Black Athletes in the Spotlight: HBCU Sports & Local Highlights
- Bruce Eugene named quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator at Grambling State, announced by Mickey Joseph.
- Bruce Eugene earned two-time SWAC Offensive Player of the Year, three-time Walter Payton Award finalist, 13,580 yards and 140 touchdowns.
- Bruce Eugene brings college and high school coaching pedigree: Alcorn State, NYC PSAL title at Grand Street Campus, Locust Grove, and Syracuse.
Grambling State is bringing one of its all-time great quarterbacks back home.
Head coach Mickey Joseph announced that former Tigers standout Bruce Eugene has joined the football staff as quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator. For a program with as much quarterback history as Grambling, Eugene’s return feels like a natural fit.
Eugene knows exactly what it takes to lead the Tigers. The New Orleans native played at Grambling from 2001 through 2005, putting together one of the most accomplished careers in FCS history. Now, he will bring that experience to a new generation of Grambling quarterbacks.
“Bruce is a special addition to our coaching staff because he understands what it means to be a quarterback at Grambling State,” Joseph said in a statement. “He has been in that position, he has had tremendous success at this level, and he understands the expectations that come with playing quarterback at Grambling.”
During his playing days, Eugene was one of the most productive signal-callers in the country. He earned SWAC Offensive Player of the Year honors twice, was a three-time Walter Payton Award finalist and finished his career with 13,580 passing yards and 140 touchdown passes.
Bruce Eugene Grambling State winner
Eugene helped lead Grambling State to four HBCU national championships and four SWAC titles. Along the way, he earned SWAC Championship Game MVP honors, Bayou Classic MVP recognition and the Doug Williams Award.
His senior season in 2005 remains one of the most impressive campaigns in FCS football history. Eugene threw for 4,360 yards and 56 touchdowns while tossing just six interceptions, helping the Tigers finish 11-1 and win another SWAC championship.
After leaving Grambling, Eugene transitioned into coaching and began building a résumé that stretches from the college ranks to high school football. He started his collegiate coaching career at Alcorn State in 2011 as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under former Grambling head coach Melvin Spears.
Eugene also spent several years coaching in New York City’s Public Schools Athletic League, serving as a quarterbacks coach, offensive coordinator and eventually head coach at Grand Street Campus in Brooklyn. In 2015, he guided the program to a 13-0 record and the PSAL Championship Division title, earning New York Jets High School Coach of the Year honors. He also became the first African-American head coach to win a title in New York City’s highest division.
More recently, Eugene helped Locust Grove High School in Atlanta capture its first region championship from 2024-25. He then joined Syracuse football as a scouting assistant in January 2026.
Now, Eugene is back at Grambling, where his name remains synonymous with some of the program’s most successful seasons. With his playing pedigree, coaching experience and deep connection to the university, he gives the Tigers’ quarterback room a mentor who understands both the opportunity and the expectations that come with wearing the black and gold.
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