‘Sean Strong’ community mourns loss of beloved football coach Sean Wallace after battle with cancer

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – The Southern Jaguar community is mourning the loss of one of their leaders.

Southern’s football safeties coach and former star player, Sean Wallace, has passed away, his family confirmed on February 25, 2025.

Wallace announced he had stage IV pancreatic cancer back in October of 2023.

“On Monday, October 9, 2023, we received the heartbreaking news that the blood work and imaging had revealed that the mass is indeed a cancerous tumor. The doctors found that the cancer had spread to his liver and is considered Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer. The findings suggest that the tumor is in a difficult location, making it inoperable,” his family wrote after his diagnosis.

A link to a GoFundMe page created by Wallace’s family revealed after experiencing stomach pains and other issues, Wallace made a trip to the emergency room. During that visit, doctors discovered a mass on his pancreas. Wallace had to undergo several surgeries that proved to be unsuccessful.

During his long-fought battle, he was still coaching, leading his team during the games. He remained with a strong faith as the community rallied behind him with #SeanStrong.

Former Mayor Broome, Councilman Darryl Hurst, and others rallied behind Wallace during his treatments.

During the legendary Coach Pete Richardson’s first season, Wallace led the Jaguars to the #1 defense in the country, on its way to the 1993 SWAC Championship and the Black College National Championship.

He was highly decorated as a player, earning two-time All-SWAC honors, SWAC Defensive Player of the Year, Bayou Classic MVP, two-time Sheridan Black College All-American, Walter Camp All-American, and Kodak All-American honors.

In 2011, he was elected to the Southern University Football Hall of Fame.

WAFB will update this story when funeral services are announced.

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