Morehouse College has hired a new football coach, and it is not Hue Jackson.
On Feb. 2, the program announced Terance Mathis is the Maroon Tigers’ leader. Mathis is a 13-year NFL veteran who was a wide receiver for the New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers from 1990-2002. In 2023, Mathis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame for his career at New Mexico. Most recently, Mathis has been the co-host of Atlanta Sports Unlimited’s “Bird Talk” alongside William Brandon, where the Atlanta Falcons are discussed.
“We are in a season of change and enhancement within Morehouse Athletics,” Morehouse College athletic director Harold Ellis said. “The college is known for producing some of the most skilled and gifted professionals across all industries, and that same spirit of excellence must be established within our athletic programs. I’m excited to welcome Coach Mathis to The House and look forward to partnering with him in taking the football program to the next level.”
Before the official announcements, there were reports Jackson’s agency, Roc Nation, was in negotiation with the college to become the school’s next head coach. While Jackson has been a head coach on an NFL level, one season with the Oakland Raiders and two and a half seasons with the Cleveland Browns, the two sides apparently were unable to come to an agreement.
On Jan. 25, Morehouse alum Carron J. Phillips wrote a column on Deadspin about why the school shouldn’t hire Jackson amid reports the two sides were nearing a deal. Phillips listed Jackson’s losing record in the NFL, at Grambling and his brief hiring of controversial blacklisted coach Art Briles, who allegedly looked the other way when misconduct was going on at Baylor.
On Jan. 29, HBCU Premier Sports & More reported the two sides were no longer negotiating a deal, and Jackson would not be the head coach. The online report was eventually deleted, and rolling out could not confirm with the school whether the report of a pulled deal was true.
On Feb. 2, Mathis was officially named the program’s new head coach.
“It is my pleasure to extend a warm welcome to our new head football coach, former NFL pro and college football Hall of Famer, Terance Mathis, a leader who embodies the spirit of teamwork, dedication, and excellence,” Morehouse College president David A. Thomas said. “I look forward to watching Coach Mathis take our program to new heights and establishing a winning football culture within Morehouse College athletics.”
Morehouse is coming off a 1-9 win-loss season, and has fired alum Gerard Wilcher as a result after his lone season at the helm.
