Courtesy of Grambling Athletics
GRAMBLING, La. | Grambling State University has named Mickey Joseph as the 15th head football coach, announced by Vice-President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Trayvean Scott on Monday morning.
Jospeh brings a wealth of coaching experience spanning three decades to Grambling. His most recent stop was at the University of Nebraska, his alma mater, where he served as associate head coach, wide receivers coach, and passing game coordinator during the 2022 season. He completed the 2022 campaign as interim head coach for the Cornhuskers.
Prior to NU, he spent five seasons on staff at LSU. In 2017, he joined the Tigers as wide receivers coach. He was elevated to associate head coach in 2020. Joseph was a key member of LSU’s 2019 national championship staff. His receivers set an FBS record with 60 touchdown receptions and helping Joe Burrow claim a Heisman Trophy amassing 5,671 passing yards.
In 2019, LSU assembled the best group of receivers in SEC history. The Tigers’ three starters–Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Terrace Marshall–combined for 241 receptions for 3,991 yards and 51 touchdowns.
His reputation for recruiting and developing wide receivers was highlighted at LSU when he was recognized as a Rivals Top 25 recruiter, and had four wide receivers selected in the first three rounds of the 2020 and 2021 NFL Drafts (2020 and 2021). That includes Chase, who was the 2021 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after being selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 Draft and Jefferson, the 22nd pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Marrero, La. native was part of an offensive staff that helped LSU set several SEC records in 2019, including passing yards (6,024), passing TDs (61) and total offense per game (568.4) en route to a 15-0 season and national championship. Joseph also helped LSU post a 10-3 record in 2018 and a 9-4 mark in 2017.
In 2016, Mickey Joseph worked as running backs coach at neighboring Louisiana Tech. He helped the Bulldogs to a 9-5 record and win in the Armed Forces Bowl. The Bulldogs ranked No. 2 in the nation in scoring in 2016, averaging 44.3 points per game. Tech averaged 514.9 total yards game, which included 363.4 passing and 151.6 on the ground.
Mickey Joseph is no stranger to Grambling State. From 2014 to 2015 he served as wide receivers coach and special teams coach for the G-Men. When he arrived at Grambling, the Tigers were coming off a 1-10 record in 2013. In the two years he spent with the G-Men, Grambling finished 7-5 (2014) and 9-3 with a SWAC West Championship in 2015.
In 2015, Joseph’s receivers totaled 2,250 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns as Grambling’s scoring offense ranked fourth and passing offense ranked 21st among all FCS programs nationally.
Prior to Grambling, he was the special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach at Alcorn State in 2013, helping the school to a 9-3 record, its most wins in 30 years.
He spent five seasons at Langston University from 2008 to 2012, elevating to head coach in 2011. He led the Lions to 13-7 record in two seasons.
Mickey Joseph got his first collegiate coaching job at Wayne State College in Nebraska in 1997, which he followed with a season at his high school alma mater Archbishop Shaw High School in New Orleans in 1998. From there, Joseph served as a graduate assistant at Tulane in 1999 and then coached receivers at Alabama State in 2000.
He coached quarterbacks at Nicholls State for three years (2001-03) and then spent two seasons as the running backs coach at Central Oklahoma (2004-05).
Before his tenure at Langston, Joseph served as the head football coach and Director of Athletics for Desire Street Academy, a private school in the New Orleans’ Ninth Ward area. His main goal was to help get young kids out of the underprivileged area to improve their overall quality of life through sports. At the time of Hurricane Katrina, Joseph was responsible of moving the private school to Florida along with relocating the student- athletes. That year, the team had a record of 1-3, however, in 2008 Joseph turned the team around to a 10-3 record. Seven out of 25 players were able to sign with NCAA Division I programs.
During the summer of 2012 he also spent time with Houston Texans as part of an NFL minority internship. While in Houston, Joseph worked with the running backs and all aspects of the special teams units.
Joseph played quarterback at Nebraska from 1988-91. As a junior Joseph led the Cornhuskers to a 9-3 overall mark after accounting for 21 touchdowns (11 rushing, 10 passing). In his four years at Nebraska, the Cornhuskers posted a 39-9-1 overall mark and appeared in the Orange Bowl twice, the Citrus Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl.
In four years with the Cornhuskers, Joseph played in 34 regular season games and accounted for 30 touchdowns (16 rushing, 14 passing). His best season came as a junior in 1990 when he played in all 12 games, throwing for 624 yards and 11 touchdowns to go along with 554 rushing yards and 10 TDs.
Joseph was the top recruit coming out of Archbishop Shaw High School in Marrero when he was recruited to the University of Nebraska. In 1987, he was awarded Gatorade Player of the Year and First-Team Parade All-American. The standout football player was also a two-time All-State MVP and three-time All-District MVP.