Will Hall Hired As Next Coach Of Tulane

Down in New Orleans, the Tulane Green Wave just decided to skip the drama and go with the guy who already knows where the light switches are. In a move that screams “continuity,” Tulane has officially promoted veteran assistant Will Hall to be the program’s next head coach.

The timing here is wild, to put it mildly. Usually, when a new coach is announced, the locker room is in shambles and the season is over. But Hall is taking the reins of a Ferrari that’s currently idling at the starting line of the College Football Playoff. With Jon Sumrall packing his bags for the Florida Gators gig, the administration decided the best way to keep the momentum rolling was to hire from within.

Why Experience Mattered For this Hire

Let’s be honest, the resume for Hall is a bit of a rollercoaster. He spent the 2024 season getting the offense right as the passing game coordinator, but before that, he had a tough four-year stretch as the head coach at Southern Miss, posting a 14-30 record.

However, sports are all about timing and fit. Tulane Athletic Director David Harris clearly wasn’t looking at the Southern Miss record book as much as he was looking at the culture in New Orleans. Hall knows this program. He served as the offensive coordinator during the Willie Fritz era (2019-2020), where he was instrumental in recruiting Michael Pratt, the quarterback who eventually rewrote the school’s record books.

Harris noted in a statement that Hall’s “character, integrity, and leadership” made him the right fit. Translation: We don’t need to blow this up; we need someone who gets us.

The Human Side Of the Redemption Arc

There is a genuine human element to this story that you can’t help but root for. Hall gets fired from Southern Miss, takes a step back to become an assistant again, keeps his head down, works hard, and less than a year later, lands a premier Group of Five head coaching job. That is the kind of resilience coaches love to preach about in pre-game speeches.

“Tulane has been a special place for me,” Hall said. He talked about respecting the history and the unique spirit of the city. For a program that has won 43 games over the last four years, hiring a guy who actually loves the city, rather than using it as a stepping stone, is a big deal.

An Awkward But Exciting December

Now, things get a little weird. Tulane is the No. 11 seed in the CFP and is set to play No. 6 Ole Miss on December 20. Jon Sumrall is still technically coaching the team through the playoffs, despite already accepting the Florida job. It is the coaching equivalent of living with your ex for two weeks because the lease hasn’t run out yet.

But having Hall secured as the successor might actually calm the waters. The players, including transfer Quarterback Jake Retzlaff (who had a stellar season with 2,862 yards and 14 touchdowns), don’t have to wonder who their boss will be in January. They know him. He’s been in the meeting rooms all year.

For Tulane, this wasn’t about winning the press conference with a flashy celebrity hire. It was about keeping the train on the tracks. Hall has been handed a program at its absolute peak. Now, he just has to make sure he keeps it there.