Although Tulane has yet to announce an assistant coach under new football coach Jon Sumrall, sources close to the program confirmed Thursday several imminent hirings that have been reported by The Athletic and Football Scoop while adding information that created a picture of the makeup of his staff.
Sumrall is bringing six coaches with him, a source revealed, including offensive coordinator Joe Craddock and defensive coordinator Greg Gasparato. The other assistants making the move from Alabama are inside linebackers coach Taylor Polk, outside linebackers coach Bam Hardmon, running backs coach Brock Hays and tight ends coach Evan McKissack.
At least four assistants under former Tulane coach Willie Fritz are being retained according to sources — offensive line coach Dan Roushar, Carter Sheridan and defensive backs coaches Rob Greene and J.J. McCleskey. None of the latter three’s specific assignments have been determined, but Sheridan, who worked with the running backs in 2022, likely will coach the wide receivers, the role he had with the Saints for several years and at Tulane in 2015 under Curtis Johnson.
Craddock, who also will coach the quarterbacks, was the youngest offensive coordinator in the FBS when he started at SMU in 2015 for a three-year stint, assuming that position seven years after his last season as quarterback at Middle Tennessee. He went 3-0 against Tulane with the Mustangs, who finished eighth nationally in scoring (40.2 points per game) in 2017. He then spent two years as offensive coordinator at Arkansas and two years in the same role at UAB, beating Tulane again in 2021 before joining Sumrall at Troy in 2022.
The Trojans finished in the middle of the pack in the Sun Belt Conference in yards and points the past two years.
Troy allowed the fewest yards (308.3) and points (17.1) in the Sun Belt this season under Gasparato, who arrived at Troy this past spring after former defensive coordinator Shiel Wood left for Fritz’s staff at Tulane. The Trojans had a Sun Belt-record 45 sacks, ranked 10th nationally in scoring defense and held nine of their 14 opponents to 17 points or fewer.
Gasparato, who also will work with the safeties, served as co-defensive coordinator at Army in 2020 before spending two years at Louisville as a position coach.
Notable among the new position coaches is Hays’ history in New Orleans. A Grambling graduate, he coached at Karr from 2010-12 and again in 2014 with a one-year stop at former New Orleans East school Miller-McCoy Academy. He also worked at Helen Cox and New Iberia before spending time at Nicholls State and Louisiana Tech.
Hardmon was at Troy for nine years, arriving there the same time for Sumrall’s first stint as linebackers coach. Hardmon was a 2020 Football Scoop finalist for linebackers coach of the year.
Polk was named co-defensive coordinator at Troy this season after graduating from Ole Miss in 2017. He coached at Central Arkansas before joining Sumrall in 2022.
McKissick, a former player for Troy, was on Sumrall’s staff the past two years.
The only remaining opening on Sumrall’s staff appears to be defensive line coach. A hiring there would give the Green Wave 11 assistants, and since NCAA rules allow 10 active game-day coaches, one of the coaches presumably would be in an analyst role like former tight ends coach Tyler Spotts-Orgeron had under Fritz.
The future for holdover special teams coach Greg McMahon and offensive coordinator Slade Nagle is less clear. McMahon potentially could move into an off-the-field role under Sumrall.
Nagle, who earned Sumrall’s praise for the way he handled the team as interim coach for the Military Bowl, has not left yet. He was noncommittal after the 41-20 loss, saying “we’re going to shower and go home and be together as a team for these last few hours and we’ll see where everybody goes after that.”