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Jackson State head football coach TC Taylor has been named the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Coach of the Year, according to a recent post on X (formerly Twitter) by Garrett Busby of WLBT. The award comes after Taylor inked an extension for his success in two seasons at the helm of the program
In his second season at the head coaching spot of his alma mater, Taylor has garnered a 17-6 overall record, including a 10-2 mark in the regular season. Under his leadership, JSU went undefeated in SWAC play, clinched the SWAC East Division Title for the third time in four years, and advanced to the SWAC Championship Game three times in the past four seasons.
This will be t=Taylors first time receiving this award after being runner-up last season to former Florida A&M head coach Willie Simmons.Taylor, who extended his contract with the university on November 1, is also a nominee for the 2024 Eddie Robinson FCS Coach of the Year Award.
Since the departure of Deion Sanders to Colorado, Taylor and the Tigers have thrived. Despite the lingering presence of Sanders' successful two-year tenure, Taylor has led Jackson State to exceed expectations and set a strong foundation for the future.
The Tigers, who won all eight of their conference games since September, are being recognized for their remarkable efforts. Taylor coached several standout players, including running back Irv Mulligan and true freshman Travis Terrell Jr., both who earned top honors in the SWAC. Mulligan was named SWAC Offensive Player of the Year, while Terrell was named SWAC Freshman of the Year.
Mulligan, a transfer from Wofford College, rushed for over 100 yards in five games and became the 13th player in school history to exceed 1,000 yards in a season. He leads the conference with 1,058 rushing yards, ranking seventh in the nation in yards per carry (6.74) and ninth in rushing yards per game (105.8). Mulligan also ranks among the national leaders in all-purpose yards (31st), rushing touchdowns (33rd), and total touchdowns (46th). He is a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, which recognizes the National Player of the Year, as well as the HBCU+ National Player of the Year Award.
Terrell, a true freshman, has totaled 412 rushing yards and three touchdowns, along with 13 receptions for 79 yards and 792 return yards. He also has two return touchdowns. A finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, given to the National Freshman of the Year, Terrell leads the nation in kickoff return touchdowns (2) and ranks in the top five in multiple categories, including kickoff returns (3rd), punt returns (3rd), and combined kick returns (4th). He also ranks 19th in all-purpose yards. Terrell returned kicks for touchdowns against Texas Southern and Alabama A&M in conference play.
In his first season at Jackson State, Taylor led the Tigers to a 7-4 overall record and a 5-3 mark in SWAC play. They finished second in the East Division and ranked among the conference leaders in several categories, including second in passing (227.7 yards per game) and third in rushing (161.6 yards per game). Defensively, the Tigers ranked fifth in scoring defense and fourth in total defense.
Looking ahead, Jackson State will aim to add to its postseason accolades with a bid to the Celebration Bowl, which will be up for grabs this Saturday in the SWAC Championship Game against Southern University. The game will be held at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson, Mississippi, at 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
