College Institutions Ramping Up Recruitment of Ex-NFL Prodigies as Coaches: An Examination of the Deion Sanders Trend
In the world of college football, a new trend is emerging as former NFL players take on head coaching roles. This shift began with the legendary Deion Sanders, who started the trend by leading Jackson State to a record-breaking winning percentage.
Sanders, who called DeSean Jackson for advice on navigating the challenges at a historically Black university, led Jackson State to a record of 27-6, the best winning percentage in the school's history. His success opened up opportunities for other former players to become coaches, such as DeSean Jackson and Eddie George.
Jackson, despite having limited coaching experience, was hired as the head football coach at Delaware State. Similarly, Eddie George was hired as the head coach at Tennessee State, despite never having coached before.
The rise of former players in coaching positions is not limited to historically Black universities. In the most powerful conferences, nonwhite players accounted for 66% of the roster spots last year, while nonwhite coaches accounted for 25%.
Mike Locksley, the founder of the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches, believes that this trend has created another pathway for qualified coaches in the game of football. Locksley, who was a career assistant before being hired as a head coach, founded his coaches association in 2020 to equip minority coaches with better preparation.
The academy program in Locksley's association pairs young coaches with sitting athletic directors and power brokers to discuss the nuances of the top job. This program has been instrumental in the success of coaches like Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman and Michigan's Sherrone Moore, who are among the nine minority head coaches hired since Locksley created his association.
However, success or failure in these jobs has far-reaching implications due to the economics of college athletics. Football programs typically generate the lion's share of an athletic department's revenue, making the performance of these coaches crucial for their institutions.
The increase in nonwhite players and coaches is also noteworthy. By 2024, the percentage of nonwhite players had increased to 65%, while nonwhite coaches made up 23% of their ranks. This disparity between players and coaches is still significant, but the trend towards greater diversity is clear.
Other notable examples of former NFL players turned college coaches include Joe Moglia, who was the chief executive of TD Ameritrade, and was named the head coach at Coastal Carolina in 2012, despite having no traditional coaching background. Similarly, Eddie Robinson Jr., an alumnus who had played in the NFL before going into broadcasting, was named the coach at Alabama State.
In recent years, there have been very few former NFL players who have taken college football head coach positions without prior experience as assistant coaches or coordinators. However, the success of coaches like Sanders, Jackson, and George is proving that this is not always a requirement for success.
As more former NFL players take on coaching roles, it will be interesting to see if this trend continues and how it impacts the future of college football. For now, one thing is certain: the game of football is becoming more accessible to a wider range of individuals, and that can only be a good thing.
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