NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference’s 2026-27 men’s basketball season will feature a trio of new faces leading their programs after Georgia State, ULM and Troy announced the hiring of new head coaches.
All three programs tabbed first-time NCAA Division I head coaches who previously served as assistants for programs with recent NCAA Tournament experience on their résumés. The Panthers tabbed Jon Cremins to lead the program, as the Warhawks and Trojans welcome back former assistants within their programs in Ryan Cross and Adam Howard, respectively.
Cremins, Cross and Howard combine for 20 years of experience as assistant coaches in the Sun Belt with each having previously served at least six seasons in the league.
Jon Cremins, Georgia State
An Atlanta native, Cremins takes over for the Panthers after coaching in three-consecutive NCAA Tournaments as an assistant on head coach Mark Byington’s staff, beginning with the 2023-24 campaign at James Madison and the last two years at Vanderbilt.
Cremins previously served as an assistant under Byington for the last eight seasons overall, beginning with two seasons at Georgia Southern (2018-20), four years at James Madison (2020-24) and two more at Vanderbilt (2024-26).
Prior to his six seasons in the Sun Belt, Cremins was an assistant coach at College of Charleston (2010-12), Southeast Missouri State (2012-14), Kennesaw State (2014-15) and USC Upstate (2017-18). He helped Charleston win a Southern Conference regular season title during his first year on staff.
Cremins’ first tenure as a head coach came at the junior college level at Spartanburg Methodist (2015-17) where he compiled a 55-11 record with back-to-back NJCAA Division I Championship appearances in two seasons at the helm of the program. He was also named the 2016 Region X Conference Coach of the Year.
Ryan Cross, ULM
Cross arrives at ULM after spending the last six seasons at UAB (2020-26) under head coach Andy Kennedy, including the last three as the program’s associate head coach. During his tenure, the Blazers sandwiched a 2023 NIT appearance with a pair of NCAA Tournament bids as champions of Conference USA in 2022 and the American Conference in 2024.
Prior to his arrival in Birmingham, Cross spent eight years (2012-20) on former ULM head coach Keith Richard’s staff, including the final two seasons as the program’s associate head coach. The three winningest seasons in ULM’s Sun Belt tenure all came while Cross was on staff, including the team’s 24 wins in 2014-15 which also marked the third-most in a season in program history. The Warhawks made their first semifinal appearance in the Sun Belt Tournament in 2015 before earning a spot in the conference’s championship game in 2016.
Cross was the head coach at Caldwell Parish High School (2006-11) following three seasons as an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech (2003-06). He also spent four seasons (1999-2003) as the head coach and athletic director at the junior college level at Chipola College in Florida, recording an 80-42 record and a 100-percent graduation rate among sophomores while reaching the NJCAA Region VIII Final Four in 2003.
Cross also served three seasons at Barton County Community College (1996-99) in Kansas and was the head coach during his final year.
As a player, Cross competed at Santa Fe Community College (1991-92), followed by three years at Buffalo (1992-95).
Adam Howard, Troy
Howard succeeds Scott Cross who accepted the head coaching position at Georgia Tech after leading Troy to back-to-back Sun Belt regular season and tournament championships. He served as an assistant coach at NC State last season under Will Wade, helping the Wolfpack earn an at-large bid to the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Prior to the 2025-26 campaign, Howard was an assistant on Fred Hoiberg’s staff at Nebraska for three years (2022-25). During his second season, he helped the Cornhuskers win the second-most games in a season in program history (23) and make their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 11 years.
No stranger to the Sun Belt, Howard’s coaching experience includes two seasons as an assistant at Troy (2016-18) where his efforts contributed to the Trojans reaching the 2017 NCAA Tournament in his first year on staff. Following his initial stint at Troy, he spent four seasons in at South Alabama (2018-22) under current head coach Richie Riley’s where he was elevated to associate head coach during his final year on staff.
Howard also served as an assistant coach at Morehead State (2010-12), Southern Miss (2012-14) and Tennessee (2014), helping Morehead upset Louisville in the first round of the 2012 NCAA and aiding Southern Miss to 56 total wins during his tenure and a share of the Conference USA regular season title during his final year on staff.
Howard is a former Sun Belt student-athlete as a four-year letterwinner at Western Kentucky and a member of the Hilltoppers’ team that reached the Sweet 16 as a No. 12 seed in the 2008 NCAA Tournament.