Banks, Pearson Return to Troy Football Coaching Staff; Several Off-Field Roles Filled

 
TROY, Ala. – Troy head coach Gerad Parker made the first official moves for his new coaching staff on Wednesday, announcing that Gary Banks and Travis Pearson will remain on staff to coach the Trojan receivers and cornerbacks, respectively. 
 
In addition to the two on-field roles, Parker announced that Jamaal Smith will remain as Troy's chief of staff, James Vollono will return as special teams analyst and Aaron Sisk will remain as the director of football video, while Ian Grier moves from the director of equipment to the director of operations role.
 
Banks returns for his fourth season to coach a unit that has seen tremendous growth under his guidance. Troy has won a pair of Sun Belt championships during his three-year tenure, and three of his players have earned All-SBC honors.
 
This past season, Chris Lewis tied for 16^th nationally with 10 touchdown receptions during his first season with the program, while Jabre Barber caught 75 passes for 999 yards. Ten different Trojans caught a touchdown pass in 2023, and Troy's receiver group ranked 15^th in the country and third among the Group of Five per Pro Football Focus.
 
In 2022, RaJae' Johnson had a career year in his lone season under Banks' guidance, ranking eighth nationally (min. 50 targets) with a 141.6 receiving rating per Pro Football Focus, while Tez Johnson led the country with a 90.5 receiver rating. RaJae' Johnson ranked fourth in the Sun Belt with seven touchdown receptions in 2022, while Tez Johnson was an All-Sun Belt performer in 2021 after finishing second in the league in receptions.
 
He joined the Troy staff in 2021 following two seasons as the head football and baseball coach and athletics director at Choctaw County High School in Butler, Ala. Prior to that, he spent the 2018 season as the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Foley High School, following four seasons (2014-17) at Florence High School. 
 
A three-time All-Sun Belt selection for the Trojans, Banks was a member of Troy's first Division I bowl team (2004 Silicon Valley Classic) and led the Trojans in receiving in both 2006 and 2007, the first two of Troy's five straight Sun Belt Conference titles. Banks caught the game-winning touchdown pass with 14 seconds remaining in the "Miracle at Murfreesboro" in 2006 as Troy rallied from a 13-point deficit late in the fourth quarter.
 
Pearson joined the Troy staff prior to the 2022 season and was a key member of both staffs that won a Sun Belt title the last two years. He came to Troy following a three-year run as the defensive coordinator at Alabama State and also served as the defensive coordinator at South Alabama from 2014-15.
 
Reddy Steward earned a pair of All-Sun Belt First Team honors under Pearson's guidance as the Trojans were one of the nation's top defenses in 2022 and 2023.
 
This past season, Troy set the program and Sun Belt single-season record with 47 sacks, and the Trojans ranked in the top 15 nationally in sacks (4th), scoring defense (10th), rushing defense (12th) and total defense (14th). Additionally, the Trojans held eight teams to fewer than 200 passing yards, the 11^th most in the country.
 
Troy held eight of its 14 opponents to fewer than 300 yards of total offense and handed Army its first shutout at home in 20 years and first overall shutout in nine seasons. The Trojans allowed just 308.1 yards per game allowed per game is its fewest since 2002 and the sixth fewest in Sun Belt history.
 
In his first season, Troy held all 14 of its opponents to under their season average in scoring, including three of the top 25 scoring teams in the country – UTSA, Western Kentucky and App State. The Trojans limited UTSA to just 10 offensive points in the Cure Bowl, with three of those 10 points coming on a 4-play, 7-yard drive following a turnover; the Roadrunners entered the game averaging 38.7 points per game.
 
Grier moves into his new role as the director of operations following eight years as the director of equipment for the Trojans. He began his career at Troy in 2012 as a student manager before becoming a graduate assistant for two years (2014-15).
 
Sisk enters his third year with the program after joining the Troy staff in 2022, following a career in the NFL (Miami Dolphins) and the SEC (Arkansas).
 
Smith begins his 18^th year at Troy in 2024 after being promoted to chief of staff before the 2022 season. A former player for the Trojans under head coach Larry Blakeney, Smith has worked in a variety of roles at Troy, including video, operations and player development.
 
Vollono's return for 2024 will mark his third season with the Trojans following an extensive career that includes CFL stops, seven years at the Power Five level and 18 years at the collegiate level.