Shane Gallant joined the Vanderbilt football staff as specialists coach and special teams assistant coach in 2024.
While supporting special teams coordinator Jeff LePak, Gallant helped establish Vanderbilt’s special teams among the nation’s best in 2024. Punter Jesse Mirco, return specialist Martel Hight and kicker Brock Taylor all earned All-SEC honors from the league’s coaches, while long snapper Julian Ashby was a semifinalist for the Mannelly Award. Ashby was also selected as an Academic All-American, just the 15th player in school history to receive that honor.
Vanderbilt’s special teams efficiency (per ESPN FPI) was 69.7, fifth among FBS programs and tops in the SEC. Hight ranked fifth nationally in punt return average, Mirco was second in FBS and led the SEC in punting average and Taylor made five field goals of at least 50 yards while scoring the second-most points in school history.
Hight returned a punt 57 yards for a touchdown against Alcorn State and Junior Sherrill ran a kickoff back 100 yards for a score against Tennessee. Vanderbilt was one of six Power 4 teams to have both a punt return and kickoff return for a touchdown on the season (BYU, Iowa, North Carolina, Oregon and Wake Forest). In addition, it marked the first time since 1971 and just the fourth time on record the Commodores had a return of both varieties for a touchdown in the same season.
Before Vandy, Gallant spent four seasons at Mississippi State and helped the Bulldog’s special teams rank No. 1 in FBS according to Pro Football Focus in 2022, while ranking 12th according to ESPN’s Special Teams Efficiency. Gallant arrived in Starkville, Mississippi, as a graduate assistant before being named quality control in 2022 and an analyst in 2023.
Gallant started his career as a graduate assistant at Washington State under head coach Mike Leach before joining Leach in Starkville. Gallant also coached special teams in his time with the Cougars.
He arrived on the Palouse after serving as a student assistant at Bowling Green where he assisted with recruiting and scouting. He was also a recruiting and operations intern at Texas Tech under then-head coach Kliff Kingsbury.
The New Egypt, New Jersey, native graduated from Bowling Green in 2017 with a degree in sport management and a minor in marketing.
The Gallant File
Hometown: New Egypt, N.J.
High School: New Egypt
College: Bowling Green (sport management, 2017)
Coaching Career
2018 • Washington State • Graduate Assistant
2019 • Washington State • Graduate Assistant
2020 • Mississippi State • Graduate Assistant
2021 • Mississippi State • Graduate Assistant
2022 • Mississippi State • Quality Control
2023 • Mississippi State • Special Teams Analyst
2024 • Vanderbilt • Specialists Coach/Special Teams Assistant
Postseason Experience
2018 • Washington State • Alamo Bowl Champions
2019 • Washington State • Cheez-It Bowl
2021 • Mississippi State • Liberty Bowl
2022 • Mississippi State • ReliaQuest Bowl Champions
2024 • Vanderbilt • Birmingham Bowl Champions