SUN BELT FOOTBALL COMPANION GUIDE • ALPHABETICAL 13 OF 14
2026 Season Snapshot • Troy, Alabama
8-6, Sun Belt West champions
SBC
Live schedule, lines and results for Troy.
Loading schedule…
HEAD COACH
Gerad Parker — 3rd season at Troy
LIFETIME COACHING RECORD
12–14 at Troy
A former Notre Dame offensive coordinator (2023) who also coached at West Virginia, Penn State, Duke, and Purdue (interim HC in 2016). Followed a rough 4-8 debut season at Troy with a real breakthrough in 2025: a Sun Belt West Division title and a trip to the conference championship game, despite major injuries at quarterback and along the offensive line.
TROY ATS RECORD
No single published career ATS figure
2025 finished 8-6 (6-2 Sun Belt), a 4-win improvement that included winning the Sun Belt West and a run to the conference title game (a loss at James Madison). Troy did this despite Goose Crowder missing six games and the O-line finishing with just one of five original starters intact.
HEAD COACH SALARY (2026)
$900K
TEAM NIL VALUATION (EST.)
Not disclosed
PRIMARY NIL COLLECTIVE
Not publicly named
Coach salary per USA Today's 2024 compensation database (via HERO Sports); predecessor Jon Sumrall made roughly $1M annually, suggesting Parker's deal is in a similar range though exact terms remain undisclosed. Troy has not disclosed a team NIL figure.
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Adam Austin • 1st season • Multiple
New hire from Tarleton State, brought in specifically to fix an offense that finished dead last in the Sun Belt in total yardage in 2025. Inherits Goose Crowder at QB (once healthy) behind a line looking to establish real continuity after last year's rash of injuries.
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Dontae Wright • Nathan Burton — 3rd season (co-DCs) • Base 3-3-5
Enter year three with real, proven continuity: First-Team All-American Evan Crenshaw and Sun Belt sacks leader Donnie Smith anchor a defense and special-teams unit that carried Troy to the 2025 title game appearance.
2025 RECORD
8–6, Sun Belt West champions
Sun Belt Championship: L 14-31 at James Madison. Salute to Veterans Bowl: L 13-17 vs. Jacksonville State. A real, injury-defying breakthrough season that fell just short of a title.
HOME FIELD
Veterans Memorial Stadium
Artificial turf (ProGrass), Troy. A program with 8 Sun Belt titles since 2004, now looking to build on a title-game run despite total offensive turnover heading into year three under Parker.
| SLOT | PLAYER | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB1 | Goose Crowder | — | ★★★★★ | Suffered a Week 3 injury on just his fourth snap in 2025 that cost him six games; fully healthy for 2026 and the clear returning starter behind a new offensive coordinator. |
Suffered a Week 3 injury on just his fourth snap in 2025 that cost him six games; fully healthy for 2026 and the clear returning starter behind a new offensive coordinator.
| PLAYER | POS | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line rebuilding after injury wave | OL | — | ★★★★★ | Ended 2025 with just one of five original starters still in the lineup after multiple season-ending injuries; real continuity questions heading into a new OC's first season. |
Ended 2025 with just one of five original starters still in the lineup after multiple season-ending injuries; real continuity questions heading into a new OC's first season.
| PLAYER | POS | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Donnie Smith | Edge | Led the Sun Belt in sacks in 2025 and returns for 2026; the clear anchor of a defensive front that helped carry Troy to the conference title game. |
Led the Sun Belt in sacks in 2025 and returns for 2026; the clear anchor of a defensive front that helped carry Troy to the conference title game.
| PLAYER | POS | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary under continuity | — | — | Benefits from third-year coordinator stability; specific 2026 starters to be confirmed as fall camp progresses. |
| — | DB | ★★★★★ | |
| staff | — | — |
Benefits from third-year coordinator stability; specific 2026 starters to be confirmed as fall camp progresses.
2025 ATS
10-4
71.4% cover rate — 5th of 82
2025 Straight up
8-6
Point differential -6
Scoring environment
47.4
Combined points per game — 69th highest of 82
Home / road ATS
4-2 · 6-1
Totals 5-9 O/U (3-3 home, 2-5 road)
Points scored / allowed
23.5 per game scored (61st) · 23.9 allowed (42nd)
Margin & schedule
Margin of victory -0.4 (54th) · Strength of schedule -11.1
SRS power rating
-11
71st of 82 — projected points vs. a league-average team on a neutral field
Offensive SRS
-9.9
77th of 82
Defensive SRS
-4.5
65th of 82
Points (margin of victory)
-0.4 · 54th of 82
Against the spread
10-4 (71.4%) · 5th of 82
Totals (combined PPG)
47.4 · 69th of 82
Computed from CollegeFootballData 2025 results and closing consensus lines.
Saved Just J research for Troy.
Troy won the West Division and reached the title game while starting a backup QB for six games and losing four of five original O-line starters — genuine evidence of program-level depth and coaching.
First-Team All-American punter Evan Crenshaw and Sun Belt sacks leader Donnie Smith are both back for 2026 — real, elite continuity on the units that were Troy's biggest strength.
Troy was dead last in the Sun Belt in total offense (307.2 yds/game) in 2025; Adam Austin (from Tarleton State) is tasked with a real offensive rebuild even as the roster otherwise stays competitive.
Losing four of five original starters to injury in a single season is a real, alarming durability trend — worth tracking closely as the new-look line and new OC install together.
Notes are maintained in the Admin area — no code changes required.
