HBCU legend gets a shot as interim head coach

BATON ROUGE, La. — Few names carry more respect in HBCU football circles than Fred McNair, and now the longtime Alcorn State leader finds himself back in the spotlight — this time in Baton Rouge. Southern University announced Monday that McNair will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2025 season following the dismissal of Terrence Graves.

McNair, who joined the Southern University coaching staff in the fall of 2024, brings both stability and championship pedigree to a program searching for direction. The older brother of the late NFL quarterback Steve McNair, Fred McNair spent seven seasons as head coach at Alcorn State, where he guided the Braves to multiple SWAC East Division titles and a conference championship in 2019.

After stepping down from Alcorn State following the 2023 season, McNair arrived in Baton Rouge as the Jaguars’ tight ends coach. He was promoted to quarterbacks coach prior to the 2025 season and then to co-offensive coordinator. He shared duties with Mark Frederick — as Southern tried to spark an offense that had grown stagnant. Now, in a matter of days, he’s gone from co-coordinator to caretaker of one of the most tradition-rich programs in HBCU football.

McNair will lead Southern against his HBCU

At Alcorn, McNair’s teams played with discipline and clarity. They didn’t waste possessions, didn’t flinch late in games, and often made the routine look surgical. That’s what Southern is hoping to rediscover after a 1–6 start that has seen it average just 17.5 points per game while surrendering nearly twice that.

The road ahead offers no favors. Southern still has Florida A&M at home, back-to-back road trips to Arkansas–Pine Bluff and his beloved Alcorn State, then closes with Texas Southern and the Bayou Classic against Grambling. McNair’s challenge isn’t so much about running the table as much as giving a team that’s been searching for rhythm a sense of direction again.

McNair has long emphasized the basics — execution, confidence, and consistency — as the difference between good teams and great ones.

The Work in Front of McNair

This Southern University team hasn’t lacked effort. It’s been details — missed red-zone chances, penalties, and turnovers at the wrong time — that have undone its progress. The Jaguars have reached the red zone 19 times this season but scored touchdowns on less than half those trips. McNair’s job now is less about installing a new system and more about restoring belief.

He inherits a few bright spots: Trey Holly’s 513 rushing yards and four touchdowns, Ckelby Givens’ 7.5 sacks up front, and a defense that, despite its inconsistencies, plays hard through every possession. But numbers won’t tell the story of how McNair’s steady presence lands in a locker room that’s been through change, frustration, and noise.

That’s where his strength lies — not in slogans or flash, but in calm. McNair doesn’t raise his voice to be heard; he coaches until he’s understood. And that’s exactly what Southern University needs right now: a steady hand in a season that’s lost its rhythm, but maybe not its soul.