Marshall Faulk is working to build his coaching staff at Southern University and is making some big moves. Faulk wanted no expense spared on the staff around him, as he negotiated an assistant salary budget pool of $950,000 in his contract, per a report by WRBZ.
First, Faulk is reuniting with an old teammate from the St. Louis Rams as he's hired Todd Lyght as defensive coordinator. Lyght is a Super Bowl champion who made contributions to his alma mater Notre Dame as a player and coach. As a player, Lyght was a three-year starter at running back, finishing his career with 161 tackles, one fumble, 11 interceptions (1 pick-six touchdown) and was a key player for the Fighting Irish's 1987 undefeated team.
He then went on to be selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the fifth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. Following his coaching career, he coached for Oregon, the Philadelphia Eagles, as well as Notre Dame. Now, he rejoins his former teammate in the hopes of building an HBCU football contender in the SWAC West.
Faulk has also hired college football royalty to his coaching staff. Florida State graduate assistant Ben Miles, and son of former LSU Tigers head coach Les Miles, is joining the team as tight ends coach and a key asset to the team in recruiting.
With the expected hires, Faulk is looking to live up to the creed that he spoke upon in his introductory press conference.
“I look forward to putting a winning football team out there that you're happy to support,” he said. “I look forward to putting a winning football team out there that you're happy to support, uh, that you look forward to not just winning, but to dominate. One of the things that I used to love to hear Michael Irving say was, ‘To beat a man, you attack his weakness. To break a man, you attack his strength.’ And we are committed to attack our opponent's strength. We want to beat them. We want to beat them when they're at their best, playing their best, because we're going to be our best.”
