Copyright Baton Rouge Advocate
The five-game losing streak wasn’t the sole reason for Terrence Graves’ firing as Southern football coach on Monday. Athletic director Roman Banks said Southern's urgency to make a change now, as it sits 1-6, which is its worst start to a season since 1971, is due to how severely the team has been outplayed. “You don't want to lose, but you can accept when you lose some games,” Banks said at Southern’s media availability on Tuesday. “But it's tough to look at it, and you have to find a solution when you're not feeling like you're competing for the entire game. That got us to this point.” In Southern’s six games against Southwestern Athletic and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opponents, it’s been outscored 197-85. It's one of three SWAC teams without a conference win. The Jaguars entered 2025 voted the preseason No. 1 team in the SWAC West by coaches and sports information directors and the preseason No. 4 team in the BOXTOROW national HBCU football media poll. Banks formally introduced interim coach Fred McNair, who has been the team’s co-offensive coordinator and play-caller since Sept. 9, on Tuesday. The former Alcorn State head coach joined the program in 2024 as a tight ends coach and then was the quarterbacks coach to open this season. Banks expects that moving on to a new coach can help reinvigorate the program so it can “get ourselves back competing very hard, showing the pride of Southern and also for our fans that have expectations.” When the nine-year athletic director was asked when he made the decision on Graves, Banks, who had an impromptu press conference after Southern's 24-3 loss to Prairie View on Saturday, said that it happened on Monday. McNair was selected as the interim coach due to his wealth of experience of putting a winning product on the field in the SWAC. “We had a person with a dynamic resume that I felt could get us through this point, because he has had the experience of being a head coach, made tough decisions," Banks said. "And I literally have seen his team, probably not with the most of talent or the best of talent at all time, but (still) a team that fights and win.” McNair coached at Alcorn State from 2016-23, compiling a record of 47-33. He led Alcorn State to four Southwestern Athletic Conference East Division titles, two SWAC championships (2018 and 2019) and was the SWAC Coach of the Year twice. This is his first time as a head coach on an interim basis. He thanked the university’s administration for believing in him to lead the Jaguars to a strong close to the season. McNair, who will continue calling plays, explained how he addressed players Monday after sharing the news of Graves’ departure. “After having a meeting with them last night, it was very, very good,” McNair said. “I felt very good with the response that we got from them during the course of practice last night. They was very energized and, you know, we just gonna continue to press on in terms of getting the young men upbeat and do what they have to do to win the next ball game.” Banks said the removal of Graves was not a reactionary decision. He said the plan for Graves was to build off a successful first season that resulted in last year’s SWAC Championship game appearance and to be even better with numerous returners, such as defensive end Ckelby Givens. The senior is the reigning Co-SWAC Defensive Player of the Year and leads the conference in sacks and tackles for loss, presently. On the coaching search, Banks said there will be an internal and external team put together to find the next Jaguars coach. He has confidence that they will look widely for candidates after speaking with his staff about fundraising, as well as seeing the commitment from the Southern University Board of Supervisors, including chairman Tony Clayton. To ensure ample time for recruiting, a decision on a new coach would ideally happen soon after the Bayou Classic on Nov. 29, Banks said. When McNair was asked if he views the rest of the season as his audition to become the full-time coach, he said he’s focused on “putting his best foot forward.” “Wherever the chips lay, they lay,” he said. “It's going to be an administration decision in terms of what they do for its next head coach, but I'm gonna put my best foot forward in terms of what I got to do to win the next few ball games that we have left on our schedule because that's my job now.” Southern will be looking for its fourth coach since Dawson Odum left the program for Norfolk State after the 2020 season. None of the three hires since Odum have coached a full two seasons. Banks said Monday that he feels comfortable with the coaching decisions he’s made in the recent past. “I think we felt pretty good,” he said. “We won our division twice. So, you know, there are a lot of people that don't come close to winning (their) divisions. “This was different because expectations were so high and that the game plan was there. Once again, not just not winning those games, but the way we competed in those games. I think that's the difference.” When Banks was asked for his message to fans who feel discouraged with how the season has played out thus far, he said the team, especially players, need their support now more than ever.
