BATON ROUGE - Coach Sean Wallace, the assistant coach of the Southern University football team, has passed away, his family reported Thursday. 

His sister, Antoinette Wallace, posted on Facebook announcing his death. Wallace was 53.

His family released the following statement:

With Heavy Hearts, We Announce the Passing of Coach Sean Wallace (1972-2025) It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Coach Sean Wallace after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. A beloved mentor, leader, and friend, his impact will forever be felt by those whose lives he touched. At this time, the family kindly requests privacy as they navigate this difficult loss. Details regarding memorial arrangements will be shared at a later date. Thank you for your love, support, and prayers. Coach Wallace’s legacy will live on in the hearts of many. #SeanStrong

As a player, the New Orleans native helped lead the Jags to the 1993 SWAC Championship and the Black College National Championship in Coach Pete Richardson's first season on the Bluff. Wallace won SWAC Defensive Player of the Year and Bayou Classic MVP, as well as being recognized as a Walter Camp All American and Kodak All American.

Wallace returned over 25 years later to finish his degree after his children all graduated from college.

Wallace spent more than a decade coaching at the Dunham School and Mentorship Academy before becoming Southern's safeties coach. In 2011, he was elected to the Southern University Football Hall of Fame. 

Southern also issued a statement regarding the news.

"It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Coach Sean Wallace after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. A beloved mentor, leader, and friend, his impact will forever be felt by those whose lives he touched," the university said in their statement.

Wallace announced his diagnosis in 2023 and as of 2024 told WBRZ his cancer cell count was down and that he was almost entirely cancer-free.