In an official introduction, LSU formally announced its new running backs coach, Jabbar Juluke, and wide receivers coach, Dameyune Craig, on Wednesday.
After the departure of former running backs coach and recruiting coordinator Frank Wilson and wide receivers coach Tony Ball, LSU had multiple shoes to fill. Juluke, a New Orleans native, was formerly employed at Texas Tech and Louisiana Tech for the same position.
To Juluke — an affable, stern and proactive man and coach — school comes first, and the National Championship finishes as a close second.
“Graduating is the number one priority when you come to college,” Juluke said. “That’s what I tell parents when I recruit their kids. I tell them, ‘they’re going to go to class. They’re going to graduate.’ I’m going to make sure of that and they’re going to become a better man in the whole process. Graduating is the main priority for us right now, and winning national championships as well.”
Under Juluke’s direction, Louisiana Tech ran for consecutive 2,000-yard seasons. He guided former Bulldog running back Kenneth Dixon, who currently stands as the NCAA’s fourth all-time leader in touchdowns and points scored and is tied for the record of games played with the touchdown.
Juluke, a Louisiana-bred coach and St. Augustine High School alumnus, had former coaching stints at Frederick Douglass High School, St. Augustine High School, Brother Martin High School, Edna Karr High School, McKinely High School and O.P. Walker High School before his jump to the collegiate ranks.
Juluke said he accepted his new job with LSU — which Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury said was Juluke’s “dream job” — before LSU coach Les Miles finished offering him the position. He remembered pulling over on the side of the road while driving to make sure his excitement didn’t cause a car accident.
“It was surreal,” Juluke said. “My wife told me to pull over so I wouldn’t crash [into] anyone and so I wouldn’t scream into the phone.”
Clearly, coaching football is Juluke’s zeal.
But being a better man and grooming men to be their best is his true passion, and it’s what makes him stand out as a coach, he said.
“I have to be able to trust them when we’re off the field, when I’m not around,” Juluke said. “I also need to trust you when I’m 25 yards away from you on the field. I’m a big believer in personal relationships with my players. I love my guys, and I want my guys to love me. I want them to run through a wall for me. They’ve got to know that I have their back at all times. Our room is going to be the closest-knit room that we have because we’re going to fight for each other. We’re going to have unselfish living in that room because we’re going to put each other first.”
Being a New Orleans native, Juluke said he has known and tried recruiting multiple of LSU’s current players since his days as a high school coach, which includes another St. Augustine alumnus, sophomore running back Leonard Fournette.
“I recruited all of them,” Juluke said. “I’m a proud Purple Knight. Most of the guys who are from New Orleans, I’m very familiar with them.”
At the same time of Juluke’s hiring, LSU also announced the release of former wide receivers coach Tony Ball.
Dameyune Craig filled Ball’s shoes less than 24 hours later.
“This is a great opportunity,” Craig said. “I’m glad to get the chance to come back to where my career started as a college coach when I started as a graduate assistant in 2004.”
Craig, the three-year coach for the same position last season, co-offensive coordinator and former quarterback from 1994-97 at Auburn, enters Baton Rouge with a catalog of personal accolades behind a headset.
As a former foe to LSU, Craig said he has much to learn about the University.
“I’m very familiar with LSU,” he said. “I need to just learn as much as I can about the tradition at LSU. Tradition wins championships.”
In 2012, Craig was named the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Recruiter of the Year during his tenure at Florida State under coach Jimbo Fisher. Craig has either recruited or coached three quarterbacks, who were drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft — Jameis Winston, Christian Ponder and E.J. Manuel.
As one of the recruiters at Auburn, Craig said he knew and recruited LSU sophomore quarterback Brandon Harris.
“He’s a quarterback by nature,” Miles said. “He knows every position. That kind of knowledge makes for a great coach.”
In 2004, Craig was a graduate assistant at LSU before departing to coach special teams for the Miami Dolphins alongside former LSU coach Nick Saban in 2005.
Craig assisted in coaching the Tiger defensive backs as a graduate assistant.
As a former Auburn quarterback, Craig recalled every game he had played in Tiger Stadium.
Craig recalled the “interception game” and “barn burning game,” as he called them, and said, “every game has a story.”
With Craig and Juluke, LSU continues to write its story.

Gallery • 2 Photos

Les Miles, Jabbar Juluke and Dameyune Craig pose for a picture after Craig and Juluke's formal introduction to the media on Feb. 17.