Kentucky-born and raised Bryant Vincent joined ULM’s athletic department as head football coach on Dec. 6, 2023. In his 10 months spent coaching the football team, he brought the Warhawks from a forgettable name to a point-hungry, dominating group of young athletes.
Vincent began his journey in West Alabama, joining the athletic department as a baseball student assistant. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1998 and moved to Hart County High School as a teacher and assistant football coach.
Beginning in 1999, Vincent worked as an assistant coach at Charles Henderson High School. He would continue to spend the next 11 years working his way up in the ranks, moving from school to school and eventually landing himself the title of “Head Coach” at Spanish Fort High School.
He moved away from high school in 2011, coaching tight ends at South Alabama, eventually swapping for quarterbacks coach until 2013.
Vincent moved between the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) and South Alabama for the next few years, ending off 2022 at UAB as Interim Head Coach. He then spent time as the offensive coordinator at New Mexico in 2023.
The University of New Mexico (UNM) had the third all-time New Mexico Football record of rushing touchdowns of 17 by running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Croskey-Merrit is the first person at UNM to have back-to-back 200-yard rushing games.
ULM’s journey with Vincent began in late 2023, marking a significant new chapter.
“I am beyond excited and honored to be the Head Football Coach at ULM,” Vincent said during an interview. “I am confident with the leadership and vision of President Dr. Ron Berry and Athletic Director John Hartwell that we will build a championship program. Now is the time for the Warhawk family to all come together as one.”
Under the guidance of Vincent, the Warhawks had a 5-1 start for the first time in 37 seasons—37 years. Almost four decades have passed since the Warhawks have been acknowledged as a difficult opponent for well-known competitors. This comeback has even been mentioned in press articles across the country.
“One of the best stories so far this college football season has been ULM and coach Bryant Vincent,” Emory Hunt said in an article for CBS Sports. “[He] has the Warhawks experiencing one of their best seasons in quite a while. ULM is… undefeated in Sun Belt play with a major upset of James Madison, and off to its best start since their 1987 national championship… But what has really made this season a special one is the way Vincent has not only galvanized a team, but an athletics program and community as well.”
The ULM community has shown more interest in this football season than previous ones, doubling numbers each game—this led to an impressive 22,645 attendees for the Homecoming game against Southern Miss. A sport sometimes mentioned in passing is now plastered across campus, leaving Warhawks prideful in their sports teams.
It is all thanks to Vincent that ULM is finally getting recognized, and his efforts have not gone unnoticed. Vincent has been nominated for the American Heart Association’s 2024 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award Watch List.
