Head coach Willie Fritz helped make Tulane one of the top Group of Five programs in the country.
This year, the Green Wave are 11-2 after losing in the AAC Championship. A season ago, they won the Cotton Bowl against USC after securing the conference title.
Fritz has now officially been hired at Houston, though, which means Tulane is searching for a new head coach. And this may be the most appealing head coaching vacancy in the G5.
Here’s a list of names the Green Wave could consider hiring when they search for their new head coach.
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Troy Head Coach Jon Sumrall
Sumrall has reportedly become Tulane’s choice to be the Green Wave’s next head coach. However, a deal has yet to be finalized.
Sumrall has been Troy’s head coach since 2022, and the Trojans have won the Sun Belt each of those two years he has led the program. He certainly has the experience for a position like this.
He also has experience at Tulane. He was the team’s co-defensive coordinator from 2012-14.
Sumrall was Kentucky’s co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach before becoming the head coach at Troy. He was also a linebackers coach at Ole Miss (2018), an assistant head coach and linebackers coach at Troy (2015-17), and an assistant at San Diego (2007-11).
If Sumrall would be willing to leave Troy, he would be a great hire for the Green Wave.
Tulane Offensive Coordinator Slade Nagle
Nagle will be Tulane’s interim head coach during the Green Wave’s bowl game against Virginia Tech. It makes sense he should be considered for the position on a long-term basis.
While the Green Wave were average on offense this year compared to the rest of the AAC, they were first in the league in scoring offense a year ago.
Nagle, who is currently Tulane’s OC as well as the team’s quarterbacks coach, has been with the Green Wave since 2016. Before that, he was at the FCS level as McNeese State’s running backs coach and special team’s coordinator from 2012-15 and coached running backs at Central Arkansas in 2011. Before that, he was Texas State’s co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2010). He also was an assistant at LSU (2009) and at Northwestern State (2006-09).
Promoting Nagle could provide some stability for the program.
Troy Head Coach Jon Sumrall
A few current Group of Five head coaches are likely going to be interested in the Tulane job.
Sumrall has been Troy’s head coach since 2022, and the Trojans have won the Sun Belt each of those two years he has led the program. He certainly has the experience for a position like this.
He also has experience at Tulane. He was the team’s co-defensive coordinator from 2012-14.
Sumrall was Kentucky’s co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach before becoming the head coach at Troy. He was also a linebackers coach at Ole Miss (2018), an assistant head coach and linebackers coach at Troy (2015-17), and an assistant at San Diego (2007-11).
If Sumrall would be willing to leave Troy, he would be a great hire for the Green Wave.
Jacksonville State Head Coach Rich Rodriguez
Rodriguez is another current G5 coach who also has been at Tulane before.
Rodriguez has been Jacksonville State’s head coach since 2022. In the Gamecocks’ first season at the FBS level, he led them to an 8-4 overall record in the regular season and to a berth in a bowl game.
But Rodriguez has been a head coach at plenty of other places. He’s been the head coach at West Virginia (2001-07), Michigan (2008-10), and Arizona (2012-17).
Rodriguez was also Tulane’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 1997-98. He’s obviously familiar with the region and the program.
Perhaps Rodriguez would be worth consideration after what he’s done at Jacksonville State.
Penn State Defensive Coordinator Manny Diaz
Diaz is reportedly receiving plenty of interest from other programs. But he’s been a coach in the state of Louisiana before and has been a head coach before, so he could be a logical choice.
Diaz has been the defensive coordinator at Penn State since last year. This season, the Nittany Lions rank first in the country in total defense with 223.2 yards per game allowed and third in scoring defense with 11.42 points per game allowed.
Previously, Diaz was the head coach at Miami from 2019-21 as well as the team’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2016-18. He went 21-15 as the head coach there.
He was also Louisiana Tech’s defensive coordinator back in 2014. He’s been a DC at Mississippi State (2010 and 2015), Texas (2011-13), and Middle Tennessee (2006-09) as well.
Diaz’s experience would make him a good choice for the Green Wave.
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SMU Offensive Coordinator Casey Woods
When looking at coordinators currently in the AAC, Woods stands out. Maybe he would want to stay put with SMU going to the ACC next season. But he obviously is familiar with recruiting in Texas, and SMU’s offense has flourished with him as the team’s offensive coordinator.
The Mustangs were 12th in the FBS in points per game (37.2) and 14th in yards per game (472.8) last year. This year, they are fourth (41.8 points per game) and ninth (471.9 yards per game) in those categories.
Before this, Woods was a tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator at Missouri. He’s also been an assistant at Arkansas State, UAB, and Auburn.
