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Head coach Jon Sumrall finalized his coaching staff on Friday when he announced Gary Banks, Bam Hardmon and Al Pogue will be returning to the Troy coaching staff in 2022.

Hardmon will start year two as Troy’s receiving coach, while Hardmon will continue his role of coaching the Troy bandits and outside linebackers and Pogue will coach the cornerbacks.

“I spent a lot of time with Bam and Al in the defensive staff room when I was here as an assistant coach, and you would be hard-pressed to find two men who have a higher character in addition to being outstanding football coaches,” Sumrall said. “Gary was a guy that stood out immediately once I got the job, and it’s easy to see why he has been successful as a coach at many levels. I had known about Gary as a former player at Troy and had watched him as an in-state high school coach.”

Banks will coach the receivers after coaching the inside receivers in 2021. Prior to joining the Troy staff, Banks was head football and baseball coach at Choctaw County High School. Before that Banks was offensive coordinator and receivers coach at Foley High School. Banks also coached at Florence High School.

Banks was a three-time All-Sun Belt selection during his playing days for the Trojans.

Hardmon, a 2018 Broyles Award nominee came on staff in 2015. Hardmon returns to coach the Trojans after having at least one of his players earning All-Sun Belt First Team honors in five of his first seven years with the team.

In seven seasons with Troy, Hardmon has coached a total of 15 All-Sun Belt players. Hardmon was a four-year letterwinner at Florida and a team captain of the Gators in 2002 as a senior. Prior coaching stops include Idaho and Illinois.

Pogue is in his second stint with the Trojans. After coaching the Trojans from 2014 until 2018, Pogue traveled with Neal Brown to West Virginia and later coached at Auburn before returning to Troy in 2021. 

The Trojans were seventh nationally with 63 interceptions in his final four years during his first stint. The defense picked up right where they left off in 2021 when they finished eighth nationally with 16 touchdowns, three of which were returned for touchdowns.