Leading the Green Wave forward: Head Coach Will Hall takes the field

There is plenty for Green Wave football fans to be excited about this fall, beginning with the man leading the program. New Head Coach Will Hall inherited one of the nation’s most successful programs and is committed to building on the culture that has fueled Tulane’s rise. 

Hall believes the pieces are already in place. “I think talent is the biggest indicator of success, and we’ve got some really good players returning. We’ve also got a really good staff,” Hall said. 

Hall said Tulane stands apart in today’s college football landscape because of the student-athletes who choose to be here. “We’ve been able to have a consistent program in a day and age of college football where there’s a lot of transactional rosters,” he said. “Our roster is really not that way. We’ve got a lot of people that love Tulane on our team, a lot of players that want to get a Tulane degree.” 

For alumni, that continuity means familiar faces alongside what Hall calls “the next wave” of Green Wave standouts. “If I was a Tulane fan,” he said, “that would mean a lot to me because I would recognize more names and there’s more loyalty to the program.”

Hall’s vision is to build “the best Group of Six program in America” while developing “real men” who can be counted on by their teammates, families and communities. He has already seen the impact a Tulane education can have on student-athletes. “I have literally seen how going to school at Tulane changes a young man’s life,” Hall said. “They get in this Tulane environment, and they’re around Tulane people, and it just changes them. It opens up their eyes to see not only what all the world can do for them, but what all they have to offer to the world.”
 

His enthusiasm extends to New Orleans, a city that Hall and his wife and two sons have wholeheartedly embraced. “It’s just a fun place to live, a fun place to raise a family,” Hall said.

Whether camping out on St. Charles Avenue for Mardi Gras, spending weekends at Jazz Fest or Hogs for the Cause, cheering on the Saints or discovering new restaurants, Hall said New Orleans has become home. “New Orleans people wake up happy,” he said. “They wake up looking for something fun to do, and if there’s not anything going on, they’re going to create something.” That energy, he believes, mirrors the spirit of Tulane itself.

Hall said alumni play an essential role in the program’s future by creating an energetic game-day atmosphere at Yulman Stadium and supporting the program financially.

“Financially backing and supporting the program… and support through attendance at games. Those are two things that should be easy for alumni to do because they love Tulane.” 

And for those who make it to Yulman Stadium this season, Hall promises an unforgettable atmosphere. “There’s not a bad seat in the house,” he said. “When it’s packed, it’s rocking and just a whole lot of fun.”

Hall isn’t shy about the expectations for his first season as head coach. “We want to be in the hunt for another conference championship,” he said. “We want to win this conference again, play for it, win it and go to the playoff.” 

The Green Wave opens the season Sept. 5 at Duke before returning home for its home opener against South Alabama on Sept. 12. Season tickets are on sale now.

The full schedule of Fall 2026 Gameday festivities can be viewed here.