Former NFL player Cris Dishman gets his shot at Texas Southern’s top job.
Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, is nicknamed the “
”Bubba and I have been friends for years,” Dishman said. “We’re going to compete with each other on and off the field, and we’re going to compete for recruits. I want all the players in Houston to stay in Houston.”
In a statement, Granger said Dishman’s experience as a player and coach made him an excellent choice. “Even more important, he is a man of character who, in his own words, ‘seeks to make his players into better brothers, fathers, and husbands,’” Granger said. “I appreciated the Board of Regents’ bold, strategic approach to finding new opportunities to elevate Texas Southern University.”
Dishman will have a heavy lift at TSU, which hasn’t posted a winning record since 2010. McKinney went 12-35 overall (9-26 in the SWAC), with his best season being 5-6 (2022).
Restoring TSU’s reputation is equally important after an embarrassing hiring process. Dishman is undaunted by the task and unbothered that he wasn’t the top choice.
“What’s for you, God’s going to make you have it,” he said. “There were some good candidates out there. Andre was out there. Fred McNair was out there. I just kept my head down and did what I could do and controlled what I can control. Whatever happened was gonna happen.
“God has a plan for your life. Maybe you’re last in the race, and then you become first in the race. I can’t worry about what tipped the scales and why. I’m just concentrating on being the best Texas Southern head coach and assembling a great staff.”
His former Oilers teammates can offer advice.
McDowell, hired in 2022, went 6-5 as a rookie and 6-6 last season. Robinson, who also began in 2022, went 6-5 his first year and improved to 7-4 last year. Eddie George posted his first winning record last season (6-5), his third year at Tennessee State.
Dishman said he plans to recruit at 30 area high schools in his first 30 days. But also has a message for Texas Southern players who are upset over the coaching uncertainty and making plans to leave.
“If you’re in the transfer portal, get out of the transfer portal,” he said. “Give myself and my staff a chance to do great things for you.”
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