Troy head football coach Jon Sumrall bolstered his staff with the addition of several individuals to off-field roles. Brayden Berezowitz joins the staff as the director of player personnel and James Vollono as the special teams analyst. Additionally, Sumrall promoted Jamaal Smith to chief of staff and Caleb Ross to director of operations and high school relations.

Brayden Berezowitz – Director of Player Personnel
Brayden Berezowitz begins his first season as Troy's director of player personnel after three seasons as a graduate assistant at Kentucky, where he worked with Troy head coach Jon Sumrall and the inside linebackers. While at Kentucky, Berezowitz appeared in six straight bowl games – three as a player and three on the coaching staff.
 
"Brayden was with me for three years at Kentucky and is going to be an asset to the Troy Football program in every way," Sumrall said. "He has a great eye for talent and is a tremendous evaluator when it comes to identifying and targeting guys on the recruiting trail. I am really impressed with Brayden's ability to connect with the student-athletes and invest in their lives."
 
The 2021 Wildcats posted a 10-3 record, including a victory over Iowa in the Citrus Bowl and a final No. 15 ranking in the AFCA Coaches Poll. Kentucky finished second in the SEC East, marking the first time since the league split into divisions in 1992 that UK ended the season in sole possession of second place in the East. The Wildcats allowed 17 or fewer points in eight of its 13 games in 2021 and held No. 1 Georgia to its third-lowest offensive output of the season.
 
In Berezowitz's first season as a graduate assistant, UK's defense helped keep every opponent at or below 30 points, the first time the Wildcats have done that since 1979. UK ended the season with a thrilling win over Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl, UK's fourth straight bowl appearance.
 
In 2020, Jamin Davis ranked fourth in the SEC in tackles per game (10.2) and was first team All-SEC by Pro Football Focus and second team All-SEC by Phil Steele. Additionally, he was a first round draft pick by the Washington Football Team in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Kentucky capped the most unusual of seasons with an impressive victory in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, the program's third consecutive bowl victory, tying the school record set from 2006-08. The 23-21 victory over No. 24 NC State also marked the second win over a ranked team in the 2020 season. UK also defeated No. 18 Tennessee.
 
Berezowitz spent three years on the Kentucky football team before transitioning to the coaching staff. He received his bachelor's degree in business finance and management from Kentucky in 2019 and his master's degree from Kentucky in sport leadership in 2021.
 
Caleb Ross – Director of Operations / High School Relations
Caleb Ross, one of the most successful high school coaches in the state of Alabama, returns for his second season at Troy following three years as the head coach at Prattville (Ala.) High School, where he led the Lions to three straight Alabama 7A Playoff appearances. In 2021, Ross served as Troy's director of player personnel and high school relations.
 
"I've known Caleb for quite some time now and watched him coach at the high school level for many years in the state of Alabama," Sumrall said. "He is an excellent fit in our program and has a wealth of knowledge and experience about the game of football. I'm going to rely heavily on Caleb's experience as a head coach as he will have his hands on every aspect of this football program."
 
Coaching at his alma mater, Ross led Prattville to a 23-11 record during his tenure as head coach after inheriting a program that was just 5-13 the two seasons prior. Twenty-nine of his players went on to sign college scholarships and the playoff appearances were the first for the school since 2014.
 
Prior to returning to Prattville, Ross led Opelika to a 9-4 mark and a berth in the third round of the Alabama 6A State Playoffs in 2017 following a successful three-year run at McGill-Toolen High School in Mobile. 
 
Ross guided the Yellow Jackets to their first-ever state title in 2015 in a season in which they were ranked No. 1 in Alabama for 13 weeks and reached as high as No. 4 in the USA Today Poll.  He was named the 2015 Crichton Optimist, WKRG, Call News and USA Today HS Sports Alabama Coach of the Year following the season.
 
McGill returned to the state championship game the following year and finished as runner-up after an undefeated regular season. The Yellow Jackets posted a combined 26-2 record over the 2015 and 2016 seasons, which featured current Troy linebacker and All-American Carlton Martial as a two-time first team all-state selection.
 
Before taking over as the head coach, Ross spent the 2013 season as the Yellow Jackets offensive coordinator and was named the Alabama Football Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year.
 
He spent one season as the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Spanish Fort High School in 2012, where he helped lead the Toros to a state title. He began his head coaching career at Thompson High School in 2011. 
 
