While many football fans were following the Lane Kiffin Sweepstakes last weekend, there was other coaching news involving our Alumni brothers Marshall Faulk and Carson Palmer.
Faulk, who this season was an assistant coach at the University of Colorado under Deion Sanders, accepted an offer to return to his collegiate alma mater and become head coach at Southern University in Baton Rouge. The 52-year old Faulk was born in New Orleans and played his high school ball there.
“For me to have my first head coaching job in this state that gave me everything, it means the world to me to be here,” the Pro Football Hall of Famer said at his initial press conference last Monday. “However I can lend my name, image and likeness to attract companies to our university, and whatever I can do to help fundraise here, I’m gonna do it.”
Sanders, who began his college coaching career at Jackson State (MS), told Faulk that coaching in the Southwest Athletic Conference is “challenging but it’s rewarding.” Faulk, indeed, has a challenging job ahead of him but already has begun by recruiting players and building a coaching staff at the HBCU school.
Carson Palmer, the 15-year (2003-17) veteran NFL quarterback, took over Santa Margarita Catholic High School (CA) this year and led the team to the Section Division 1 Championship last Friday night at the Rose Bowl. It was Palmer’s first season as a high school coach. He played for Santa Margarita in the late ‘90s and led the school to back-to-back titles as their all-state quarterback.
“It’s totally different but even more special and I don’t know why,” Coach Palmer says comparing last Friday’s win at the Rose Bowl to his two championship victories there as a high school player.
The Santa Margarita coaching staff this season included NFL alums T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Rob Thomas, Mike Karney, and Steve Fifita.
We at NFL Alumni congratulate both Marshall Faulk and Carson Palmer as well as all our brothers who coach our great sport at every level.
