Jackson Free Press logo

This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Jackson State University has fired football coach Tony Hughes after less than three seasons.

The school announced the move after losing to rival Southern 41-7 on Saturday. Defensive coordinator John Hendrick will be the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

Hughes had a 9-20 record at Jackson State, including a 3-4 mark this year. The veteran coach came to Jackson State after a long career as an assistant coach at several schools, including Mississippi State, Southern Miss and Ole Miss.

Jackson State athletics director Ashley Robinson thanked Hughes “for his dedication and hard work to Jackson State University” and that the “goal is to find a new head coach who will build on our great tradition and grow our football program.”

Since 1846, The Associated Press has been breaking news and covering the world's biggest stories, always committed to the highest standards of accurate, unbiased journalism. The Associated Press was founded as an independent news cooperative, whose members are U.S. newspapers and broadcasters, steadfast in our mission to inform the world.