Ross spent the previous five years as an assistant coach at Prattville, including the final three as the offensive coordinator. The Lions won three state titles and advanced to the championship game another year during his first tenure at his alma mater.
 
Ross began his high school coaching career at Clinton High School (2002-05), all on the defensive side of the football, before transitioning to offense the following year at Prattville.
 
A 2002 graduate of Samford University, Ross earned his master's degree in sport & fitness management from Troy University in 2018. He and his wife, Amy, have two children, Rebecca Claire and Jack.
 
Jamaal Smith – Chief of Staff
Jamaal Smith enters his 16th season with the Troy football program and first as the chief of staff following five years as the director of player development. 
 
"Jamaal Smith has been an integral part of the Troy Football program for many years, and I'm excited for him to take on a larger role moving forward," Sumrall said. "There is never a task too small or too large for Smooth, and his passion for Troy University, this football program and our players and staff is unparalleled."
 
Troy has set program records for grade point average, NCAA APR and GSR, and community service hours with Smith overseeing all those aspects of the program. Additionally, Smith is Troy football's liaison to the rest of campus, assisting players in all aspects of campus life. Among his primary roles, is maintaining the culture and discipline of the program.

Smith, a wide receiver for the Trojans from 2001-04, has been part of five Sun Belt Conference titles and seven bowl appearances during his tenure with Troy. He returned to his alma mater as a graduate assistant on the offensive side of the ball in 2007 and then served as the video coordinator in 2010.
 
Smith took over as Troy's director of operations in 2011 before moving to the assistant director of player development in 2015.
 
He earned his bachelor's degree in risk management and insurance from Troy in 2005 and his master's degree in sport management from Troy in 2009. Smith is married to the former Sasha Tuck.
 
James Vollono – Special Teams Analyst 
James Vollono joins the Troy staff as the special teams analyst following one season with the Edmonton Elks in the Canadian Football League and comes to the Trojans with seven years experience at the Power Five level and 17 years at the collegiate level.
 
"I've known James and followed his career for several years now and have been impressed with his attention to detail," Sumrall said. "James' commitment to his craft when it comes to the kicking game and his experience across the collegiate and professional football landscape are going to elevate our special teams play."
 
Vollono was the running backs coach for the Elks in 2021 where James Wilder ranked third in the league with 770 rushing yards and the Elks had two backs rank among the top 14 rushers in the CFL. 
 
Before moving to the CFL, Vollono spent three seasons as the special teams coordinator and tight ends coach at FIU. Following the 2018 season, punt returner Maurice Alexander earned All-Conference USA honors as a first team selection and punter Stone Wilson took home second team honors. The Panthers had multiple special teams players selected twice to the All C-USA team in two of his three seasons. 
 
Vollono went to FIU after serving as an analyst for special teams at Georgia during the 2016 season. Prior to joining Georgia's staff, Vollono spent three years at Mississippi State. From 2013 to 2014, he was a quality control assistant for special teams, and in 2015, he was a quality control assistant for offense, in addition to continuing his work with special teams. During his time in Starkville, the Bulldogs were ranked No. 1 for the first time in program history and stayed in that position for five weeks, which led to Dan Mullen being named 2014 SEC Coach of the Year. MSU's special teams led the SEC in kickoff coverage in both 2014 and 2015. The Bulldogs also set a new program record by blocking four kicks in 2014, a mark they matched in 2015.
 
Prior to joining Mullen's staff, Vollono spent one season at Colorado as a special teams assistant. From 2009-2011, Vollono was an assistant at Towson. In his time with the Tigers, he spent two seasons as special teams coordinator and also worked with running backs and tight ends. He served as the lead recruiter for current NFL running back Terrance West, whose rushing paved the way for Towson to win the Colonial Athletic Association Championship and reach the second round of the FCS playoffs in 2011. After that season, West won the Jerry Rice Award given to the top player in the FCS and Towson Head Coach Rob Ambrose was named the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year. West went on to set the FCS single-season record for rushing yards in his junior year.
 
Vollono  spent the 2007 and 2008 seasons, under Coach Davis, at North Carolina as the Tar Heels' special teams quality control and offensive assistant. During his time in Chapel Hill, he worked with kicker Connor Barth who earned All-ACC honors in 2007 and is currently with the Chicago Bears.
 
Vollono began his coaching career at the United States Naval Academy and later held positions at Annapolis High School and Georgetown. In 2003, he graduated from The Catholic University of America with a bachelor's degree in political science. He also holds a master's degree in teaching from Mississippi State.