Troy University Athletics
The Trojan Report: A Monthly Update from the Director of Athletics (April 2026)
4/15/2026 9:25:00 AM | General
Opening Message
Let me begin by apologizing for missing the Trojan Report for March. As you are likely aware, the term "March Madness" took on a new meaning for me with our men's basketball team's tremendous season, plus a coaching search to keep the momentum rolling for our program. So, I'll start there with the April report as I'm incredibly proud of our men's basketball program for winning back-to-back Sun Belt regular season and Sun Belt Tournament championships! What an accomplishment, and we're excited to see Coach Adam Howardcontinue the momentum established under Coach Scott Cross.Â
Coach Chanda Rigby and our women's basketball program also had another incredible season as well, finishing with 25 wins, an appearance in the SBC Championship Game, our first-ever appearance in the WBIT and our ninth consecutive season leading the NCAA in rebounds per game … sometimes Coach Rigby makes it look too easy! But I can tell you for sure that the amount of work that Coach Rigby, her staff, and her student-athletes pour into every detail is what leads to this continued success. Basketball season ticket deposits are on sale now, so make sure to be a part of the excitement as Coach Rigby and Coach Howard turn their attention to the 2026-2027 basketball seasons in Trojan Arena.Â
On the tennis courts, our student-athletes have seen incredible success this spring! Our men's tennis team has reeled off a 15-match winning streak to wrap up the regular season with a 22-4 overall record and has earned the No. 2 Seed in this weekend's Sun Belt Championship. Truly astonishing how well these young men are playing! And our women's tennis team recently had an 8-match winning streak as they near the end of the regular season. Both teams are primed for great opportunities ahead with the upcoming Sun Belt Tournaments.Â
Recently, our track & field program hosted the Doc Anderson Invitational and absolutely dominated its home meet, recording 18 first-place finishes. Our student-athletes set numerous personal bests, and we had the opportunity to honor our incredible senior class during the invitational. Additionally, our men's 800m team is ranked Top 10 nationally heading into the final few weeks of outdoor season.Â
For our diamond sports, our softball team has racked up 25 wins this season and is preparing for a strong finish down the stretch. The Sun Belt is the No. 3 ranked RPI conference in softball – truly showing that we are one of the top conferences in the nation. Baseball's RPI continues to see an upward trajectory as it had a tremendous jump after taking a doubleheader at Texas State this past Saturday, and we have played one of the toughest schedules in the entire country. We are currently in the Top 70 in the RPI with great opportunities to continue to climb over the final few weeks of the regular season.  Â
Upcoming T-Day FestivitiesÂ
This upcoming weekend will be an exciting one on campus as part of T-Day! Join us for a huge baseball series as we host Louisiana at Riddle-Pace Field this Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 3:33 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.Â
Saturday's T-Day events will include behind-the-scenes tours starting at 9 a.m., the Brunch with Legends at 10 a.m., Youth Football Camp, presented by Troy Regional, at 11 a.m. and conclude with the 1 p.m. Vance Law Firm T-Day Spring Game. T-Day marks the first chance to catch a glimpse of the 2026 Troy Football team that features the best signing class in our program's history. Come see these guys in action and get ready for an exciting season at The Vet!Â
And over at Riddle-Pace Field, be sure to get to your seats early for Friday's and Saturday's games for our ceremonial first pitches. We'll have Pro Football Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware throw out a first pitch Friday evening, followed by men's basketball head coach Adam Howard on Saturday!Â
Spotlight Stories – Scott Cross and Kaleb Canales Â
It was bittersweet with the news that Coach Scott Cross was offered and accepted the position as head coach for Georgia Tech's men's basketball program. Five consecutive seasons of 20+ wins, back-to-back Sun Belt regular season and conference tournament championships, as well as consecutive appearances in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. A truly incredible run on the court!Â
But what will always stand out the most about Coach Cross and his family will be the impact they made off the court. They embraced Troy, and Troy truly embraced them. The Crosses were always involved in our community and made a lasting impact on the lives of our student-athletes. That's the championship that will resonate the loudest for years to come. I'm incredibly proud of Coach Cross and wishing him all the best as he takes on some of the top basketball programs in the country in the ACC!Â
