Yesterday, in a move that shocked a lot of the college football world, Louisiana Monroe athletic director John Hartwell resigned out of the blue, sparking questions about the team's future in the Sun Belt.
Later in the day word began to circulate that Hartwell was pushing back in a big way on the school president's decision to cut as much as $6-9 million from the school's budget, which was already operating as the lowest in major college football.
Now, Bryant Vincent is preparing to step in as interim athletic director for the school, pending board approval.
It's an unconventional move for an FBS head coach to step into that role, but one could argue that ULM's budget issues barely fit into the FBS mold.
Vincent did an admirable job at one of the most significant rebuilds in college football last year in his first season at the helm. He had the Warhawks off to a 5-1 start in 2024 before they dropped their last six games in a row to finish 5-7.
Dating back to 2014, ULM finished a season with 6 wins or more just one time, and Vincent was on the cusp of that in year one.
That strong first season has led to a groundswell of support on campus for Vincent.
Carrying the interim tag is something Vincent is familiar with.
Before taking over at ULM, Vincent stepped in for Bill Clark as the head coach at UAB after health issues forced the coaching veteran away from the sidelines. He led the Blazers to a solid 7-6 finish and win in the Bahamas Bowl that year before being passed over for the full-time job.
In addition to his appointment providing some much needed stability for the athletics department, his voice will also be an important one to have at the table when ongoing discussions happen about significant cuts to the athletic budget.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.