Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Louisiana Tech head football coach Sonny Cumbie announced two new additions to the team’s coaching staff on Friday afternoon, as Carlton Buckels and Josh Creech will join the staff for the upcoming 2025 season.
Buckels will serve as the cornerbacks coach/defensive pass game coordinator, while Creech will coach the linebackers.
Buckels, who brings over 20 years of collegiate coaching experience to Ruston, arrives after a two-year stint as the cornerbacks coach at TCU. The Louisiana native coached NFL Draft picks in each of his first two seasons with the Horned Frogs.
“Coach Buckels brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our staff,” stated Cumbie. “He’s coached NFL draft picks, a Jim Thorpe Award winner, won Big 12 championships, coached in the National Championship, all the while helping develop young men on and off the field. Carlton has ties to this state and will help elevate our football program this fall!”
In 2022, Buckels mentored Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson into becoming the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award winner as the nation’s top defensive back and a sixth-round selection by the Los Angeles Rams. The 2023 campaign saw Josh Newton earn All-Big 12 honors for the second straight year en route to being a fifth-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Buckels arrived in Fort Worth after spending for years at Tulsa (2018-21). He served as the safeties coach during his first three years with the Golden Hurricane, before being promoted to the defensive passing game coordinator and moving to cornerbacks for the 2021 season.
He came to Tulsa following one season as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Belhaven University in Jackson, Miss.
Buckels’ collegiate coaching stops have included Delta State (2001-02), Southeastern Louisiana (2003-04), New Mexico State (2005-07), North Texas (2009-10) and Baylor (2011-16). In the summer of 2010, Buckels worked with the NFL’s Oakland Raiders coaching staff as part of the Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship Program.
Buckels received his start in collegiate coaching at his alma mater, LSU, where he served as a graduate assistant under Nick Saban and Gerry Dinardo. He worked with the defense and special teams while earning his master’s degree in 2001.
A native of Louisiana, Buckels played collegiately at LSU and coached high school football in the state.
Creech comes to Ruston after spending the 2024 season as the defensive coordinator at Midway High School in Waco, Texas.
“Josh is a third-generation football coach that has been around the game his entire life,” said Cumbie. “Josh has a great track record in developing linebackers and coaching defense at a high level. Josh’s experience and background will help our linebackers and defense continue to play at a high level.”
Prior to joining the staff at Midway HS, Creech spent six seasons as a defensive analyst at SMU (2018-21) and TCU (2022-23). During his time at SMU, Creech worked with linebackers during the 2018 and 2019 seasons, before moving to the back end to work with safeties in 2020.
In 2019, Creech was part of a defense that ranked No. 1 in the FBS for sacks per game (3.92) and in the top three in tackles for loss (8.5). The Mustangs forced 21 turnovers in 2019, ranking 34th nationally and fourth in the conference. The number included 12 fumble recoveries, which ranked in the top 10 of the FBS.
Creech helped mentor all-conference selection Pat Nelson, who set SMU’s single-season sacks record with 12.0 in 2019. In 2018, Creech helped mentor Richard Moore, who earned AAC honorable mention after registering 92 tackles, 13.5 TFLs and had a team-leading 5.0 sacks.
Creech arrived in Dallas after a four-year stint as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Belhaven University in Jackson, Miss. During his time with the Blazers, Creech saw 10 of his players recognized as All-NCAA selections.
In 2014, Creech’s pass defense ranked 15th in the NAIA, allowing just 166.4 yards per game. Creech’s 3-3-5 defense also ranked 19th in the NAIA in total sacks with 28 on the season. The Blazers defense also kept opponents to just a 33.8 percent conversion rate on third downs, ranking 30th in the NAIA. The Green and Gold also set a school record in total tackles that season, recording 771.
Prior to his time at Belhaven, Creech spent three years as an assistant coach in Texas at McMurry (2011-13). Creech join the War Hawks football staff as an assistant offensive line coach and video coordinator for the 2011 season and spent time working with the long snappers. In 2012, Creech moved to the defensive side of the ball where he served as the linebackers coach while still assisting with long snappers and returners in the special teams game.
Creech began his collegiate coaching career at the University of New Haven where he was the assistant linebackers coach, while also helping with video as a graduate assistant. The Chargers won the Northeast-10 Conference in Creech’s lone season on staff.
Creech received his bachelor’s degree from Sam Houston State University in criminal justice and then went on to earn his master’s degree in National Security from the University of New Haven in 2010.
