Upon first look at Brad Sherrod’s resume, it’s clear why the 29-year college coaching veteran is ready to become a head coach. The veteran defensive coach has spent time at 10 universities, from his first job at UMass in 1995 to an 11-year stint at his alma mater (Duke) to stints at Wake Forest and Tennessee State.

But it was his stops with current Texas FBS coaches that prepared Sherrod for what lay ahead after he was named head coach at Texas Wesleyan less than a month ago. Sherrod first worked for Sam Houston coach K.C. Keeler at Delaware from 2010 to 2012. 

“He was the first coach to ask me what my goals are and what I want to do in my career,” Sherrod said. “He taught me how to work a budget and put together a schedule to run summer and preseason camps, and he allowed me to perform the administrative duties of a head coach.”

The preparation to become a head coach continued when Sherrod reconnected with Keeler at Sam Houston in 2014.

“When I got to Sam, I learned how to work within the community to help our budget and get gifts to help the program. I worked for K.C. for six years and learned a lot from him about being a head coach,” Sherrod said. “He always sees the glass as half-full and looks for the positive in everything, which is something I’ve taken with me. I’m very appreciative of him putting me in positions to gain the experience I needed to become a head coach.”

Sherrod also credits what he learned at his final stop as a member of Jeff Traylor’s staff at UTSA for putting the final pieces in place to prepare him for this moment.

“That was an absolute godsend for me to work for Jeff (Traylor) and learn something different,” Sherrod said. “He helped me understand how to put our offensive and defensive philosophies in action.”

However, Sherrod’s mentors couldn’t prepare their pupil for everything that would come his way as a head coach. For example, the NAIA has exemptions for athletes who meet specific academic standards, which do not currently exist for NCAA schools. 

Similarities exist between NCAA and NAIA athletic scholarships. NAIA football programs are allotted 24 equivalency scholarships, which means the money can be divided among multiple players. In simplistic terms, the program has a budget with a monetary value equivalent to 24 full scholarships to allot to incoming athletes. Each program divides the money as it sees fit. However, only some schools fund all 24 scholarships.

The main difference in NAIA is the academic exemption. One hundred percent of the money to current athletes who hold at least a 3.6 Grade Point Average (GPA) or are in the top 10 percent of their class is exempt from being counted towards the 24 scholarships. Fifty percent of the money is exempt for current athletes with a 3.3 to 3.9 GPA or in the top 11 to 25 percent of their class.

This exemption also applies to incoming freshmen, who are 100 percent exempt from aid counting towards the scholarship limit if they enter with a 1270 SAT or 27 ACT or held a 3.75 to 4.0 GPA in high school. Incoming freshmen are 50 percent exempt from the limit if they enter with an 1130 SAT, 23 ACT, or held a 3.5 to 3.74 GPA during high school.

One area in which Sherrod’s mentors have helped him prepare for Texas Wesleyan is meeting expectations for success. Since restarting the program in 2016, the Rams program has consistently risen through the NAIA and Sooner Athletic Conference. Sherrod inherits a program that has won a share of the SAC title in back-to-back seasons. The man who built the program, Joe Prud’homme, resigned in March to pursue other opportunities. Sherrod sees similarities between how Prud’homme built the program and his alma mater.

“Coach Joe did a great job here starting the program and getting it going on solid ground,” Sherrod said. “We do a lot of the same things for our student-athletes here at Texas Wesleyan with our mentorship program as we did at Duke. It helps kids network, meet different people, do internships, and provides opportunities to shadow people.”

That doesn’t mean Sherrod hasn’t encountered some choppy waters. Some boosters were unhappy with how the administration treated the previous coaching staff during the search. Defensive coordinator Paul Duckworth was considered a top candidate for the position when Prud’homme departed, and the veteran defensive coach resigned after Sherrod was announced. Sherrod retained the offensive coaching staff and one member of the previous defensive staff.

“I wanted to make sure our values aligned with the staff already here when it comes to player relationships and how we mentor players,” Sherrod said. “It wasn’t so much about coaching, and I asked some of the players about the coaches. I want to make sure we have good men, and they’re good role models, which is not a reason any coach left or wasn’t retained. I’ve been in that position, and sometimes the situation isn’t right.”

As for a fanbase expecting the Rams to win the SAC title outright and advance to the NAIA playoffs this year, Sherrod shares the same expectations.

“We need to win this conference outright. If we can do that, we’ll have a chance to make noise on a national level,” Sherrod said.

To make noise on a national level, Texas Wesleyan’s defensive players need to absorb a new system and scheme quickly. Sherrod said he and the players are confident they’ll be ready to win the SAC outright this season.

“We are going to focus on getting bigger and stronger, working through some skill sessions, and focusing on the fundamentals of winning football games. We won’t be heavy in schemes this summer,” Sherrod said. “We’ll be okay, and our kids have confidence that we’ll be okay. At the end of the day, it comes down to catching the football, holding onto the football, blocking, tackling, creating turnovers, and keeping the opponent from scoring.”