LSU assistant coach expected to miss Week 3 game after family tragedy

LSU football announced the death of Kevione Faulk, the daughter of LSU running backs coach Kevin Faulk, on Monday. Kevione was a student worker for the LSU football staff. As the family deals with the tragedy, Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron anticipates he’ll be without Kevin Faulk for at least one week.

“Obviously we put Coach Faulk and his family first,” Oregeron said during the SEC’s weekly conference call. “I don’t expect him to be here Saturday. I expect him to take his time and take care of his family first.”

He continued: “Like everybody here, (I’m just) sick to my stomach (about what he’s going through). I feel bad for Coach Faulk. He’s a great man, from a great family. I couldn’t imagine the pain that they’re going through. So right now Coach Faulk is with his family, I’ve told him to take his time, do whatever he needs to do. He’s a Tiger.”

It is currently unclear when Faulk will return to the program as he deals with this family tragedy.

More on Kevin Faulk

Kevin Faulk is an LSU alumnus and in college racked up over 4,500 rushing yards in four seasons, making him LSU’s all-time leading rusher. He won three Super Bowls over the course of a 12-year NFL career, all of which he spent with the New England Patriots.

As a student, Kevin tallied 6,833 all-purpose yards, which at the time made him the SEC’s all-time leading rusher. He still ranks third in SEC history in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, as he ran for 46 touchdowns. Additionally, Faulk reeled in 53 receptions for 600 yards and four more touchdowns through the air.

Faulk led LSU to three bowl games over the course of his four-year career. As a freshman in 1995, he was named the SEC’s Freshman of the Year, and he went on to earn an All-American distinction from the Associated Press in 1996, while also being tabbed to the All-SEC team three times.

Faulk was later inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, not just for his contributions at LSU but also for his decorated high school career, which saw him develop into one of the nation’s top recruits.

His performance as an LSU student-athlete caught the eye of New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who selected Faulk in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft, using the 46th overall pick. Faulk went on to have an illustrious 12-year career with the Patriots, scoring 33 touchdowns — 16 rushing, 15 receiving, and two kickoff returns — and being inducted to the New England Patriots Hall of Fame.

Faulk was later hired in 2017 as LSU’s director of player development, where he spent two seasons before being promoted to running backs coach in 2020.