Interim defensive coordinator Rob Greene faces an uncertain future at Tulane, while offensive line coach Dan Roushar’s status is much more secure.
The single-minded dedication of both of them in the midst of upheaval, though, is an indication of how seriously the Green Wave took its Military Bowl preparation for Virginia Tech before flying to Maryland on Saturday.
“To be honest, we don’t have time to do much else right now,” Greene said earlier this week. “We’ve been recruiting. I’ve been working the game plan. Every day on my ride into work, I pray, 'Hey, Lord, please guide my path. Open doors that need to be open. Close doors that need to be closed.”
The door definitely appears ajar for Roushar, who spent 10 years with the Saints until this season, to join new coach Jon Sumrall’s staff as soon as the Dec. 27 bowl game ends. He was instrumental in Tulane signing five offensive linemen on Wednesday, with one of them, Dominic Steward of Atlanta Westlake, implying he was sure Roushar would be his coach in the future.
“Him being an offensive line coach for the Saints was a good one because his teaching style is able to help me prepare for the next level,” Steward said. “That was one of the most important factors in my decision.”
Roushar declined to reveal any job conversations with Sumrall but professed his admiration for the new Tulane head coach.
“I’m really excited about him,” he said. “I think personally this was a fantastic hire by the university. He’s got a lot of passion for the game. You can feel that. He’s got a clear vision of what this program’s going to look like.”
Tulane’s Military Bowl picture is murkier with three assistants gone and several others likely coaching their last game with the Wave, but at least Greene has experience in his new role. He was the defensive coordinator at Wofford the past two years before becoming a defensive backs coach at Tulane this season.
When Sumrall dismissed Shiel Wood as defensive coordinator last week, Greene was elevated back to his old spot.
“It’s exciting,” he said. “Obviously when you get into this profession, you want to run the show and call the plays. This is obviously a good opportunity to do that.
"I learned a ton from coach Wood this year. It’s going to help me going forward into this game. I’m just thankful (interim head) coach (Slade) Nagle and coach Sumrall gave me this opportunity.”
Wofford struggled defensively the past two years, ranking 114th out of 123 FCS teams in yards allowed (454.5 average) in 2021 and 99th in 2022 (433.1), but Greene has earned the respect of Tulane nickelback Kam Pedescleaux.
“Coach Greene is a really smart guy,” he said. “He’s my position coach, so I’m in the room with him every day, so I can see the preparation he puts into what he does. The guys are going to go out and play hard for him.”
Greene will be without three key players in first-team All-American Athletic Conference cornerback Jarius Monroe, first-team All-AAC rush end Darius Hodges and starting safety DJ Douglas, but just about everyone else will be available.
“There were some guys that were trying to figure out what they wanted to do, and a lot of them chose to play, which is awesome,” Greene said. “They are playing for each other, and as long as they keep that mindset, that’s a big deal.”
The mindset on the offensive line is redemption. Tulane’s veteran blockers played their worst game of the season against SMU in the AAC title matchup, allowing seven sacks in the 26-14 loss as the Wave attempted only 19 rushes.
“We probably got a little uncharacteristic where we weren’t running as much as we had been,” Roushar said. “Early in the game (quarterback Michael Pratt) probably held the ball a little longer, and as the game went on, we just got whipped. It was just a really poor performance on our part.”
Every lineman but guard Prince Pines opted to play in the Military Bowl, including All-AAC center Sincere Haynesworth, who could have chosen to begin preparation for the NFL draft early like a few of his teammates.
“Virginia Tech’s inside guys are as good as we’ve seen, so we’ll have to be ready to meet that challenge,” Roushar said. “I think our guys will be ready for it.”