JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Jackson State University announced NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders as its next head football coach Monday, September 21, according to a news report from WJTV.
Sanders confirmed he had been hired during an episode of his podcast on Sunday, the report said. He was joined by Jackson State President Thomas Hudson and Athletic Director Ashley Robinson.
“I am truly blessed to be the 21st Head football coach of Jackson State University,” said Sanders. “This amazing HBCU has always enjoyed a high level of commitment academically and athletically. It’s my desire to continue this storied tradition and history of JSU and prayerfully bring more national recognition to the athletes, the university, the Sonic Boom of the South, and HBCUs in general. I am TRULY proud to be a part of the JSU Tiger family. ‘I BELIEVE.’”
“I am thrilled to welcome Deion Sanders to Jackson State University, the City of Jackson, and Mississippi,” said Robinson in the report. “Coach Sanders is student-athlete centered and cares about young men and their wellbeing beyond the football field. We expect to compete for and win championships at Jackson State, and Coach Sanders will help us achieve those goals.”
“Jackson State is excited to bring in Coach Sanders to lead our football program,” said Hudson. “He understands the legacy and history of football at JSU. I am confident Coach Sanders will solidify the brand of JSU football.”
An eight-time Pro Bowler, and two-time Super Bowl champion, Sanders played 14 NFL seasons for the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and Baltimore Ravens. Sanders is the only player to have played in a Super Bowl and a World Series.
The report said a two-time All-American at Florida State, Sanders was the first-round draft choice of the Atlanta Falcons in 1989. In 2020, for the NFL 100th Season, Sanders was named to the NFL All-Time Team.
In 2011, Sanders was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Sanders is currently the offensive coordinator at Trinity Christian School in Cedar Hill, Texas, and has led the Tigers to three-straight Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) titles, the report said.