Greg Gasparato - Defensive Coordinator/Safeties - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Greg Gasparato

Title:
Defensive Coordinator/Safeties
Email:
Phone:
314-2425

Gasparato is entering his first year at Tulane as the defensive coordinator/safeties coach.

He arrives at Tulane after serving as the interim head coach at Troy University for their 76 Birmingham Bowl contest after working as the program’s defensive coordinator for the 2023 season.

Troy set the program and Sun Belt single-season record with 47 sacks, and the Trojans ranked in the top 15 nationally in sacks (3rd), scoring defense (10th), rushing defense (12th) and total defense (14th).

Gasparato and the Trojans entered the 76 Birmingham Bowl having won 10 consecutive games including a 48-23 victory over Appalachian State in the 2023 Sun Belt Championship Game.

Troy held eight of its 14 opponents to fewer than 300 yards of total offense on the season, while Javon Solomon and Richard Jibunor became just the second Troy duo to record nine or more sacks in the same season; Solomon ranked third in the country and led the Sun Belt with a Troy single-season record 16 sacks. He was drafted in the fifth round by the Buffalo Bills during 2024 NFL Draft.

In his season in charge of the Troy defense, Gasparato saw nine of his players earn All-Sun Belt yearly honors in defensive lineman Solomon (First Team), defensive lineman Jibunor (First Team), defensive back Reddy Stewart (First Team), defensive lineman TJ Jackson (Second Team), defensive back Dell Pettus (Second Team), defensive back Irshaad Davis (Third Team), defensive back O’Shai Fletcher (Honorable Mention), defensive lineman Budda Jones (Honorable Mention) and defensive back Caleb Ransaw (Honorable Mention)

The Trojans handed Army its first shutout at home in 20 years and first overall shutout in nine seasons, and Troy defeated in-state rival South Alabama for a sixth straight season.

In 2023, Troy allowed just 106.6 yards per game on the ground, the fewest by a Trojan squad since 2004 and the sixth lowest in program history, while Troy’s 308.1 yards per game allowed per game was its fewest since 2002 and the sixth-fewest in Sun Belt history.

Before coming to Troy, Gasparato briefly served on Scott Satterfield’s staff at Cincinnati during the transition from the 2022 to 2023 seasons. With Satterfield at Louisville, Gasparato coached the outside linebackers in 2022 and the safeties in 2021 and was set to coach the Bearcats’ outside linebackers in 2023.

The Cardinals led the country with 50 sacks and 3.85 sacks per game in 2022, in addition to boasting the nation’s No. 11 scoring defense and No. 23 defense in yards allowed. Louisville defeated Cincinnati in the Fenway Bowl and won a pair of games against ranked teams, including a 48-21 victory over No. 10 Wake Forest.

Under his guidance, Yasir Abdullah led the ACC and ranked 15th nationally with 9.5 sacks, and finished second in ACC Defensive Player of the Year voting.

In his first year, Gasparato tutored safety Qwynnterrio Cole, who was named an All-ACC Honorable Mention and was invited to the NFL Combine. Cole was second on the team in tackles with 86 and was invited to play in the East-West Shrine contest.

Gasparato joins the Cardinals after a successful season assisting as the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Army. The Knights finished the year at 9-3, dropping a 24-21 decision to West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl.

Under Gasparato’s influence, the Knights ranked first in the nation in total defense, allowing 275.3 yards per game and were second against the pass at 160.8 yards per game. Army was also second in the country in scoring defense at 14.8 points per game and finished ninth with 16 interceptions.

Before his one season at the United States Military Academy, Gasparato coached the safeties at Appalachian State -- his second stint with the program.

During the 2019 campaign, the Mountaineer defense finished in the top 30 of the national statistical rankings, including in defensive touchdowns scored, third-down conversion percentage, takeaways, interceptions, sacks, pass efficiency defense, scoring defense, tackles for loss yardage, yards allowed per play, total defense, rushing TDs allowed, fumble recoveries, rushing defense and TDs allowed.

Gasparato was named the Football Scoop Defensive Backs Coach of the Year in 2018 after he helped lead App State to a title in the inaugural Sun Belt Championship Game and a fourth-straight bowl appearance. Additionally, Gasparato had three safeties recognized as All-Sun Belt selections by Pro Football Focus; the trio combined for nine interceptions in 2018 and were the three highest-graded safeties in the Sun Belt according to PFF.

Gasparato worked as a defensive graduate assistant at App State from 2013-14 and spent 2015-17 as the inside linebackers coach at FCS power Wofford. He also coordinated the special teams unit.

The Terriers won the Southern Conference, reached the FCS quarterfinals and finished 10-3 during a 2017 season where they ranked 26th nationally in total defense. They were fifth in total defense, 11th in rushing defense and 22nd in passing defense during the 2016 season.

Gasparato played safety at Wofford from 2005-08 and graduated in 2009 with a finance degree. He began his coaching career at Richland Northeast High School in Columbia, S.C., in 2010, coached defensive backs at Juniata (Pa.) College in 2011 and coached outside linebackers at Brevard College in 2012. He became a graduate assistant at Appalachian State during the same year Satterfield debuted as the Mountaineers’ head coach.

Gasparato assisted with App State’s linebackers in his previous stop with the Mountaineers while pursuing a master’s degree in educational media. As a player, he was a member of the Wofford’s Southern Conference championship team in 2007.

Gasparato and his wife, Bria, have two sons, Dominick and Christian, and one daughter Mila.