JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman head football coach Ashley Ingram has announced the promotion of Tyler Almond as the program's next defensive coordinator.
Almond was co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach last season. He takes over fully for Larry Slade, who announced his retirement earlier this month after four decades coaching college football, including the last eight as the DC for C-N.
"I am excited that Tyler Almond is going to be our defensive coordinator," Ingram said. "He is an outstanding football coach and I have no doubt that he is going to do a great job leading our defense."
Almond was a part of success in his first season on the banks of Mossy Creek. He worked with linebackers Christian Hick and Mekhi Brown, both of whom earned All-Mountain Division honors from the South Atlantic Conference at the conclusion of the season.
C-N was especially strong defensively the back half of the year as it made a run to the NCAA Playoffs for the first time since 2019. Over the final six weeks of the season, C-N gave up 248 yards and 17.16 points per game.
"I'm thrilled for the opportunity to take over the defense and I am grateful to have had a year under Coach Larry Slade." Almond said. "Furthermore, I am thankful for Coach Ingram's continued trust in me to now be the guy to lead our defense. Quality defensive play has been a hallmark of Carson-Newman for longer than I have been alive and I understand the standard expected out of that side of the football and this position."
Almond came to the banks of Mossy Creek after three years at the FBS level. He spent 2023 as a defensive analyst at ECU after spending the 2022 season as a defensive quality control specialist at Georgia Tech. An 18-year coaching veteran at the high school and college levels, he spent the 2021 season at South Florida (QC/special teams) where the Bulls ranked ninth national in special teams efficiency.
His on-field college coaching career includes two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Dixie State (2019 and spring 2021), six seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Sacramento State (2011-16), and two seasons as running backs coach at Sierra College (2009-10). As defensive coordinator at Dixie State, he coached a defense that ranked among the NCAA Division I FCS top 20 in takeaways (seventh), pass efficiency defense (16th) and pass defense (16th) during the 2021 spring season and ranked third nationally in sacks in 2019.
He was also selected to participate in the 2020 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) 35 under 35 Leadership Institute.
At Sac State, he served as assistant defensive line coach in 2011, then spent five seasons as the Hornets' linebackers coach, and coached eight all-Big Sky Conference honorees, four FCS all-Americans and two semifinalists for the Buck Buchanan Award (FCS Defensive Player of the Year).
Almond's coaching resume also includes two seasons as head coach and assistant athletics director (2017-18) and four seasons as an assistant coach (linebackers, running backs and special teams – 2005-08) at Christian Brothers (Calif.) High School (2017-18). As Christian Brothers' head coach, he led his squad to consecutive league championships and was named the 2017 Capital Athletic League Coach of the Year.
In 2015, Almond mentored Darnell Sankey who became the first player in Sacramento State's Div. I era to earn consensus All-America honors. Sankey was was recognized by STATS, Inc., the Associated Press, the Walter Camp Football Foundation and the AFCA. He as also a first team all-Big Sky selection after finishing second in the FCS and first in the Big Sky with 153 total tackles. The senior's total was the second most in school history, placing him just one off the record set by Ryland Wickman in 1997. Along with 57 solo tackles, Sankey also had 9.0 tackles-for-loss, 3.5 sacks, 5 pass breakups and forced a fumble. During the year, he had at least 10 tackles in nine of the team's 11 games, including setting the school record with 27 stops at Weber State. That performance was also the most by an FCS player during the year.
in 2014, Almond coached a pair of all-Big Sky linebackers in Sankey and Henry Fernandez. Sankey was named to the second team and was among the nation's elite until a knee injury derailed his season. He finished the year ranked seventh in the FCS and third in the Big Sky with 11.0 tackles per game. Sankey also had at least 10 tackles in all seven complete games in which he played, including a career high 21 against Montana State. He finished the year with 99 tackles, eight for loss, forced two fumbles, intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble. Fernandez was an honorable mention all-league selection after leading the team with 106 stops. He had at least 11 tackles in each of the final three games.
During the 2013 season, linebacker Todd Davis was named to the all-Big Sky Conference first team and honorable mention All-America. Davis led the league and ranked fifth nationally with 10.9 tackles per game. His 131 total tackles were the first most in school history while his 351 career tackles placed him second in the Hornet record book. True freshman Russell Smith ranked second on the team with 78 stops while starting all 12 games.
In 2012, Almond coached Davis and Jeff Badger to honorable mention all-Big Sky honors. Davis led the team with 103 tackles, including 13.5 for loss. Jeff Badger concluded his career with 79 total stops giving him 206 for his career. That total places him 13th on the Sacramento State career list.
During his first year with the program, Almond served as a defensive assistant where he primarily assisted with the defensive line. Among the players he coached was defensive end Zack Nash who earned All-America honors, was a first team all-Big Sky Conference selection and a Buck Buchanan Award finalist. Nash left Sacramento State as the school's all-time leader in sacks and signed a free agent contract with the Arizona Cardinals.
A native of Northern California, Almond was the running backs coach at Sierra College in Rocklin, Calif., during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. While with the Wolverines, Almond assisted in the development of the weekly offensive game plan, implemented practice drills and oversaw the kick returners on special teams. In his first year with the team, Sierra won the Valley Conference championship and he coached running back Deonte Williams to all-conference honors.
In his four years, he coached one Sierra Valley Conference MVP, two SVC Defensive Players of the Year and 13 first team all-SVC selections.
Almond graduated from Sacramento State with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology in 2009. He earned his master's in athletic administration from Concordia in 2014. Tyler and his wife, Marissa, were married in July of 2012 and have four children, three daughters - Genevieve, Dottie and Lillian - and a a son - Mick.
