The trend of hiring former NFL players as college coaches continued as Terrell Buckley was named the head coach at Mississippi Valley State University.
The 53-year-old Buckley was a decorated cornerback during his days at Florida State, winning the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s best defensive back. He was drafted in the first round of the 1992 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers and played for the Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos, New York Jets, and New York Giants, and won a Super Bowl title with the New England Patriots in 2001.
He spent 14 seasons in the NFL and finished with 50 interceptions.
‘We’re going to build a culture of accountability, hard work, and belief – because winning starts with the standards we set and the mindset we bring every single day,’ Buckley said in a statement.
Buckley replaces Kendrick Wade, who was fired after two seasons and a dismal 2-21 record. His only head coaching experience was one season with the Orlando Guardians of the XFL in 2023. The Guardians had a 1-9 record that season and folded after they were not part of the new UFL merger.
Buckley follows several high-profile former NFL players who have been hired at HBCUs, including Deion Sanders at Jackson State, who then moved on to Colorado; Eddie George, who is at Tennessee State; Michael Vick, who took the reins at Norfolk State and DeSean Jackson who was hired at Delaware State.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.