LSU assistant being eyed by Southern, per report

Southern University and LSU are two football programs located in the same city. Southern now has an opening at its head coaching position and it may not have to look far to fill it.

LSU assistant Mickey Joseph has been named as a candidate “high on the list” for the Southern job, per Rivals’ Tiger Details. The job became open earlier this week when Dawson Odums resigned to take the Norfolk State job.

A source tells HBCU Gameday that Southern will look to make a permanent hire shortly, perhaps in the next two weeks. The source says the preference is for someone with head coaching experience.

Meanwhile, other current head coaches within the HBCU world are said to be at least interested, if not candidates for the job. Miles College head coach Reginald Ruffin is one name that has been floated, along with current Alabama A&M head coach Connell Maynor.

Joseph came to LSU in 2017 as a receivers coach, and was named assistant head coach last year. He helped coach Ja’Marr Chase to the 2019 Biletnikoff Award for best wide receiver as LSU won the national title.

In addition to stops at Louisiana Tech, Nicholls State and Central Oklahoma, Joseph also has extensive experience in HBCUs, including the SWAC.

It started with a short stint at Alabama State as wide receivers coach in 2000. He spent five seasons at Langston University, including two as head coach. From there, he spent the 2013 season as wide receivers coach for Alcorn State before joining Broderick Fobbs first staff at Grambling. Joseph spent two years there, helping to turn around the then-struggling program before getting the WR coaches job at Louisiana Tech.

Southern would likely have to account for a sizable salary gap to land Joseph. Joseph’s current salary, according to Football Scoop, is $407k per year, with bonuses that could pay up to $75k in a year. His base is nearly twice the $210k per year Southern was paying Odums before he left.