Louisiana-Monroe football coach Bryant Vincent will serve as the school’s interim athletic director, the school announced Tuesday, one day after John Hartwell resigned from the position.
Vincent, set to enter his second season as ULM’s coach, will also oversee the athletic department while the school conducts a search for Hartwell’s permanent replacement. Hartwell served as athletic director since February 2023 and resigned to pursue “other professional opportunities.”
The added title doesn’t change Vincent’s contract, which runs through the 2029 season.
University president Dr. Carrie Castille thanked Vincent for taking on the added responsibilities. Several prominent college football coaches also held the athletic director title simultaneously, including Bear Bryant (Texas A&M and Alabama), Darrell Royal (Texas), Frank Broyles (Arkansas) and more recently Barry Alvarez (Wisconsin), but the practice has become much less common.
“Bryant has the support of the associate ADs and will be working closely with them to ensure he can serve both roles and win games,” Castille said in a statement. “He has already gained the support of this community as a head coach, and I hope that everyone will join me in rallying around him to support ULM Athletics. I have no doubt in Bryant’s ability to serve in both roles with excellence and a winning spirit.”
Vincent, 49, led Louisiana-Monroe to a 5-1 start last year, the school’s best since 1987, before the team dropped its final six games.
