McDaniel Named Defensive Line Coach at Tulane

NEW ORLEANS – Tulane head coach Will Hall announced Monday that Eric McDaniel has been named the Green Wave's new defensive line coach.

McDaniel joins Tulane from Florida, where he served as assistant defensive line coach since December under former Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall, who joined the Gators from Uptown earlier that month.

Prior to that, McDaniel returned to Appalachian State as its defensive line coach for the 2024 season, after two years as its quality control coach in 2016 and 2017. In between, he spent two seasons at Louisville (2019-2020 as Defensive Quality Control), one year at Army (2021 as Defensive Line coach), and two seasons at Troy (2022-2023 as Defensive Line coach). During his time at Troy, he worked alongside Sumrall and current Tulane defensive coordinator Tayler Polk. With Troy, McDaniel contributed to a record-setting defense that helped the team win Sun Belt championships in 2022 and 2023.

"We are very excited for our players to bring Eric McDaniel to our program," said Hall. "We have several staff members who have worked with Eric in his past. Every one of them vouched for his character and how much he cares for his players. They absolutely rave about him as a fundamental developer of defensive line, as well. Roll Wave!!!"

In recognition of his efforts at Troy in 2023, McDaniel was named one of five finalists for FootballScoop's National Defensive Line Coach of the Year.

Under McDaniel's leadership, Troy's defensive line helped the Trojans set a Sun Belt record with 47 sacks in 2023, ranking No. 2 nationally. Defensive end Javon Solomon earned All-America honors and led all FBS players with 16 sacks. T.J. Jackson also earned second-team All-Sun Belt honors.

Overall, Troy's defense ranked in the top 10 nationally in points allowed, sacks, and tackles for loss per game, finishing 11-3 and defeating Appalachian State in the Sun Belt Championship Game.

In 2022, two of McDaniel's defensive linemen—Jackson and Will Choloh—earned first-team All-Sun Belt honors. That season, Troy finished 12-2, won the Cure Bowl, and ended the year on an 11-game winning streak. The team was ranked No. 19 in the AP Top 25 and No. 20 in the USA Today/Coaches Poll, marking the program's first appearance in major polls.

"I'm excited to join this staff and be a part of this team," said McDaniel. "I'm looking forward to keeping the Wave rolling and representing a physical and attacking front, adding to the championship culture that has been built here!"

McDaniel helped guide Army to a 9-4 record in 2021, capped by a victory over Missouri in the Armed Forces Bowl. Army's defense ranked 17th nationally, allowing just 328.4 yards per game, and set a school record with 30 sacks.

Army's defense also excelled at getting off the field, limiting opponents to just 24:28 of possession per game—tied for the lowest in the country.

At Louisville, McDaniel helped improve the defense by over 10 points per game and more than doubled the team's sack total from the 2018 season. During his initial tenure at Appalachian State, the defense ranked ninth nationally in scoring defense at 17.8 points per game, with seven games holding opponents to 10 or fewer points. The Mountaineers also ranked No. 1 nationally in fewest big plays allowed and 17th in sacks with 38.

McDaniel began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Muskingum University (2014 and 2015 seasons) at the NCAA Division III level.

He earned his degree in health and kinesiology from Purdue in 2014, after playing 15 games for the Boilermakers from 2009-2013. McDaniel also holds a master's degree in education from Muskingum, earned in 2016.

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McDaniel Named Defensive Line Coach at Tulane

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