University of Rhode Island

Troy Gilmer enters his 12th season at Rhode Island in 2025. He joined the Rhode Island staff in January 2014 as a defensive assistant and was promoted to linebackers coach before the start of the 2017 season. Before the 2020-21 season, he was named the outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator.

Under Gilmer's guidance, outside linebacker A.J. Pena garnered First Team Associated Press All-American honors in 2024. A First Team All-CAA Football honoree, Pena ranked in the nation's top 10 in both tackles for loss (seventh) and sacks (10th), forcing opponents to lose more than 100 yards. 

In 2021, outside linebacker L.B. Mack earned CAA Football Second Team All-Conference honors after recording 51 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. After the season, he signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League, making the team's roster as a rookie. Mack finished his career second in program history with 39.0 tackles for loss and fourth with 21.0 sacks. On special teams, kicker C.J. Carrick graduated as Rhode Island's all-time leader in points scored (268), field goals (43) and extra points (119). Punter Davey Schaum-Bartocci became URI's leader in career punting average (40.0 yards/punt). Coby Tippett was a CAA Football First Team All-Conference selection as a punt returner, and freshman Jaylen Smith piled up 1,092 all-purpose yards after spending the first half of the year as the team's primary kick returner.
 
In 2019, Gilmer coached Branyan Javier-Castillo, who earned Second Team All-CAA Football honors. Javier-Castillo started all 12 games at linebacker, and started all 23 games he played in his two seasons with the Rams. He led the conference with 108 tackles, and was second in the league with 9.0 tackles per game. Javier-Castillo finished the season with 12.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and two interceptions, and had two forced fumbles.

In 2018, senior Nas Jones had a breakout season for the Rams, leading the team with 78 tackles while adding 7.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. Fellow senior Justin Hogan was the CAA Defensive Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 3, and Jones, Hogan and junior Branyan Javier-Castillo all started every game for the defense. The trio were the team's three leading tacklers, as Javier-Castillo tied Jones with 78, and Hogan added 62.

Under Gilmore's direction, linebacker Justin Hogan led the Rams with 104 tackles in 2017. He also tied for third on the team with five pass breakups. 

In 2015, Gilmer worked closely with the team's linebackers, including junior linebacker Adam Parker, who earned CAA Football Second Team All-Conference honors and was second on the team in tackles despite missing the final two games of the season. 

Gilmer came to Rhode Island from Akron, where he was a graduate assistant coach in 2013. While on the Zips staff, Gilmer also spent time as a volunteer assistant director of football operations.

A linebacker for Akron from 2008 through 2012, Gilmer averaged 6.2 tackles per game as a senior. He finished second on the team with 74 tackles, including four tackles for loss. During his junior season, Gilmer was an honorable mention Academic All-Mid-American Conference selection after averaging 7.9 tackles per game and finishing second on the team with 71 tackles.

Gilmer earned his bachelor’s degree in sports studies/coaching from Akron in 2012. In 2013, he earned a master’s degree in sports science/coaching.