On Monday morning, storied HBCU football program Grambling State named longtime college football coach Mickey Joseph its new head football coach.
Grambling State Welcomes Mickey Joseph as Head Football Coach#GramFam | #ThisIsTheG????https://t.co/pc0Y4GXcmy
— Grambling State Athletics (@GSU_TIGERS) December 18, 2023
Joseph becomes the Tigers’ 15th head coach, following Hue Jackson, who went 8-14 over two seasons as Grambling’s coach from 2022 – 2023. Vice-President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Trayvean Scott made today’s announcement.
Joseph has almost 30 years of experience in coaching.
In 2022, he returned to his alma mater, Nebraska, as the associate head coach, wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator. He ended up finishing the season as the team’s interim head coach after Scott Frost was fired. That made Joseph the Cornhuskers’ first Black head coach in any sport in school history.
Prior to his time at Nebraska, Joseph was at LSU, where he won a national championship in 2019. During that time, he was instrumental in attracting and developing the talents of NFL star receivers Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase.
He also coached at programs such as Wayne State College (Nebraska), Tulane, Nicholls State, Central Oklahoma and Louisiana Tech. But he also spent time with HBCU programs, including Alcorn State, Langston University, Alabama State and Grambling State.
“It’s great to be back. It’s great to be back,” said Joseph during the introductory press conference. “I want to thank you guys for believing in me. I want to thank the (search) committee for believing in me and everybody that’s here today.”
Joseph served as the wide receivers and special teams coach at Grambling from 2014 to 2015. Prior to his arrival, the Tigers were 1-10, but in his two seasons in Louisiana, the team went 7-5 and 9-3, winning a SWAC West Championship in 2015.
Now as he officially takes the reins for the Tigers, Joseph will aim to turn the team’s fortunes around again after a 5-6 season last year.
“It’s time to get to work,” said Joseph. “They need to fear Grambling. And that’s what we plan to do.”
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