Louisiana-Monroe football coach Bryant Vincent is now the school’s interim athletic director.
Vincent was placed in charge of the school’s athletic department on Tuesday following John Hartwell’s resignation on Monday. Vincent, who is entering just his second season at ULM, will continue to coach the football team as the interim AD in a unique situation. No other head coach at the FBS level also serves as his school’s athletic director.
“I am grateful to Bryant for stepping up to serve as the interim AD,” ULM president Carrie Castille said in a statement. “Not only is Bryant a leader, but he builds teams and communities. 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. 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.”
According to AL.com, Hartwell resigned over budget issues. The school has one of the smallest athletic department budgets among those that compete at the top level of college football and there could be more cuts coming to that budget. The school said Monday that Hartwell "will be pursuing other professional opportunities."
Hartwell hired Vincent after the 2023 season. Vincent, who was the interim coach at UAB in 2022, was passed over for the permanent job with the Blazers and moved to Monroe, where the team had its best season since 2019. ULM was a win away from the school’s first bowl game since 2012 halfway through the 2024 season, but ended the year on a six-game losing streak.
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