Marshall Faulk is just a few weeks away from the start of the 2026 college football regular season. He is not yet comfortable being the head coach at Southern University and does not trust fans who might be spies in disguise.
The 53-year-old Hall of Fame running back does not have any prior experience in his new role!
Although Faulk will continue to learn as he goes, the first eight months on the job have not been easy. Every new day as a college football coach brings its own new challenges.
Marshall Faulk is not yet comfortable as a college football coach.
Southern University hired Marshall Faulk as its new head coach at the end of November. One of the greatest running backs in NFL history has only one prior year of experience in coaching college football. He was in charge of the running backs under Deion Sanders at Colorado last season. This is his first opportunity as head coach.
There will be an adjustment period.
With fall camp officially underway, Faulk admitted that he is still getting a hang of things. Every day brings a new problem that he must solve. No day is the same. It keeps him in a constant state of uncertainty, which makes it hard to get fully comfortable in his new role.
“I’m not comfortable with being a head coach yet,” Faulk said.
He does not know whether he will ever reach a point where he feels that way.
“I don’t know if there’s comfort in being a head coach. Every day when I lay down there is a problem — when I wake up there’s a problem. So there’s no real comfort in that.”
Although he is not fully confident in what he is doing as a head coach, Faulk feels secure in the people around him. The university provided him with a great support system to help navigate the new challenges.
“I should say the comfort is in my athletic director. It’s in my board. In my chancellor — my president. Them helping me to resolve whatever those problems are so that we can put the best product on the field.”
And yet, there will always be a sense of uncertainty. Faulk remains skeptical toward new experiences.
Southern University keeps practice open to potential spies.
One of the first things that Marshall Faulk must learn to trust is the fans. Southern holds its practices at A.W. Mumford Stadium, right in the middle of campus.
Fans often gather outside of the gates to get a glimpse of their team during practice through a transparent fence around the stadium. They are known as “The Street Committee.”
Faulk is grateful for their support but he does not fully trust them — or anyone — when it comes to watching practice. Southern has a quarterback battle on its hands. The head coach does not want people to know anything about it.
He is especially paranoid of spies. His opponents could just as easily gather outside of the gates to gain an advantage. Even the apartment complex that overlooks the stadium makes him uncomfortable. Faulk doesn’t like that his team is exposed.
“I am so skeptical. Those apartments bother me. I wanted to put a black tarp along the gate. I would have pissed (our fans) off.”
Faulk makes a good point. Although it is cool to see the most passionate fans show such a great interest in his program, there is nothing to stop a spy from cosplaying as a Southern fan to watch the Jaguars during practice.
Even if Marshall Faulk is not yet comfortable in his new role, the mystery of a first-year coaching staff (and overhauled roster) provides Southern with a huge advantage during the early season. Nobody knows what to expect, unless… they watch practice!