Grambling State hires ex-NFL head coach Hue Jackson to lead football program

Former NFL coach Hue Jackson was named head coach at Grambling State on Friday.

Jackson, 56, last served as a head coach with the Cleveland Browns from 2016 to '18. He also coached the Raiders in 2011.

Most recently, he was the offensive coordinator at Tennessee State.

Jackson brings more than three decades of coaching experience to Grambling. Before transitioning to the NFL in 2001, he spent 14 seasons as a college assistant, including nine in the Pac-12 at Arizona State, California and USC.

His hiring continues a trend of prominent NFL figures coaching at historically black colleges.

Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders was hired at Jackson State in 2020 and was named SWAC Coach of the Year last month. Former All-Pro running back Eddie George was hired at Tennessee State in April.

Jackson replaces Broderick Fobbs, a former Grambling running back, who was fired on Nov. 15.

Fobbs won SWAC championships in 2016 and 2017 but was unable to reach double-digit wins again. He went 0-4 in the spring after COVID-19 delayed the 2020 season and was fired after going 3-7 this fall.