Texas A&M University-Texarkana is wasting no time building out Joshua Eargle’s first coaching staff for its brand-new NCAA Division II football program. The Eagles have added two experienced assistants who bring proven production, regional ties, and expertise in critical areas: Luke Roth as special teams coordinator and Jordan Collins as defensive line coach.
Roth joins TAMUT after more than three seasons as special teams coordinator at the University of North Alabama. The 2010 Bethel University graduate spent seven years at his alma mater as assistant head coach and special teams coordinator, where he oversaw all six units and helped develop three AFCA first-team all-conference specialists, five first-team all-conference honorees, and three All-Americans. His special teams units accounted for 32 touchdowns during that stretch. Roth also gained FBS experience as a senior special teams analyst at Kansas in 2020 (filling in as coordinator for one game) and as a special teams quality control assistant at Western Kentucky, where he helped develop Conference USA standout kicker Cory Munson and punter John Haggerty.
Known for his organization, film work, and ability to maximize every phase of the kicking game, Roth is expected to give the Eagles an immediate edge in the often-overlooked third phase of football.
Collins arrives from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, where he spent the 2024 season coaching defensive ends. The Texas native spent the previous five seasons at East Texas Baptist University, rising to defensive coordinator and defensive line coach in 2023 under head coach Calvin Ruzicka. A former player at Incarnate Word, Collins has deep roots across east Texas and a reputation for developing productive defensive linemen at the Division III level. His promotion to co-defensive coordinator duties at UMHB last spring underscored his growing reputation as a scheme-savvy, player-development-focused coach.
The hires align perfectly with Eargle’s blueprint. The first-year head coach, who previously led ETBU from 2013-15, has repeatedly emphasized building a program on strong culture, player development, and coaches who have succeeded at multiple levels. Roth’s Power 5 and NAIA special teams pedigree plus Collins’ in-state D-III defensive experience give TAMUT a blend of sophistication and regional recruiting pull as the program ramps up for its 2027 launch.
With signing periods already underway and the Eagles targeting the Class of 2027 and beyond, these additions signal that Eargle’s staff is moving with urgency. University leadership has made clear it wants a program that competes for conference titles quickly, and the early staff moves suggest the foundation is being poured with precision.
Roth and Collins join a growing list of assistants committed to making TAMUT football the “gold standard” Eargle promised upon his December 2025 hiring.
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