ULM Warhawks

Bryant Vincent, known for his strong leadership and expertise in creating powerful offensive schemes in college football, was named the 17th head football coach in University of Louisiana Monroe history on Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

“We are fired up to welcome Coach Bryant Vincent to our Warhawk family and lead ULM football,” said ULM Athletics Director John Hartwell. “Coach Vincent is bringing passion, positivity and a proven plan to guide our football program to levels of success we have not seen since becoming an FBS program. He is a relationship guy, and that will resonate with our student-athletes, prospective recruits, his coaching staff, the University, Northeast Louisiana and all of Warhawk Nation.”
 

In his first season as head coach of ULM football, Coach Vincent began establishing a culture of grit and resilience that propelled the Warhawks to one of their most successful starts in nearly four decades. ULM opened the 2024 season 5-1, the program’s best start in 37 years, and Vincent was the only Sun Belt Conference Coach named to the 2024 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award Watch List. 

Vincent secured his first victory as head coach with a 30-14 win over Jackson State on August 29, 2024. In week two, the Warhawks stunned UAB with a dominating 32-6 win after shutting out the Blazers in the second half inside Malone Stadium. After defeating Troy on the road 13-9 in the Sun Belt Conference opener, Vincent led the Warhawks to a signature victory over JMU by a score of 21-19 to give ULM its first 4-1 start in the FBS era. ULM completed the 5-1 start with a 38-21 win over Southern Miss in week six. 

Under Vincent’s direction, the Warhawks led the SBC in several statistical categories, including passing yards allowed (183.9), blocked kicks (3) and fewest penalty yards per game (43.25).  

He developed 2024 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year Ahmad Hardy, who led the league with 1,351 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns as a true freshman. Hardy was named ULM’s first FWAA Freshman All-American in program history and was also voted Louisiana Freshman of the Year by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.  

Including Hardy, nine Warhawks garnered SBC postseason honors for the first time in over five seasons including All-Sun Belt Second Team defensive lineman Kevontay Wells and All-Sun Belt Third Team defensive stars Billy Pullen, Carl Glass Jr., and Wydett Williams Jr. Additionally, two of Vincent’s players went on to compete at the professional level after senior cornerback Car’lin Vigers signed an undrafted free agent contract with the NFL’s Washington Commanders and senior offensive lineman Sam Carson was drafted by the CFL’s Ottawa Redblacks. 

Off the field, Vincent’s leadership produced unprecedented academic results. ULM football recorded the highest term GPA in program history in Fall 2024, and the team’s 84% graduation success rate (GSR) led all Sun Belt programs. Additionally, major facility upgrades were completed at Malone Stadium, including renovations to the team room, locker room and main athletics lobby. 

Most recently, Vincent served as the Offensive Coordinator at the University of New Mexico during the 2023 season. Under Vincent’s offensive schemes, the Lobos earned national top-20 rankings in red zone offense (14th) and rushing offense (19th). Additionally, Vincent coached running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt to a record-breaking season. The New Mexico running back was the first Lobo to ever have back-to-back 200-yard rushing games and finished with 17 rushing touchdowns, which is third all-time in New Mexico football history.

Prior to New Mexico, Vincent served as the Interim Head Coach at UAB following the retirement of Bill Clark and led the Blazers to a 7-6 season and a win in the 2022 Bahamas Bowl. UAB’s offense generated 30.1 points per game and 438.2 yards per game, which was the 33rd highest mark in the country. Vincent spent four seasons as UAB’s offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach and was a key figure in elevating the program since its reinstatement in 2017. In all, Vincent helped lead UAB to a pair of Conference USA Championships and bowl game victories.

UAB has been the winningest team in Conference USA since returning to the playing field and collected 42 wins since Vincent returned as OC.  The Blazers won the 2018 CUSA title game 27-25 over Middle Tennessee State, winning on the road, and the 2020 CUSA title game, that one 22-13 over Marshall, again on the road.

UAB also made it to the 2019 championship game as champions of their division.  Since the reinstatement of the program in 2017, Vincent coached in five bowls games, qualifying for six.  UAB won the 2018 Boca Raton Bowl 37-13 over Northern Illinois, the 2021 Independence Bowl 31-28 over BYU and the 2022 Bahamas Bowl.  UAB also played in the 2017 Bahamas Bowl against Ohio and the 2019 New Orleans Bowl against App State, and the team qualified for the 2020 Gasparilla Bowl against South Carolina, before being canceled due to COVID-19.

With Vincent at offensive coordinator, the Blazers set FBS-program records for wins in 2018, going 11-3.  Vincent never had a losing season with Blazers, going 7-6 as head coach and going 48-27 overall in his six years with UAB. The 2018 Blazers had the best offensive season in program history which resulted in 21 school records, including the aforementioned 11-3 overall record and winning the program’s first Conference USA title and bowl game.

Among the school records that fell in 2018 included total points (418), total touchdowns (53), rushing touchdowns (32), total yards (5,680) and rushing yards (2,818). Additionally, UAB set the single game school record for total yards (668) and rushing yards (419) in a 52-3 victory over UTSA on Nov. 3, 2018.

Vincent is no stranger to the Sun Belt Conference and spent six years in two separate stints with South Alabama. He served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2015-17 and was an assistant coach from 2011-13 for the Jaguars’ football program. Vincent helped guide the Jaguars to the 2016 Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl led by record setting quarterback Dallas Davis. In Vincent’s offense, Davis threw for the most yards in school history (2,706) and his 2,951 total yards of offense are second most in program history.

Before entering the collegiate ranks, Vincent was a successful high school football coach in Alabama and tallied a record of 49-16 in five seasons at two different schools. In his first season as a head coach, Vincent led Greenville High School to a 10-3 record and was selected as the Class 5A Coach of the Year in 2006. Vincent was at the helm of Spanish Fort High School football for four seasons and produced a record of 39-13. His team captured the Alabama 5A State Championship in 2010.

Vincent is a native of Glasgow, Kentucky. He and his wife Holli have two sons, Brady, a member of the ULM football coaching staff and Bret, a wide receiver for the Warhawks.

• Hometown: Glasgow, Ky.
• Wife: Holli
• Children: Brady and Bret

• Bachelor's degree – West Alabama '98
• Master's degree – Troy '01

• 1996-97 – West Alabama (Student Assistant)
• 1998 – Hart County (Ky.) High School (Assistant Coach)
• 1999-2002 – Charles Henderson (Ala.) High School (Assistant Coach)
• 2003-05 – Spain Park (Ala.) High School (Associate Head Coach)
• 2006 – Greenville (Ala.) High School (Head Coach)
• 2007-10 – Spanish Fort (Ala.) High School (Head Coach)
• 2011 – South Alabama (Tight Ends Coach)
• 2012-13 – South Alabama (Quarterbacks Coach)
• 2014 – UAB (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)
• 2015-17 – South Alabama (Associate Head Coach/co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)
• 2018-21 – UAB (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)
• 2022 – UAB (Interim Head Coach)
• 2023 – New Mexico (Offensive Coordinator)