The future of Terrence Graves as Southern head coach might be in doubt after the Jaguars were soundly beaten 24-3 on homecoming versus Prairie View on Saturday night.
Southern University Athletic Director Roman Banks addressed the mounting pressure on the football program, weighing in publicly on the possibility of an in-season head coaching change.
The defeat marked Southern’s fifth straight setback and third loss this season inside AW Mumford Stadium. Graves’ squad now sits at 1-6 overall and remains winless (0-3) in Southwestern Athletic Conference play, exacerbating concerns and intensifying scrutiny from fans and alumni.
A rare move on the Bluff, Southern AD Roman Banks spoke to the media following the Jags 24-3 homecoming loss to PVU.
Jags are 1-6, 0-3 in the SWAC this season under HC Terrence Graves pic.twitter.com/s71Kg3KtZV
— Michael Cauble (@Cauble) October 19, 2025
Banks, speaking to reporters unprompted following the game, confirmed discussions about the program’s direction are imminent, according to reports by several Southern beat reporters, including WAFB’s Kevin Batiste Jr., Toyloy Brown of the Baton Rouge Advocate, and others.
I asked #Southern AD Roman Banks if there will be a coaching change come Monday.
Banks says “there will be conversations on Monday.” @WAFB pic.twitter.com/XMqdjipwS1
— Kevin Batiste (@KBatisteJr) October 19, 2025
Asked directly about whether there’s an expectation for changes by the start of the new week, Banks replied: “I tell you what, it’s gonna be some conversations on Monday.”
Assessing the prospect of a coaching change, Banks indicated that any decision to make a move midseason would depend on the staff makeup. “If a coaching change were to happen during the year, it has to be considered whether there is a viable interim coach on staff that would be ideal,” Banks said.
“Do you play it out for the rest of the year and, you know, a lot of people are emotional, but it’s my job to take your time as an athletic administrator and weigh out all situations, and then come back and make recommendations of what I think should happen next.”
Banks described the season as disappointing for a program expected to build on last year’s promising campaign. The Jaguars reached the SWAC championship game in 2024, capping an 8-5 season with a 7-1 conference record.
Now, Southern’s football future appears to hinge on critical discussions that will begin on Monday inside the athletic department.
“I’m always coaching for my job every day,” Graves said. “I was coaching for it last year. I’m coaching for it this year. You know, I don’t make those decisions. They hired me to coach, and I’m going to still be the head coach until otherwise. And then if something else happens, you know that’s just it.”
