The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) has experienced a seismic shift in its coaching ranks, with an unprecedented turnover of head coaches in HBCU football. Of the 12 head coaches featured in the 2022 SWAC Preseason Guide, only one remains in their role as of December 3, 2024. This rapid change underscores the volatility and increasing competitiveness within HBCU football.
The wave of changes began in October 2022 when Arkansas-Pine Bluff dismissed Doc Gamble after a string of disappointing seasons. Gamble has since found a new role as special teams coordinator at Florida A&M. At Bethune-Cookman, Terry Sims saw his contract go unrenewed after the 2022 season; he now serves as Director of Football Operations at Alabama State.
Deion Sanders’ high-profile exit from Jackson State to lead Colorado football grabbed national headlines and set the tone for a transformative year. Mississippi Valley State’s Vincent Dancy followed Sanders to Colorado, joining as an assistant after resigning from his head coaching role.
The 2023 season brought even more upheaval. Southern University parted ways with Eric Dooley in November, who is now offensive coordinator at Grambling State. Grambling itself saw the departure of Hue Jackson, who was dismissed the same month; Jackson has since transitioned into an assistant general manager role at Georgia State. Alcorn State’s long-standing head coach Fred McNair resigned in December 2023 and now works as Southern University’s tight ends coach.
Texas Southern also opted for a fresh start by not renewing Clarence McKinney’s contract at the end of 2023. The following year, Florida A&M’s Willie Simmons resigned to join Duke University as running backs coach, leaving behind a program coming off a SWAC title and Celebration Bowl win. Prairie View A&M’s Bubba McDowell and Alabama A&M’s Connell Maynor are the most recent departures, with McDowell’s contract not renewed after the 2024 season and Maynor fired just days ago.
That leaves Alabama State’s Eddie Robinson Jr., hired in November 2021, as the league’s longest-tenured head coach.
These moves reflect both the growing expectations and opportunities within HBCU football. The SWAC has become a proving ground for coaches, with national visibility raising the stakes for performance and program success. The challenge for these programs now lies in identifying leaders who can meet the lofty expectations set by alumni, fans, and stakeholders alike.