With Super Bowl LX approaching, both Mike Vrabel and Mike Macdonald have the chance to win the Lombardi Trophy for the first time as head coaches. However, the game carries meaning far beyond the usual Super Bowl hype. As Black History Month approaches, this year’s Super Bowl will feature six HBCU alumni and coaches across both teams, marking a significant historical milestone on the NFL’s biggest stage.

One of the most prominent HBCU representatives is Terrell Williams, who is in his first season as defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots. Williams helped guide New England to the AFC Championship and now the Super Bowl. His coaching journey spans more than 14 years and includes stops with the Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, and six seasons with the Tennessee Titans under Vrabel, which made their reunion at the Patriots work well. Before his NFL rise, Williams coached at North Carolina A&T, firmly rooted in the HBCU system, from 1999 to 2001.

The Patriots alone account for four of the six HBCU representatives. Along with Williams, running back Terrell Jennings is the only player with HBCU ties in this year’s Super Bowl. He played for the Florida A&M Rattlers. Then there is defensive assistant Milton Patterson, who is an alumnus of Jackson State University and has coached at several HBCU programs, including Florida A&M, Alabama State, and Mississippi Valley State. Rounding up the Patriots list is inside Linebacker Coach Zak Kuhr. He was the 2009-10 Special Teams Coordinator at Edward Waters College, which is now a University.

The Seattle Seahawks feature two more HBCU alumni. Offensive assistant and quality control coach Quinshon Odom played quarterback at Shaw University long before beginning his NFL coaching career. Joining him is assistant head coach Leslie Frazier, a former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and longtime NFL defensive coordinator, who played defensive back at Alcorn State University from 1978 to 1980.

HBCU’s have a rich history of giving us some of the greatest athletes this sport has ever produced. Some Hall of Fame legends that have HBCU roots include Jerry Rice (Mississippi Valley State), Walter Payton (Jackson State), Deacon Jones (Mississippi Valley State), Shannon Sharpe (Savannah State), and Michael Strahan (Texas Southern).

With Mike Vrabel aiming to add a historic title after winning three Super Bowls as a player, and Mike Macdonald seeking to end Seattle’s 12-year championship drought, the stakes are high for the game. While the Super Bowl provides a massive stage, the growing HBCU influence on the league this offseason doesn’t stop there.

Another major HBCU milestone in the NFL

The Dallas Cowboys made a key move by hiring Christian Parker as their new defensive coordinator after Matt Eberflus was let go. Parker joins Dallas after working with the Philadelphia Eagles as passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach. He has even worked under Eagles DC Vic Fangio since 2021, back when they were with the Broncos.

Parker was part of the development of Eagles cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Both of them were able to make it into the Pro Bowl in their second season. He has also coached veterans like Darius Slay, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Reed Blankenship. DeJean wrote on X, “wouldn’t be the player I am without Coach CP.”

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Parker is the youngest defensive coordinator in Cowboys history at 34 and is expected to bring fresh energy after a disappointing 7-9-1 season. Notably, Parker’s coaching career began at Virginia State University in 2013 before moving on to Norfolk State University as a defensive backs coach.

Unlike many coaches who wait years for a coordinator role, Parker moved up quickly through his results. Now he faces immediate pressure to improve a Cowboys defense that struggled last season.