After finishing the 2024 season with a 5-7 overall record, Prairie View A&M announced it was firing head coach Bubba McDowell.
In McDowell’s three seasons with the team, he posted a 17-18 overall record, including a SWAC West division championship in 2023.
As the Panthers begin their search for their next head coach, here are some of the top candidates who deserve consideration.
Dr. Henry Frazier III
Who better to lead the Prairie View A&M program than the last head coach to lead the Panthers to a SWAC championship, Dr. Henry Frazier III?
The current Virginia State head coach has been a master of turning around programs needing a hard reset, and that is exactly what should be on Prairie View A&M’s agenda.
Dr. Frazier took over as head coach of Prairie View A&M in 2004 when the team had not had a winning season in 28 years.
In his fourth season with the Panthers, he snapped the team’s streak without a winning season, leading them to a 7-3 overall record. Two years later, he led PV to its first SWAC championship in 45 years.
In addition, Dr. Frazier also led North Carolina Central to its first winning season in the MEAC and, most recently, led Virginia State to its first CIAA championship berth since 2017.
Dr. Frazier could be the exact coach Prairie View A&M needs to move in the right direction toward championship contention.
Anthony Weeden
From the coach of the last Prairie View A&M to win a SWAC championship to one of the top contributors from that championship team, Anthony Weeden.
A star wide receiver with the Panthers, Weeden produced 82 receiving yards on four receptions and a touchdown in the team’s SWAC championship win.
Since transitioning to coaching, the Panthers’ former receiver has produced great results serving in multiple offensive coaching roles.
In his two seasons as an assistant coach and offensive coordinator at Dixie State (now Utah Tech), he anchored an offense that averaged over 375 yards each year.
In 2022, as offensive coordinator at Campbell, he won the Graphite award (given to the top play-caller in each FCS conference) after leading the team to a school-record 2,915 passing yards.
Having returned to his alma mater as offensive coordinator this past season, Weeden could be a credible candidate for what would be his first collegiate head coaching job.
Teddy Keaton
Teddy Keaton is another coach who has shown an ability to turn around struggling programs that could uplift Prairie View A&M into championship contention.
Coach Keaton is a proven winner. In the mid-2000s, he was the head coach of the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA), leading the Lakeland Thunderbolts to a 27-5 record and a championship in his second season.
He began his collegiate coaching career at Stillman, leading the team to winning records in three of his five seasons. This includes improving the Tigers’ record from 3-8 to 7-4 in his first season.
Keaton then went on to coach Allen, leading the Yellow Jackets to a school-record seven wins in his final season in 2023.
Transitioning to Clark Atlanta in 2024, after the Panthers finished with a 0-10 record the year before, Keaton led them to a 7-2-1 record in his first season and a berth in the SIAC championship game.
Keaton’s winning pedigree makes him a top candidate in the Prairie View A&M head coach search.
