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Our story
Coach Sean Wallace
1972 – 2025
Founder of The Wallace Foundation, Coach Sean André Wallace was a devoted husband, father, educator, minister, mentor, championship athlete, coach, and community leader. From starring on the football field at Southern University to returning to his alma mater as a coach, he dedicated his life to developing people through faith, mentorship, athletics, education, and service. His legacy lives on through the people he impacted and the mission he built.
The Journey
Born in New Orleans in 1972, Sean André Wallace’s journey was defined by faith, family, football, and service.
After graduating from O. Perry Walker Senior High School, Sean walked on at Southern University in 1990. He became a valued part of the defense that helped capture the 1993 SWAC Championship and Black College National Championship before pursuing an opportunity in professional football.
But some of his most meaningful work happened after the game.
Sean spent decades educating, coaching, and mentoring at The Dunham School and Mentorship Academy before returning to Southern University as a safeties coach. In 2018, he completed the degree he began nearly three decades earlier.
In Fall 2023, amid his battle with cancer, Sean fulfilled a lifelong dream when he was initiated into the Lambda Alpha Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. A proud Omega man, he embraced the brotherhood and its commitment to service, friendship, and community as another meaningful chapter in his life.
Beyond football, Sean was an ordained minister, mentor, entrepreneur, husband, father, and community leader. No matter the role, his purpose remained the same: helping people become more than they believed possible.
Awards and Honors
- Black College Freshman All-American1990
- Two-time All-SWAC Selection1992 & 1993
- SWAC Defensive Player of the Year1993
- Bayou Classic MVP1993
- Two-time Sheridan Black College All-American1992 & 1993
- Walter Camp All-American1993
- Kodak All-American1993
- SWAC Championship Leader1993
- Black College National Championship Leader1993
- Southern University Football Hall of Fame2011
It Started in a Classroom
Coach Sean Wallace spent decades teaching, coaching, mentoring, and serving others. His impact reached across generations, but it was in the classroom that he saw firsthand how circumstances beyond school could shape a student’s opportunities, well-being, and future. He saw the challenges they faced—but, more importantly, he saw their potential.
Sean believed meaningful change required more than instruction. People needed someone who believed in them, opportunities that expanded what they could imagine for themselves, and a community willing to invest in their success. Whether in the classroom, on the football field, or through mentorship and service, his approach remained the same: meet people where they are, help them recognize their potential, and give them the support to move forward.
In 2021, he turned that lifelong commitment into The Wallace Foundation, creating an organization rooted in the same principles that had guided his work for decades: mentorship, education, wellness, service, and opportunity.
What started in a classroom grew into a mission with generational impact—strengthening individuals, supporting families, building communities, and carrying forward a legacy of service that continues today.
The Foundation’s Motto
- Work hard.
- Improve daily.
- Never give up.
His Legacy Lives On
Sean André Wallace passed away on February 20, 2025, following his battle with stage IV pancreatic cancer.
Throughout his life, Sean had a gift for making people believe they were capable of more. He did it as an athlete, educator, coach, minister, mentor, father, and founder.
His legacy cannot be measured only in championships, awards, or accomplishments. It lives in the people he poured into, the families he served, and the opportunities he created for others.
Sean shared thirty years of marriage with his wife, Venio, and built a family rooted in faith, service, and love. The same commitment he gave his family became the foundation for how he served his community.
Today, The Wallace Foundation carries that legacy forward—not simply by remembering Sean’s work, but by continuing it.
The Life of a Legend
- 1972
Born in New Orleans
Sean was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, beginning a life that would shape countless others.
- 1990
Walked On at Southern
Enrolled at Southern University and earned a place on the defense as a walk-on under Coach Gerald Kimble.
- 1993
Championship, and the NFL
Led the Southern University Jaguars to the SWAC Championship and the Black College National Championship under Coach Pete Richardson, then left to declare for the NFL.
- 1993–2016
Family and Career
Became a father, devoted husband, and built a successful career in sales, finance, and entrepreneurship.
- 2011
Hall of Fame
Inducted into the Southern University Football Hall of Fame.
- 2018
Completed His Degree
Returned to Southern University as a student in 2016 and graduated in 2018.
- 2021
The Foundation Established
Founded The Wallace Foundation to close the gap he saw between his students’ lives at home and at school.
- 2023
A Lifelong Dream Fulfilled
Fulfilled a lifelong dream when he was initiated into the Lambda Alpha Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. in Fall 2023 while battling cancer. He proudly embraced a brotherhood rooted in friendship and service.
- 2025
A Legacy Carried Forward
Sean passed away on February 20, 2025. The Foundation continues the work he started, led by the family and community he built around it.
Carry the Legacy Forward
Coach Sean Wallace built a legacy rooted in service, opportunity, and showing up for others. Today, The Wallace Foundation carries that legacy forward by expanding the programs, partnerships, and opportunities he envisioned. Your support helps us continue that work and deepen our impact through:
- More scholarships for students across Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and beyond
- College and career readiness through the Strong Summer Experience and college tours
- Corporate partners attached to signature programs
- Annual Legacy Gala
- Annual youth football camps
- Grief workshops
- Community service and civic engagement
- Awareness walks
- More health screenings, in more neighborhoods
- Partnerships with hospitals and research clinics