Texas Southern head football coach Cris Dishman wasted no time making clear what he expects from his program this season. Speaking during Monday’s SWAC Football Coaches Conference, Dishman used the build-up to Saturday’s Labor Day Classic against Prairie View A&M to send a direct message about his team’s goals.
“Our guys know that this game can propel us into winning the SWAC championship. And they know with this game, if we lose this game, we have to play catch-up to win. So this game can make or break a team, but it won’t break us because we’re going to win the West,” Dishman said. “We’re going to be in Atlanta. That’s our goal. Our goal is always going to remain the same no matter who’s on the other side of the football or not. Our goal is to win the West. Our goal is to win in Atlanta and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Dishman enters his second year at the helm after leading the Tigers to a 4–7 finish in 2024. That season included a decisive win over Prairie View in his first Labor Day Classic, a result that surprised many outside observers. But Dishman said the victory was no surprise to his team.
“It wasn’t really a shock,” Dishman said. “It may have been a shock to the outside world, but it was not a shock to the people in that locker room. We expected to win that game. We knew we were going to win that game because our 11 guys were better than their 11 guys.”
Now, Dishman believes his program is better prepared to take the next step. He said the team came through fall camp without major injuries and pointed to the energy level of his players.
“The great thing is none of our players got hurt this fall. Everybody was energetic, ready to go,” he said. “The problem I had was calming everybody down. Everybody wanted to hit and tackle the first day. Everybody wanted to tackle.”
At quarterback, the Tigers have yet to settle on a starter. Dishman said three players are competing for the role, and he will make the decision based on preparation leading up to kickoff.
“I don’t pick a starter until we get through prep week,” he said. “It’s the ones who prep the best that will start. And we don’t really have starters. We just have 11 people running out there first.”
Dishman said he views the Labor Day Classic as more than a first game, indicating that it’s a rivalry that can shape the course of the season.
“Anytime you can open with a game like this, it’s exciting,” Dishman said. “It’s exciting for our fans. It’s exciting for our administration. Just as well as Prairie View wants to beat us the first game, it’s exciting for their fans and their administration. You have two universities with a lot of pride, and the pride of winning this game is better than anything else.”
