George Quarles's reboot heading into Year 2 atop the East Tennessee State University football program is set to receive a major boost.
Sources tell FootballScoop that Gus Ragland has accepted a position on Quarles' staff, where Ragland will coach the ETSU tight ends.
Landing Ragland is a strong hire for Quarles, seeking to bounce back from a disappointing 3-8 mark in 2022 after ETSU dropped four games by one score.
A former standout quarterback at Miami (Ohio), Ragland had a brief shot at professional football, with interest from the NFL and the Canadian Football League, before the Ohio native transitioned into coaching.
Ragland joined Notre Dame's offensive staff in a graduate assistant role prior to the 2019 season, and he's been with the Fighting Irish through both the offensive coordinator transition from Chip Long to Tommy Rees, as well as the head coaching transition from Brian Kelly to Marcus Freeman.
His time in South Bend, Indiana, has afforded Ragland the opportunity to develop a diverse skill-set for coaching offensive players, people in college football told FootballScoop.
Ragland's quartet of seasons with the Fighting Irish saw him work with the running backs, wide receivers, tight ends and quarterbacks; after initiating his time at Notre Dame as a G.A., Ragland was promoted to one of the staff's full-time analyst roles, a post in which he continued to work hand-in-hand with Rees, widely considered one of college football's top young offensive coordinators.
Quarles has been working on rebuilding the Bucs' staff, as well as the playing roster, moving ahead to the 2023 campaign. Year 2 for Quarles begins with an early-September road trip to Jacksonville State, followed by a home date against NCAA Division II program Carson-Newman and then a road game at Austin Peay before the Bucs dive into Southern Conference play.