Troy has officially hired new defensive coordinator Greg Gasparato and new offensive line coach Joe Bernardi, the school announced.

Gasparato comes to the Trojans from Cincinnati, where he briefly worked as outside linebackers coach. He has also worked at Louisville, Army, Appalachian State and Wofford, among other stops.

Gasparato replaces Shiel Wood, who was hired last month as defensive coordinator at Tulane. In 2022, Troy finished in the Top 10 nationally in scoring defense (17.1 points per game) and total turnovers gained (27).

“I’ve been tracking Greg’s career for quite some time now, and he’s a perfect fit for our program in every shape and form,” Troy coach Jon Sumrall said. “Greg is a tremendous leader, outstanding football coach and a great culture fit for Troy football. He has worked with some of the greatest defensive minds in college football during his career and is a product of the same defensive system that we implemented last year. Greg is going to be a remarkable asset for the young men in our program.”

Bernardi spent last season as an offensive analyst at Auburn. He was previously offensive line coach at San Jose State from 2017-19 and tight ends coach at Fresno State in 2016, and also worked as a graduate assistant at Oregon.

Bernardi replaces Cole Popovich, who joined the staff of the NFL’s Houston Texans after one season at Troy. The Trojans had a pair of All-Sun Belt offensive linemen in 2022, center Jake Andrews and tackle Austin Stidham.

“Joe comes from a great coaching family and was a tremendous player at Fresno State,” Sumrall said. “He has a strong track record of coaching young men who have gone on to play in the NFL and has sharpened his craft with some of the best coaches in the profession. Joe is passionate about the game of football and his strong ability to get the best out of his players. We’re excited to welcome him to Troy.”

Troy, the reigning Sun Belt Conference champions, began spring practice on Tuesday morning. The Trojans went 12-2 and won the Cure Bowl in 2022, Sumrall’s first season as head coach.