Following a trend, DeSean Jackson takes over as head coach at Delaware State.
Delaware State has hired DeSean Jackson as its new head coach, continuing the growing trend of former NFL players taking on coaching positions at the collegiate level with little to no experience. The influence of Deion Sanders, who started his coaching career at Jackson State before moving on to Colorado, is evident in this move, which follows Michael Vick’s recent appointment as head coach at Norfolk State.
Jackson currently oversees a collegiate football program despite having only one season of experience as a high school wide receivers coach on his coaching resume. Having raised awareness of HBCU football while at Jackson State and later at Colorado, where he coached two Heisman hopefuls, including victor Travis Hunter, Sanders’ performance has surely helped to establish this trend.
But Jackson might encounter difficulties that Sanders evaded. Without such star power, Jackson will have to start his Delaware State team from scratch, unlike Sanders, who had the benefit of coaching top-tier recruits and his gifted quarterback son.
The fact that Jackson and Michael Vick will be competing as head coaches the next season makes for an exciting matchup between two NFL greats who are now collegiate leaders.
This increase in the number of former NFL players taking on head coaching positions demonstrates how college football is changing. Name recognition and charm frequently carry just as much weight as traditional coaching expertise, especially as the transfer portal becomes more and more important to team success. Although this change presents former athletes with great options, it also raises concerns about the sport’s long-term impacts.
Leave a Reply