Hall Ball
The Tulane football team achieved unparalleled success the past four years, reaching the American Conference Championship Game four straight seasons, winning the conference title twice, beating Southern California in the Cotton Bowl, and earning the program's first College Football Playoff berth last season.
Former coach Willie Fritz built Tulane into a Group of Six power, Jon Sumrall pushed the program to even greater heights in two successful seasons, and now it is Will Hall's turn at the helm of the Green Wave. Hall served as Tulane's pass game coordinator and wide receivers coach last season before being promoted following the departure of Sumrall to Florida.
This is Hall's second stint Uptown, previously serving as offensive coordinator from 2019 - 2020 under Fritz, and his fourth head coaching job. Hall achieved success as the head coach at two Division II programs (West Alabama and West Georgia) earlier in his career, but he struggled to recapture that magic during a mediocre three-and-a-half year tenure at Southern Mississippi. Coincidentally, Tulane hosts the Golden Eagles on September 26.
A strong foundation has been laid by Hall's predecessors, and with several coaches and players returning, he should be able to sustain Tulane's recent success as he steps into one of the premier Group of Six jobs in college football.
By the Numbers
Heading into Hall's inaugural season as head coach of the Green Wave, here are some noteworthy numbers, stats, and facts:
163 - Tulane returns several key defenders from last season, including safety Jack Tchienchou and linebacker Chris Rodgers. The defense's top two tacklers combined for 163 tackles in 2025. Tchienchou was also the MVP of last year's American Conference Championship Game.
14 - Will Hall won only 14 games as the head coach of Southern Mississippi. Hall's overall record in Hattiesburg was 14-30, and he was fired in his fourth season after a 1-6 start. He was a combined 56-20 during his six years with West Alabama and West Georgia, taking the latter to the NCAA Division II Semifinals twice in three years.
3 - Tulane lost only three conference games in the last four seasons. That's less than half the number of conference losses (seven) the Green Wave sustained in 2021, the program's last losing season.
4 - The Green Wave have played in the American Conference Championship game four straight seasons, winning two titles. Tulane's Yulman Stadium has hosted the game three of the four seasons, and the Green Wave have faced a different opponent in each of the title games.
68 - Hall's first Tulane squad features 68 returning players from last year's team, including six of the top 10 tacklers.
41 - Top returning wide receiver Anthony Brown-Stephens had 41 receptions last year. Brown-Stephens finished second on the team in receptions, yards (523), and tied for third in touchdowns (two). He's joined by returning receiver Zycarl Lewis Jr. (24 catches) and LSU transfer Destyn Hill.
3 - Transfer running back Jaylin Lucas returned three kickoffs for touchdowns during his first two collegiate seasons at Indiana before spending two seasons at Florida State. The Houma native accumulated 2,052 all-purpose yards in two seasons with the Hoosiers, including 1,163 kickoff return yards, averaging more than 26 yards per return. Lucas, a former All-American kick returner at Indiana, should provide a welcome jolt of energy to the Tulane special teams unit.
6 - Last season, Tulane won six games when they forced multiple turnovers—with zero losses. New defensive coordinator Tayler Polk is tasked with recharging the Green Wave defense after being promoted by Hall. Polk previously served as linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator until Sumrall.
540 - 540 Returning running back Jamauri McClure rushed for 540 yards last season. As a redshirt freshman, McClure averaged 6.5 yards per carry and had two touchdowns. McClure is joined by a deep stable of backs, including Mo Turner and a trio of transfers: Jaylin Lucas, DJ Dugar (Oklahoma State), and Johnnie Daniels (Mississippi State).
Prediction
Hall's task at Tulane is simple: Keep the Green Wave on a successful trajectory by contending for conference titles and battling for the Group of Six College Football Playoff spot. Completing the task is easier in theory, but, luckily for Hall, he does not need to resurrect Tulane's football program. Hall has done well retaining coaching personnel and several key players, especially on defense.
September could be tricky for the Green Wave, with games at Duke and Kansas State. Conference play begins in October at Army, and Hall will face off against three other first-year head coaches. The schedule is manageable, and Tulane should once again be in the thick of the American Championship Game race. The bar has been set high for Hall by the previous two Tulane regimes, and there is little margin for error in conference play. Can Hall complete the "Drive for Five" and lead Tulane to a fifth consecutive American Championship Game berth?
Tulane: 9-3, American Championship Game berth
