The 2026 SWAC football season has produced an interesting coaching race. A Pro Football Hall of Famer trying to establish himself as a college head coach, a program looking to reclaim its place among the conference’s elite and several coaches exceeding expectations have made the Coach of the Year conversation worth watching.
The award should be about which coach has gotten the most out of his team, changed the trajectory of his program and accomplished something that wasn’t necessarily expected when the season began.
Here is the case why each of these candidates should be considered for SWAC Coach of the Year at this point.
Marshall Faulk – Southern
Faulk entering the season admitted he was a rookie having never been a head coach before. And there were a lot of growing pains early. The Jaguars early on looked like a team that had won two games in 2025. And during the first half of the season, Faulk let anyone within earshot of a microphone know that the players effort and commitment wasn’t good enough. There also was a thought maybe Faulk might be in over his head as Southern stumbled to a 2-4 start.
But after being blasted by Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Jackson State, the Jaguars have reeled off three wins in the last four games led by dynamic running back Trey Holly and defense that has allowed less than 18 points per game during its recent hot streak. At 5-5 and 3-3 in conference play, Southern has a shot to win the SWAC West if they win out and get some help. Who would have thought that?
Alonzo Hampton – Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Hampton has arguably exceeded expectations more than anyone in the conference. Picked to finish sixth in the SWAC West, UAPB has instead climbed into a three-way tie for first place thanks to a defense that is the second-best in the league, averaging 36.2 points per game and defense that has the third most sacks and is tops in interceptions. The Golden Lions are 6-3 overall, have won three consecutive games and own victories over Bethune-Cookman and Grambling State.
Considering the program’s recent struggles, Hampton has arguably delivered the most impressive coaching turnaround in the conference and heads into Saturday coaching against SWAC champion Prairie View A&M in his most important game since he took the job.
Sam Shade — Alabama A&M
Remember where Alabama A&M was a year ago.
The Bulldogs finished 4-8 overall and just 1-7 in SWAC play during Shade’s first season. They were picked to finish fifth in the East this season, hardly a ringing endorsement of the program’s immediate prospects.
Fast-forward to November, and Alabama A&M is 7-3, has won four of its first six conference games and has been among the top teams in the HBCU football rankings. The Bulldogs were ranked No. 1 in the Black College Football Poll briefly before losing to Prairie View A&M last Saturday.
No matter how this season turns out, Shade has the Bulldogs going in the right direction.
Cedric Thomas – Alcorn State
Thomas deserves recognition for building the SWAC’s most explosive offense. Alcorn State leads the conference in scoring, averaging 42.5 points per game, while producing 487.4 yards of total offense led by likely SWAC Offensive Player of the Year Jaylon Tolbert.
The Braves are 6-4 overall and tied for first in the SWAC West. Despite defensive inconsistencies that led to some eye-opening losses, Thomas has kept Alcorn State in the championship race and developed an offense capable of overwhelming virtually anyone in the conference.
T.C. Taylor – Jackson State
Taylor has Jackson State positioned among the SWAC’s elite once again. The Tigers are 7-2 overall and tied for first in the SWAC East and control their own destiny to reach the conference title game again, despite navigating a competitive conference schedule, injury to starting quarterback Jared Lockhart, running back Nate Blount IV and little bit of adversity along the way with unexpected loses to Grambling State and Bethune-Cookman.
Taylor, though has made enough adjustments, which has included deploying himself as the offensive play-caller last Saturday versus Mississippi Valley State amid wanting the unit be more consistent, to have others in the SWAC East looking up at Jackson State once again. That’s the trait of a coach who knows what his teams need. While nothing has been decided yet, Taylor continues to prove why he’s at the top tier of coaches in HBCU football.
