Southern coach Marshall Faulk expected to add coordinators with FBS experience

Marshall Faulk, the new Southern University football coach, has added a pair of assistants to his coaching staff.

Todd Lyght was named the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator, and Curtis Johnson will work under Faulk as the offensive coordinator.

Lyght, also a former Rams standout, brings deep defensive experience as both an NFL player and college assistant, while Johnson previously served as Tulane’s head coach and held assistant roles in both college and the NFL.

The Southern University’s Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on Thursday to approve the hires.

Marshall Faulk
Photo: Scott Gould

Faulk reportedly will have a $950,000 pool for assistant coaches to draw from.

The news comes days after Faulk’s contract was revealed, which would pay him $1.2 million over three years. The deal, according to Baton Rouge-based WBRZ, would also include performance bonuses such as $50,000 for Southern winning the Celebration Bowl.

Faulk, a New Orleans native and seven-time NFL Pro Bowler and Pro Football Hall of Fame selection, is a first-time college head coach, though he spent the 2025 season as the running backs coach at Colorado under former Jackson State coach Deion Sanders. position.

Faulk was officially hired as the Jaguars’ new coach Dec. 1, replacing Terrence Graves, who was fired after a 1-6 start. Former Alcorn State head coach Fred McNair served as interim head coach, leading Southern to a 28-27 win over Grambling in the Bayou Classic.

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