Eric McDaniel Named Defensive Line Coach at Troy

TROY, Ala. – Troy football head coach Jon Sumrall welcomed Eric McDaniel to his coaching staff as the Trojans defensive line coach on Wednesday. McDaniel joins the Trojans following one season in a similar role at Army West Point.

McDaniel, who was Army's defensive line coach, helped guide the Black Knights to a 9-4 record in 2021, capped by a victory over Missouri in the Armed Forces Bowl. Army ranked 17th nationally, holding opponents to just 328.4 yards per game, 36th allowing just 22.3 points per game and 17th allowing only 117.2 yards per game on the ground. The Black Knights were also one of the fewest penalized teams in the country, finishing third with just 3.85 penalties per game and set the school record for sacks in a season with 30.

"Eric is an exceptional football coach and his experience coaching at a high level with our defensive coordinator Shiel Wood at Army is impressive," Sumrall said. "He worked his way up the coaching tree with a strong work ethic and a keen ability to connect with and mentor his players. For us to reach the level of success that Troy Football is accustomed to seeing, we've got to win in the trenches and Eric is the right man to lead our defensive linemen into battle."

Army's defense specialized in getting off the field and limited opposing offenses to just 24:28 time of possession each game, tied for the lowest in the country.

"I am excited to be a part of this staff, and I want to thank Coach Sumrall and Coach (Shiel) Wood for the opportunity," McDaniel said. "I look forward to getting to work with this talented group and working towards adding to the championship history of Troy."

Prior to his one-year with the Black Knights, McDaniel was a quality control coach at Louisville for two seasons after two seasons as quality control coach at App State working with the Mountaineers defensive line.

Louisville improved by over 10 points per game and more than doubled their sack total from the 2018 season in McDaniel's first year with the Cardinals. At App State, the defense ranked sixth nationally in scoring defense at 15.7 points per game, holding the opposition to 10 or fewer points in seven contests. The Mountaineers also ranked No. 1 in big plays allowed and sixth in total defense (279.3) and in 2017 ranked 17th nationally with 38 sacks.

Before getting his start at the FBS level with App State, McDaniel was a graduate assistant at Muskingum for two seasons at the NCAA Division III level.

McDaniel graduated with his degree in health and kinesiology from Purdue in 2014 where he played in 15 games for the Boilermakers from 2009-13. He earned his master's degree in education from Muskingum in 2016.

Troy University Athletics

Eric McDaniel Named Defensive Line Coach at Troy

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