I would also like to highlight and congratulate Coach Kaleb Canales, who was recently named the new head men's basketball coach at Weber State. Our entire department greatly enjoyed the opportunity to work with Coach Canales and we're excited to see him have the opportunity to lead his own team. Go be great!Â
Looking Ahead – Championship Season: Men's Tennis, Women's Golf, Women's Tennis and Men's Golf  Â
The Championship Season is fully upon us over the next few weeks as four of our teams will head into their respective Sun Belt Conference Championships with plenty of momentum. Men's tennis enters the SBC Championships riding its incredible hot streak. The tournament begins on April 16 in Rome, Ga., and concludes on April 19. Our women's golf team will be the next up with the SBC Championship taking place at The Lakewood Club in Point Clear, Ala., from April 20-23. The women's tennis team will enter their championship from April 22-26 in Rome, Ga., as well. And then our men's golf team will conclude the month of April with their championship from April 26-30 at the Annandale Golf Club in Madison, Miss. Plenty of action to come for these teams over the next few weeks – let's go add some hardware to our trophy cases!  Â
Conclusion – Tax Deductible GiftsÂ
If you haven't noticed, today (April 15) is Tax Day. How does that tie into Troy Athletics? Well, you may see a need to increase your tax-deductible gifts for the 2026 Tax Year…and we're here to help!Â
I say that in jest, but I would remind you that all donations to the Trojan Warrior Fund are tax-deductible and help support over 400 student-athletes who proudly represent Troy University on their respective playing fields, in the classroom and in the community. And today, we have the opportunity to celebrate these incredible student-athletes as part of our annual Trojan Tribute that will be held in Trojan Arena later this evening. This is our annual awards show, voted on by our student-athletes to recognize their peers for their tremendous success on and off their respective playing field.Â
Thanks to our generous supporters, the Trojan Warrior Fund recorded a record year for donations in 2025, and we're well on our way to breaking that record once again in 2026. Let's keep this momentum rolling together by continuing to invest in the success of our athletic programs. You can make a donation today by visitingTroyTrojans.com/Give. On this page, you'll find out how you can support the Trojan Warrior Club or any of our sport-specific giving campaigns.Â
We look forward to seeing you for T-Day Weekend this weekend on campus!Â
Â
Go Trojans! Â
Kyle George
Director of AthleticsÂ
Coach Chanda Rigby and our women's basketball program also had another incredible season as well, finishing with 25 wins, an appearance in the SBC Championship Game, our first-ever appearance in the WBIT and our ninth consecutive season leading the NCAA in rebounds per game … sometimes Coach Rigby makes it look too easy! But I can tell you for sure that the amount of work that Coach Rigby, her staff, and her student-athletes pour into every detail is what leads to this continued success. Basketball season ticket deposits are on sale now, so make sure to be a part of the excitement as Coach Rigby and Coach Howard turn their attention to the 2026-2027 basketball seasons in Trojan Arena.Â
On the tennis courts, our student-athletes have seen incredible success this spring! Our men's tennis team has reeled off a 15-match winning streak to wrap up the regular season with a 22-4 overall record and has earned the No. 2 Seed in this weekend's Sun Belt Championship. Truly astonishing how well these young men are playing! And our women's tennis team recently had an 8-match winning streak as they near the end of the regular season. Both teams are primed for great opportunities ahead with the upcoming Sun Belt Tournaments.Â
Recently, our track & field program hosted the Doc Anderson Invitational and absolutely dominated its home meet, recording 18 first-place finishes. Our student-athletes set numerous personal bests, and we had the opportunity to honor our incredible senior class during the invitational. Additionally, our men's 800m team is ranked Top 10 nationally heading into the final few weeks of outdoor season.Â
For our diamond sports, our softball team has racked up 25 wins this season and is preparing for a strong finish down the stretch. The Sun Belt is the No. 3 ranked RPI conference in softball – truly showing that we are one of the top conferences in the nation. Baseball's RPI continues to see an upward trajectory as it had a tremendous jump after taking a doubleheader at Texas State this past Saturday, and we have played one of the toughest schedules in the entire country. We are currently in the Top 70 in the RPI with great opportunities to continue to climb over the final few weeks of the regular season.  Â
Upcoming T-Day FestivitiesÂ
