fourth quarters.”
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com