Football
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- Title:
- Running Backs Coach
- Email:
- jfobbs@tulane.edu
- Hometown:
- New Orleans, La.
| PROFILE Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana Wife: Leslie EDUCATION Bachelor’s – Oklahoma State, 2001 PLAYING EXPERIENCE 1997-00, Oklahoma State - Football COACHING EXPERIENCE 2003-04, Texas College (RB/WR) 2005, LSU (Asst.) 2006, NC A&T (QB) 2007-08, Southeastern (WR) 2009, Tennessee (Asst.) 2010-11, Chattanooga (RB) 2012-15, Liberty (RB/ST) 2016-Present, Tulane (RB) POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE (7) 2020 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl - Tulane 2018 AutoNation Cure Bowl - Tulane 2014 NCAA Playoffs - Liberty 2013 NCAA Playoffs - Liberty 2012 NCAA Playoffs - Liberty 2009 Chick-fil-A Bowl - Tennessee 2005 Chick-fil-A Bowl - LSU |
Jamaal Fobbs is in his sixth season as the running backs coach for the Green Wave in 2021.
In five years directing the Green Wave running back unit, Tulane’s ground attack has posted five of the program’s Top 10 single-season performances under Fobbs’ watchful eye.
During the 2020 campaign, Fobbs oversaw the American Athletic Conference’s No. 1 rushing attack, as the Green Wave averaged 217.1 yards per game. Tulane’s ground game also found the endzone 32 times - a figure that ranked tied for seventh nationally.
Following the year, running back Stephon Huderson earned Second Team All-AAC honors.
In 2019, the Green Wave rushed for the most yards in Tulane football history with 3,162. The 243.2 rushing yards per game ranked second in program history. The Olive and Blue’s rushing attack ranked second in The American and 11th nationally.
Fobbs led the Tulane running backs to 2,386 yards on 428 carries and 20 touchdowns. The running backs caught 55 passes for 657 yards and five touchdowns in the 2019 season. Tulane was the only team in The American to sport five different running backs with 200 yards or more on the season.
The offense ranked second in program history in rushing yards per game (243.2), rushing touchdowns (33) and rushing first downs (166). Fobbs helped the Olive and Blue rush for over 200 yards in nine games in 2019 and over 300 times four times.
Under Fobbs’ direction in 2018, Tulane featured one of the top rushing attacks in the AAC, as the Green Wave rushed for 2,836 yards - the second-highest single season total in program history.
Tulane averaged 218.2 yards per game on the ground, which ranked 23rd among Football Bowl Subdivision teams and fifth in The American. The Green Wave also rushed for 29 touchdowns, which ranked third all-time in program history.
Fobbs also mentored running back Darius Bradwell, who rushed for a single-season career high 1,134 yards on the ground and 11 touchdowns. Bradwell became just the sixth Tulane running back to surpass 1,000 yards rushing in a single season. Bradwell also earned Most Valuable Player honors in the 2018 AutoNation Cure Bowl.
Tulane’s rushing attack also proved to be one of the most explosive in the country as the Green Wave was tied for sixth nationally in rushes of 30 yards or more.
In 2017, Tulane excelled, rushing for 2,778 yards, 31 touchdowns and averaged 231.5 yards per game, which ranked fourth in the AAC and 20th in the nation. Fobbs’ rushing attack also featured four players who totaled over 350 yards on the ground.
Dontrell Hilliard led the way for Tulane, as he totaled a single-season best 1,091 yards on the ground and finished with 12 touchdowns en route to earning All-AAC honors.
In his first season at Tulane, Fobbs guided the Green Wave’s running game to more than 2,700 yards and 25 touchdowns. Tulane rushed for three or more touchdowns in a game four times, including a season-high seven in the team’s first win of the season over Southern.
A New Orleans native and graduate of St. Augustine High School, Fobbs came to Tulane from Liberty University, where he served as the running backs and special teams coach for the last four seasons. He also has coaching stops at Tennessee, North Carolina A&T, Southeastern Louisiana, LSU and Chattanooga.
At Liberty, Fobbs worked under Turner Gill and helped lead the Flames to a 29-19 overall record, a Big South Conference regular season title in 2012, a pair of co-championship finishes in 2013 and 2014 and a trip to the second round of the FCS playoffs.
During his first season at Liberty, Fobbs helped coach All-Big South running back Aldreakis Allen, who finished the year ranked No. 2 in the conference and No. 26 in the country in rushing.
Allen became the ninth player in program history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, finishing the year with 1,019 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. Allen also was the seventh player in program history with 1,000 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in the same year.
As a team, Liberty finished the year ranked No. 35 in the country in rushing offense (175.82 yards per game) and No. 40 in total offense (402 yards per game).
Fobbs’ running backs helped play a part in Liberty winning six of its last seven games of the year en route to the program’s fifth Big South title in seven seasons.
Fobbs came to Liberty after having two highly successful seasons as running backs coach at Chattanooga, where he helped the Mocs nearly double their rushing output prior to his arrival.
Chattanooga, which had rushed for 85 yards per game in 2009, averaged 148.6 rushing yards per game the past two years and rushed for 35 touchdowns.
In 2010, Fobbs was part of an offensive attack at Chattanooga that ranked No. 11 nationally in total offense (430.0 yards per game) and No. 17 in scoring offense (31.55 points per game).
Under his instruction, Mocs rookie running back Keon Williams earned Southern Conference All-Freshman honors in 2010.
Prior to his days at Chattanooga, Fobbs spent one year at Tennessee as the Vols’ offensive quality control staff member. Tennessee closed out the 2009 season by winning four of its last five games and a Chick-fil-A Bowl matchup with Virginia Tech.
Fobbs was a standout running back at Oklahoma State, having earned All-Big 12 honors as an all-purpose player during his senior season in 2000.
As a return specialist, Fobbs twice finished seasons with a 20-plus yard kickoff return average, doing so as a sophomore (24.3 average in 1998) and as a junior (21.3 average in 1999). As a senior, he led the Big 12 with 22 kickoff returns, averaging 17.0 yards per return.
Fobbs graduated from Oklahoma State in 2001 with a degree in sports administration. His father, Lee, retired this offseason after 47 years of coaching, while his brother, Broderick, is the head coach at Grambling State.
