Report: 5 assistants, including both coordinators, leaving Tulane to join Fritz

Tulane named its new permanent head football coach Friday in Jon Sumrall.

Perhaps Sumrall will coach the Green Wave in the Military Bowl on Dec. 27 because former head coach Willie Fritz has taken interim coach Slade Nagle with him to Houston, according to a report by Action Network’s Brett McMurphy.

Tulane OC Slade Nagle, DC Shiel Wood, DL coach Gerald Chatman, WR coach Derrick Sherman & analyst James Ross headed to Houston & will not coach in Tulane's bowl, source told @ActionNetwork. All will have same positions under Willie Fritz at UH w/Ross promoted to inside LB coach

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) December 8, 2023

Nagle, defensive coordinator Shiel Wood, defensive line coach Gerald Chatman, wide receivers coach Derrick Sherman and analyst James Ross are all headed west on I-10 to join Fritz, according to McMurphy.

Nagle was tabbed as interim head coach Sunday night after Fritz’s departure and it was widely expected he would coach the Green Wave in the bowl game against Virginia Tech.

That leaves six full-time position coaches on the Tulane staff for now: run game coordinator Dan Roushar, running backs coach Carter Sheridan, defensive backs coaches Joshua Christian-Young, J.J. McCleskey and Rob Greene and special teams coordinator Greg McMahon.

Perhaps one of those staff members will be the new interim coach for the bowl game, or Sumrall will jump in and handle the duties right away.

Another staff member to watch is director of strength and conditioning Kurt Hester. Will he join Fritz in Houston or remain at Tulane?

Of course, Sumrall will fill his staff at his discretion, but the short-term question becomes how Tulane will manage the bowl preparation as well as get to the early National Signing Day in two weeks.