Hall of Fame
McNair coached the Braves to four Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) East Division titles and two SWAC Championships.
He was named SWAC Coach of the Year two-times and helped lead the Braves to the Celebration Bowl in 2018 and 2019. He is the original “Air McNair”, and the older brother of the late Tennessee Titans quarterback and 2003 National Football League (NFL) Co-Most Valuable Player – Steve “Air II” McNair.
McNair compiled a 37-17 SWAC record after eight seasons on the Alcorn State sidelines, while posting an overall record of 48-33. He became Alcorn State’s first SWAC Coach of the Year winner since Cardell Jones achieved the feat in 1992.
The Braves posted their first 7-0 record at home inside Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium history during the 2019 campaign. In fact, Alcorn entered the 2022 season having won its last 13 games consecutively in the friendly confines of Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium.
At the end of the 2019 season, McNair saw his quarterback Felix Harper earn his second consecutive SWAC Offensive Player of the Year award. He developed Harper who ranked fourth in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in passing touchdowns (33), fifth in points responsible for (19.7 points/game), seventh in passing efficiency (160.7), eighth in yards per completion (14.5) and ninth in yards per pass attempt (8.7). McNair’s defense led the nation in both interceptions (21) and turnovers gained (36) in that same SWAC title-winning season.
McNair was named as the 21st head football coach of Alcorn State University on Feb. 2, 2016. Prior to that, he worked at Alcorn as the quarterbacks coach for three seasons under former head coach Jay Hopson. McNair began his collegiate football career as a wide receiver at Alcorn in 1986, before moving to quarterback his junior season.
After making the move under center, McNair went on to finish fifth in the FCS (formerly Division I-AA) in passing efficiency during his senior year and was named to the SWAC all-conference second team following the 1989 campaign. He received his bachelor’s degree from Alcorn State in 1992, before going on to earn his master’s in education in 1996.