This upcoming weekend will be an exciting one on campus as part of T-Day! Join us for a huge baseball series as we host Louisiana at Riddle-Pace Field this Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 3:33 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.Â
Saturday's T-Day events will include behind-the-scenes tours starting at 9 a.m., the Brunch with Legends at 10 a.m., Youth Football Camp, presented by Troy Regional, at 11 a.m. and conclude with the 1 p.m. Vance Law Firm T-Day Spring Game. T-Day marks the first chance to catch a glimpse of the 2026 Troy Football team that features the best signing class in our program's history. Come see these guys in action and get ready for an exciting season at The Vet!Â
And over at Riddle-Pace Field, be sure to get to your seats early for Friday's and Saturday's games for our ceremonial first pitches. We'll have Pro Football Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware throw out a first pitch Friday evening, followed by men's basketball head coach Adam Howard on Saturday!Â
Spotlight Stories – Scott Cross and Kaleb Canales Â
It was bittersweet with the news that Coach Scott Cross was offered and accepted the position as head coach for Georgia Tech's men's basketball program. Five consecutive seasons of 20+ wins, back-to-back Sun Belt regular season and conference tournament championships, as well as consecutive appearances in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. A truly incredible run on the court!Â
But what will always stand out the most about Coach Cross and his family will be the impact they made off the court. They embraced Troy, and Troy truly embraced them. The Crosses were always involved in our community and made a lasting impact on the lives of our student-athletes. That's the championship that will resonate the loudest for years to come. I'm incredibly proud of Coach Cross and wishing him all the best as he takes on some of the top basketball programs in the country in the ACC!Â
I would also like to highlight and congratulate Coach Kaleb Canales, who was recently named the new head men's basketball coach at Weber State. Our entire department greatly enjoyed the opportunity to work with Coach Canales and we're excited to see him have the opportunity to lead his own team. Go be great!Â
Looking Ahead – Championship Season: Men's Tennis, Women's Golf, Women's Tennis and Men's Golf  Â
The Championship Season is fully upon us over the next few weeks as four of our teams will head into their respective Sun Belt Conference Championships with plenty of momentum. Men's tennis enters the SBC Championships riding its incredible hot streak. The tournament begins on April 16 in Rome, Ga., and concludes on April 19. Our women's golf team will be the next up with the SBC Championship taking place at The Lakewood Club in Point Clear, Ala., from April 20-23. The women's tennis team will enter their championship from April 22-26 in Rome, Ga., as well. And then our men's golf team will conclude the month of April with their championship from April 26-30 at the Annandale Golf Club in Madison, Miss. Plenty of action to come for these teams over the next few weeks – let's go add some hardware to our trophy cases!  Â
Conclusion – Tax Deductible GiftsÂ
If you haven't noticed, today (April 15) is Tax Day. How does that tie into Troy Athletics? Well, you may see a need to increase your tax-deductible gifts for the 2026 Tax Year…and we're here to help!Â
I say that in jest, but I would remind you that all donations to the Trojan Warrior Fund are tax-deductible and help support over 400 student-athletes who proudly represent Troy University on their respective playing fields, in the classroom and in the community. And today, we have the opportunity to celebrate these incredible student-athletes as part of our annual Trojan Tribute that will be held in Trojan Arena later this evening. This is our annual awards show, voted on by our student-athletes to recognize their peers for their tremendous success on and off their respective playing field.Â
Thanks to our generous supporters, the Trojan Warrior Fund recorded a record year for donations in 2025, and we're well on our way to breaking that record once again in 2026. Let's keep this momentum rolling together by continuing to invest in the success of our athletic programs. You can make a donation today by visitingTroyTrojans.com/Give. On this page, you'll find out how you can support the Trojan Warrior Club or any of our sport-specific giving campaigns.Â
We look forward to seeing you for T-Day Weekend this weekend on campus!Â
Â
Go Trojans! Â
Kyle George
Director of AthleticsÂ
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Wednesday, April 15
Trojan Report - April 2026
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Troy vs Texas State - G3 (Full Highlights)
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Eric Newell Postgame Press Conference (Texas State Game One)
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