Coastal Alabama Fauxback System

To commemorate the school’s 60th anniversary, RARE Design partnered with Coastal Alabama Community College to develop a “fauxback” identity system that honors the institution’s rich history while showcasing its progress and forward-looking vision.

To tell the story of Coastal Alabama Community College, we looked backward to move forward. When Faulkner State, Jefferson Davis, and Alabama Southern merged into one institution, they brought with them decades of history, pride, and identity. Rather than erase that legacy, we chose to celebrate it.

We created a Fauxback system that honors the heritage of each former college through custom marks built to feel familiar, worn in, and full of character. These identities feel pulled from a different era, yet are built with the same care and intention as the new Coastal Alabama brand. They serve as a bridge connecting alumni and current students to where this story began while supporting a unified vision of where it’s going next. It is a brand system rooted in respect and elevated by design. One that remembers. One that moves. One that belongs.

We wanted the Coastal Coyotes mascot to feel like it had always been part of campus athletic history. Inspired by the timeless work of American mascot illustrators like Art Evans we created a Fauxback coyote that feels like it was pulled straight from a mid-century athletics locker room. Every curve, line, and expression was crafted with intention. The illustration style and supporting graphic elements capture the energy of a bygone era while staying sharp and flexible enough for modern digital use.

This identity goes beyond nostalgia. It feels lived in and full of pride. It moves confidently from jerseys to merchandise to social feeds and the campus landscape. The system references a rich heritage while marching forward as one bold, united, and enduring brand.

To honor the unification of Faulkner State, Jefferson Davis, and Alabama Southern, RARE Design crafted a custom suite of script wordmarks for the Coastal Fauxback identity system. Each one is thoughtfully rooted in the visual language of the past.

We studied archival jersey lettering and vintage athletics marks from all three legacy schools, pulling inspiration from their unique strokes, angles, and flair. The resulting script system is a celebration of that shared history. Each letterform carries the rhythm and personality of those early programs, now woven into one unified story. While the scripts feel nostalgic and familiar, they were redrawn with precision to perform across every platform from embroidery and print to digital motion and merchandise.

To complete the Coastal Alabama Fauxback identity system, we created a reimagined athletic ligature. This is a bold, interlocking mark that ties the entire brand together with clarity and strength. Built with the same spirit and craft as the rest of the system, the ligature serves as a powerful shorthand for the Coastal Coyotes identity. It honors tradition while setting a new visual standard for community college athletics across the state of Alabama, giving the program a mark that feels iconic from day one.