Courtesy of JSU Athletics
JACKSON, Miss. | Jackson State head coach T.C. Taylor announced the addition of one new assistant coach and title changes for a pair of coaches on staff from the defending HBCU National Champions.
New to Jackson
Taylor added former Charlotte assistant Justin Sanders to the staff for the 2025 season. Prior to Charlotte, Sanders spent four years as the defensive backs coach at fellow SWAC-HBCU Texas Southern University following a three-year stint at back-to-back National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Champion East Mississippi Community College. He has been effective in coaching a ball-hawking defense.
At TSU, Sanders’ defensive backs led the Southwestern Athletic Conference with 17 interceptions, four of which were returned for touchdowns. The Tigers added 33 pass breakups. In 2021, TSU had 10 picks and 43 breakups. In his first season, the secondary also registered 43. Sanders went to TSU after spending three seasons as a secondary coach and special teams coordinator at nationally-acclaimed junior college power East Mississippi Community College from 2016-18. EMCC won back-to-back NJCAA National Championships and three consecutive MACJC State Championships during his tenure. EMCC went 33-2 during his time there and owned the top-ranked scoring defense in the country in 2018.
He also held stops as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M and North Carolina. A native of Pearl (Miss.), Sanders starred at Illinois and was a part of the team’s 2007 Rose Bowl squad that had an impressive turnaround to finish 9-4 and post a win over No. 1-ranked Ohio State. He had 57 tackles, including 4.0 TFL, eight PBU, and three forced fumbles. He would go on to sign a free-agent contract with the NFL’s Detroit Lions in 2008.
New JSU Coaches
Former quality control coach Aaron Jackson has been promoted to assistant coach, working with the defensive line. Last season, Jackson worked with the line on a defense that finished with eight all-conference selections and an All-American in Jeremiah Williams. The Tigers finished the year ranked in several categories including team passing efficiency defense (third), team defense (fourth), scoring defense (sixth), third down conversion percentage defense (seventh), passing yards allowed (ninth), passes intercepted (12th), rushing defense (13th), team tackles for loss (17th), turnovers gained (18th), team sacks (18th), sacks allowed (31st), fumbles recovered (35th), first downs defense (40th), and turnover margin (45th). He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Jackson State in 2019, working two years in that position and two more as an analyst before coaching at Hinds Community College in 2023.
Player to Coach
Meanwhile, Mario Magana Jr. adds the title Director of Player Personnel to his resume heading into the 2025 HBCU football season, Last season he coached cornerbacks for a team that finished ranked nationally in team passing efficiency defense (third), team defense (fourth), scoring defense (sixth), third down conversion percentage defense (seventh), passing yards allowed (ninth), passes intercepted (12th), rushing defense (13th), team tackles for loss (17th), turnovers gained (18th), team sacks (18th), sacks allowed (31st), fumbles recovered (35th), first downs defense (40th), and turnover margin (45th). This past season, he also coached All-American Ke’Vric Wiggins Jr. and Robert McDaniel, who signed as an undrafted free agent with the Washington Commanders, and he is starting his third season on the Tigers’ staff.
Meanwhile, former Tiger Esaias Guthrie joins the staff as a defensive analyst after helping lead the team to the 2024 SWAC championship and HBCU National Championship. During his time at Jackson State and Delaware State, he was named All-Conference (in the MEAC and SWAC) three times and was named a HERO Sports FCS Freshman All-America. Guthrie finished with 98 total tackles in 25 games at Jackson State, adding 7.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. He also intercepted a pair of passes and 10 pass breakups.