As Conference USA enters a new era, there are high expectations for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs under second-year head coach Sonny Cumbie. It’s not just Cumbie creating excitement in Ruston, however, and we take a deep dive into the Louisiana Tech coaching staff ahead of the 2023 college football campaign.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Coaching Staff
Head Coach, Sonny Cumbie
Excitement reverberated around Ruston when Cumbie was appointed as the 34th head coach of Louisiana Tech ahead of the 2022 college football campaign. Although his first head coaching role at the FBS level, the former Texas Tech quarterback has been terrorizing defenses in the Big 12 as one of the most innovative offensive minds in the game.
Since 2009, Cumbie has been a prominent fixture in the Texas college football scene. He took his first college coaching role at his alma mater on Mike Leach’s 2009 team, quickly gaining a promotion to inside receivers coach in 2010, followed by a move to outside receivers coach in 2013.
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Cumbie’s success there saw him land the role of TCU co-offensive coordinator in 2014, where he also worked as the quarterback coach. Shaking off the shackles and becoming the sole play-caller for the Horned Frogs in 2017, he helped TCU become an offensive power both in the Big 12 and nationally.
In the season prior to joining the Louisiana Tech coaching staff, Cumbie returned to his alma mater as the offensive coordinator, quarterback coach, and spent time as the interim head coach of the Red Raiders. His offensive philosophy that had Bulldogs fans excited ahead of his appointment was crafted under Leach, Tommy Tuberville, Kliff Kingsbury, and Gary Patterson.
Defensive Coordinator, Scott Power
Scott Power joined the Louisiana Tech coaching staff ahead of the 2022 college football season. Additionally, he serves as the linebackers coach for the Bulldogs. An Indiana native who played the game collegiately and traveled abroad to pursue a professional career, Power has improved the defenses at every step of a varied and successful coaching career to date.
Garnering a reputation as a developer of talent with a keen eye for identifying it too, Power’s influence on the 2023 Louisiana Tech recruiting class ensured the Bulldogs snagged their highest national ranking ever. Meanwhile, his first season as defensive coordinator saw significant success for several players, leading to Myles Brooks being snapped up by the Dallas Cowboys.
After calling time on his playing career, Power began his coaching journey as a defensive coordinator at the high school level with Benton Central. The first appointment of his college career came at Wartburg College, but he really made a name for himself 10 years later at Stephen F. Austin. Power’s full college résumé can be found below.
- Wartburg College (LB coach and DL coach, 2009-2012)
- Marion University (DC, 2013-2015)
- Central Washington (DC, 2016-2017)
- Texas A&M Commerce (DC and DB coach, 2018)
- Stephen F. Austin (DC and LB coach, 2019-2021)
- Louisiana Tech (2022-2023)
Co-Offensive Coordinator, Jake Brown
A former high school coach who mentored two first overall draft picks in Myles Garrett and Baker Mayfield, Jake Brown joined Louisiana Tech in 2022 as part of head coach Cumbie’s initial Bulldogs coaching staff. He serves as the co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach, working with a unit that includes one of the top pass catchers in CUSA, Smoke Harris.
His first college coaching job came at TCU, working in multiple roles from 2014-2016. Brown returned to the Horned Frogs in 2018 after spending two seasons as the RB coach at Stephen F. Austin and also boasts Big 12 experience from stints at Baylor and Texas Tech. His first taste of offensive coordinator duties came at West Texas A&M during the 2019 season.
Co-Offensive Coordinator, Scott Parr
In the quest to bring high-octane offensive football back to Ruston, Scott Parr was hired to the Louisiana Tech coaching staff by head coach Cumbie in 2022. In addition to acting as the co-offensive coordinator, Parr is also responsible for coaching the Bulldogs’ tight ends. At every stop on his coaching journey, he has ignited offenses while setting multiple program records.
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Parr joins the Bulldogs after winning Conference Coach of the Year honors as the head coach of Plainview JUCO powerhouse Navarro College. While the majority of his experience and substantial success has come outside of the FBS level, he spent four seasons as an offensive analyst at Texas Tech, helping bring incredible offensive firepower and consistency to Lubbock.
Special Teams Coordinator, Dan Sharp
One of the most experienced coaches on the Louisiana Tech coaching staff, Dan Sharp joined the program in 2022 as the special teams coordinator. He also serves as an associate head coach. His appointment closed the door on a 21-year chapter at TCU, where Sharp established himself as one of the best in the business, coaching multiple All-Americans.
Offensive Line Coach, Nathan Young
A two-time DII All-American and Lone Star Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year, Nathan Young knows a thing or two about elite o-line play. He has taken that experience into the coaching ranks, first at his alma mater Abilene Christian, then at the high school level before returning to the college level with Stephen F. Austin. Young joined the Louisiana Tech staff in 2022.
Running Back Coach, Teddy Veal
An all-conference pass catcher for the Bulldogs in 2017 and 2018, Teddy Veal joined the Louisiana Tech coaching staff following the end of his playing career. Although he made a name for himself as a pass catcher, he has served as a graduate assistant and offensive analyst before being promoted to RB coach for the 2023 season, where he’ll work with Marquis Crosby.
Cornerback Coach, Myles Carelock
After spending the 2022 season working as a defensive analyst on the Louisiana Tech coaching staff, Myles Carelock will take care of the program’s impressive cornerback room for the 2023 campaign. A defensive graduate assistant at Central Washington for four seasons, Carelock has worked in the MAC with Miami (OH) and most recently developed his skills at Stephen F. Austin.
Safety Coach, Nate Johnson
After spending the last three years as the Central Washington defensive coordinator, Nate Johnson joins the Louisiana Tech coaching staff for the 2023 season as the safeties coach. He reprises a role he last held at Stephen F. Austin, where he helped engineer a productive secondary. Johnson was a two-sport standout at St. Cloud State, where he also cut his coaching teeth.
Defensive Line Coach, Jacori Greer
An All-Mountain West defensive lineman who was also a team captain at New Mexico, Jacori Greer got his first coaching role with his alma mater before learning the ropes at SMU in 2025. He spent time at Abilene Christian before becoming the defensive line coach at Texas State for the past three seasons. That role led him to the Louisiana Tech coaching staff for the 2023 season.
Linebacker Coach, Cortez Carter
A familiar name to CUSA fans, Cortez Carter was a part of Marshall’s 2014 conference-winning team. Working with both sides of the ball for the Thundering Herd at the conclusion of his playing career, he moved to Memphis in 2019 before following Mike Norvell to Tallahassee. Carter was a senior defensive analyst for the Seminoles before joining Louisiana Tech for 2023.
