The Tulane Green Wave quietly returned a major core of position group coaches who are arguably as important to player retention as the head coach.
The Tulane Green Wave announced their entire football staff on Friday from coaching staff, to personnel, recruiting, and strength and conditioning. What stuck out is the number of returning position group coaches that will make a massive difference in retaining and strengthening the program’s core and culture. The Green Wave also added some graduate assistants that include former players. As much as the head coach hire matters, players will arguably base their decisions as much off the position group coach in charge of their room. Full roster retention just isn’t possible in the sport any longer with the transfer portal and NIL dominating college football.
However, when looking at some of the more important returning players for Tulane next season, it checks out with the returning coaches. The major announcement was running back Jamauri McClure announcing that he was coming back. That room also added three talented backs out of the portal from Power Four programs. That group returns running backs coach Brock Hays in his third season, and he has substantial experience in Louisiana and surrounding areas, including stops at Troy, Louisiana Tech, Southern Miss, and Nicholls State.
Then looking at the secondary, several key players are coming back to join their coaches. Spear Javion White entered the transfer portal and signed with Houston, but his backup, TJ Smith, is returning to the program with a lot of potential. In addition, they added USF defensive back Kajuan Banks, who played in the slot. That room is returning spears coach Brayden Berezowitz, who came with Sumrall from Troy. He developed Caleb Ransaw into an NFL third-round pick. His twin Bryan Berezowitz is returning in his second season as Tulane’s safeties coach. He came over from the Kentucky Wildcats – the alma mater of him, his brother, and Sumrall. In 2022, he coached a unit that ranked in the top three in total defense, passing, and scoring defense in the SEC.
That group is returning American Conference Championship MVP Jack Tchienchou, who is arguably a top returnee alongside McClure. He was one of the best players on defense for the Wave and will slot back in at starting free safety. That unit is also bringing back Kevin Adams, who could become the starting strong safety, and backup Joshua Moore. At cornerback, Tulane is returning starting corner E’Zaiah Shine and backup LJ Green, both of whom developed considerably under J.J. McCleskey, who has been with the program for six years, developing multiple NFL stars and having a strong recruiting foothold.
The linebacker room has a strong returning core in Chris Rodgers, Dickson Agu, and Makai Williams. With defensive coordinator Tayler Polk still coaching that room, it shows how much that group values their position coach, who was promoted after being the team’s linebacker coach for two seasons.
The portal is one thing, but the guys on the roster are quietly endorsing the number of returning position group coaches. In addition to Hays, both Berezowitz twins, McCleskey, and Polk, there are several more coaches running it back: Carter Sheridan with wide receivers, Kanan Ray at assistant o-line coach, Tyler Spotts-Orgeron with tight ends, Collin D’Angelo with quarterbacks, and Landius Wilkerson with the defensive line. That allows the program to keep a lot of their offensive and defensive system in place with coaches that know the standard that’s been set and what it takes to continue it.