Southern coach Terrence Graves will accomplish something that has never been done in the illustrious 50-year history of the Bayou Classic.
The longtime assistant will have the distinction of being the head coach for both Grambling State and Southern.
Graves had a wry smile on his face when he described a familiar position this year after having coached Grambling in the Bayou Classic in 2021 when Broderick Fobbs was fired.
He now takes over for Eric Dooley, who was fired last week after less than two full seasons on the job.
“God truly has a sense of humor,” said Graves, aware of the position he finds himself in again as interim coach. “Two years ago, I was standing in this same position on the other side. No one could have told me this was going to happen. When things happen, you’ve got to prepare and go forward.
“The last time I was feeling my way, it was something new. I had been an interim before, but not in that situation. I had a lot of great support, like with the staff here. The guys are all in.”
Grambling State rallied to win that Bayou Classic 29-26.
As a college player, Graves played for Pete Richardson at Winston-Salem State. He now will be standing on the sidelines — at least for one game — leading the very same Southern program that Richardson guided to prominence during his career.
“Every day, you prepare. Coach Pete Richardson always told me, ‘that you got to pay attention because you’re going to be doing this one day,’” Graves said. “It’s 31 years. It’s been a long, fun ride. And so the preparation has made me ready for this opportunity.”
