According to a recent USA TODAY feature examining the challenges Black coaches face in landing major college football jobs, Southern University head coach Marshall Faulk believes former Black NFL stars are often held to a different standard when trying to move into leadership positions.
Faulk, a Pro Football Hall of Famer entering his first season as Southern’s head coach, was one of several high-profile Black coaches interviewed by USA TODAY Sports for a story exploring racial disparities in college football hiring practices.
The article noted that only 13 Black head coaches currently lead programs at the FBS level despite Black athletes making up nearly half of all Football Bowl Subdivision rosters during the 2024-25 academic year.
Faulk did not hold back when discussing what he sees as unequal opportunities for Black coaches compared to their White counterparts.
“Football’s the only sport that players struggle to come off the field and become a coach,” Faulk told USA TODAY Sports. “They look at us like if you’re successful at the game playing then you won’t be successful at the game in any other capacity.”
Marshall Faulk points to “comfort” factor in hiring
Throughout the USA TODAY story, one word repeatedly surfaced from coaches discussing the issue: comfort.
Faulk argued that decision-makers in college football often feel more comfortable hiring candidates who look like them or come from familiar coaching circles.
The Southern coach referenced several examples where White former players or coaches received major opportunities despite limited experience, including former NFL quarterback Matt Ryan being hired into an executive role with the Atlanta Falcons and former NBA player JJ Redick becoming head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers without prior coaching experience.
“I’m just gonna say what it is,” Faulk said. “Matt Ryan can be a GM… JJ Redick can get the Lakers job. But can Marshall Faulk get the Rams job? Hell no. It is what it is.”
Faulk acknowledged Southern “made a reach” by hiring him after just one season as Colorado’s running backs coach under Deion Sanders, but he questioned why similar risks are not taken more frequently on Black candidates at the Power Four or NFL levels.
HBCUs creating a different pathway
The USA TODAY report highlighted how Historically Black Colleges and Universities have become a critical entry point for former Black NFL stars seeking head coaching opportunities.
Faulk joined Southern after Sanders’ successful run at Jackson State helped redefine what HBCU programs could mean for coaching development and visibility.
Other former NFL stars currently coaching at HBCUs include Norfolk State’s Michael Vick and Delaware State’s DeSean Jackson, while Eddie George recently parlayed success at Tennessee State into the head coaching job at Bowling Green.
Faulk said coaches like Sanders are helping create an alternative path to leadership opportunities.
“There’s a level of comfort, but we, if this is the route we have to go to show like Coach Prime did, that hey, I can lead an organization, I can do what I need to do, then I’ll do that,” Faulk said.
Southern football enters new era under Faulk
Faulk, a New Orleans native and one of the greatest running backs in NFL history, officially took over Southern’s program in December 2025.
He will make his debut as Southern’s head coach later this year after spending one season at Colorado on Sanders’ staff.
Despite the broader conversation surrounding opportunities for Black coaches, Faulk told USA TODAY he has embraced the challenges that come with leading an HBCU football program.
“It’s been entertaining, fun, exciting and a headache all in one,” Faulk said. “But I wouldn’t change it.”