DeSean Jackson Becomes Latest Former NFL Star to Coach at HBCU

Deion Sanders’ coaching career is far from over, but whenever it ends, the former NFL star and MLB player might go down as a trendsetter in college football. 

On Friday, Delaware State, a historically black college, named former NFL wide receiver DeSean Jackson as its next head coach, taking over a program that has been among the worst in Division I. The hire came less than two weeks after Norfolk State named Michael Vick, Jackson’s former Eagles teammate, as its next head coach. 

Jackson replaces former coach Lee Hull who went 2-21 over two seasons at DSU before recently being fired. 

Both Sanders and Jackson coached high school football before entering the college ranks. Sanders coached at Prime Prep, a high school he co-founded, from 2012 to 2013, while Jackson spent this past season as an offensive coordinator for Woodrow Wilson High School in Los Angeles. Vick interned for the Kansas City Chiefs and served as a consultant for the Atlanta Legends in the now-defunct Alliance of American Football. Vick also served as an analyst on Fox. 

None of the three former NFL Pro Bowlers are doing it for the money. Jackson earned more than $90 million in his career; Vick made nearly $116 million without endorsements. Sanders was the rare athlete to have dual income as a professional athlete playing baseball and football simultaneously. 

In 2020, Sanders took over a Jackson State program that hadn’t posted a winning season since 2013. The Tigers went 11–2 and 12–2 in Sanders’ second and third seasons, respectively, and received national recognition and publicity. He then left for Colorado, which is 9-3 this season, his second in Boulder, and will play in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday. 

Norfolk State and Delaware State are seeking similar success. The Spartans have had just two winning seasons since 2011, while the Hornets haven’t won six games since 2012. 

Unlike Sanders, who had no ties to Jackson State or Mississippi when he took that job, Vick grew up 30 minutes from Norfolk State in Newport News, Va. Jackson, a Los Angeles native, starred for the Eagles roughly 90 minutes away from Delaware State’s Dover campus, giving him some familiarity with the area. 

“The opportunity for me to help write another chapter here at DSU is a once-in-a-lifetime moment,” Jackson said in the school’s official announcement.

Jackson spent 15 seasons in the NFL and was the first player selected to the Pro Bowl for two different positions when he was named to the 2010 game as a wide receiver and kick returner. He amassed over 11,000 yards receiving in his career and holds the NFL record for most touchdowns more than 60 yards, with 26. He spent eight seasons with the Eagles over two stints and also played for the Redskins, Buccaneers and Ravens before retiring in 2023. 

Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid coached both Vick and Jackson in Philadelphia and strongly endorsed Jackson for the Hornets’ job. Sanders’ success appears to have been a factor in both recent hires, but Jackson and Vick having their own success could really open the door to more opportunities for other schools and former players. 

“DeSean is like a son to me – a fierce competitor on the field, without rival, and a quality leader off of it,” said Reid in DSU’s release. “I could not be more supportive of his desire to coach Division I football and would stake my career on his success at Delaware State University.”