Marshall Faulk Takes on First Head Coaching Role
Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk is heading back to his origins for his debut as a head coach.
Reports have surfaced indicating that Faulk will become the head coach at Southern University, an HBCU located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
This marks his first head coaching position in college football, and he’s returning to his home state.
As a New Orleans native, Faulk steps into this role after Deion Sanders’ inaugural season coaching the University of Colorado.
Though Faulk had previously been offered opportunities to coach at the college level, he declined those until he eventually joined Sanders’ staff.
“I received a job request,” Faulk shared with ESPN. “If it wasn’t for Coach Prime, I wouldn’t have even considered this. It wasn’t on my radar at all. I put in countless hours during my playing days, trying to learn about the game as much as I could, like I did as a player and coach. After leaving the sport, I was surprised at just how much time I dedicated to it.”
His hiring aligns with a trend of former NFL players stepping into coaching roles at the college level.
Earlier this year, Michael Vick became the head coach at Norfolk State.
Faulk had a storied 12-year NFL career from 1994 to 2005, being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
He was recognized as NFL MVP in 2000, claimed the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award three times, and made seven Pro Bowl appearances.
Concluding his career, Faulk accumulated 12,279 rushing yards and 100 touchdowns.
Faulk also had a remarkable college career at San Diego State University, earning All-American honors twice and being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
Southern University parted ways with head coach Terrence Graves last month after a disappointing start to the season, going 1-6.
The team is currently struggling with a record of 1-10, and their final game of the season is set against Grambling this Saturday.
Faulk will be stepping into the role as the fifth head coach for the program since 2020.
Meanwhile, Colorado is preparing for its last game against Kansas State on Saturday.
