Pulford enters his ninth season overall at WKU in 2026 and his fifth as a Quality Control – Special Teams coach.
Working alongside Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Andy LaRussa, Pulford has helped coach some of the top special teams units in CUSA and nationally since joining the staff. That group includes WKU's first CUSA Special Teams Player of the Year, Lucas Carneiro, who claimed the award in 2024 after going 18-for-19 on field goals with 18 straight makes, and Cole Maynard, who was named CUSA Special Teams Player of the Year in 2025 during his Consensus All-American season.
Pulford helped coach Maynard to one of the best seasons from a specialist – and player – in program history. Maynard became the first Consensus All-American during WKU's FBS Era (since 2009) and the sixth overall. He became WKU's first Consensus All-American since Buster Ashley received the recognition in 2004. He received Walter Camp All-America Second Team, Associated Press All-America First Team and American Football Coaches Association All-America First Team recognition. He was also named a Fourth Team All-American by Phil Steele following the season. He was named to the AP's All-Bowl Team and was invited to play in the 2026 American Bowl. Maynard led the nation in punting average during the regular season at 48.7 yards per punt over 51 punting attempts. He was named the CUSA Special Teams Player of the Year and was a First Team All-CUSA selection. He was named to the Ray Guy Award Preseason Watch List, the 2025 CUSA Preseason Watch List, and was twice named to the Ray's 8 List honoring the top punting performances of the week. Maynard was also recognized with the top special teams performance of the week in the league twice as CUSA's Special Teams Player of the Week. Maynard was invited to the NFL Specialist Showcase at the NFL Combine following the season. Maynard finished the season averaging 48.4 yards on 57 punts, with 27 traveling 50-plus yards, 15 downed inside the 20-yard line and 17 fair catches.
In 2024, Carneiro was named CUSA Special Teams Player of the Year after going 18-for-19 on field goals with 18 straight makes. The 18 made field goals are the longest streak in program history, and included an impressive six-for-six on field goals of 50-plus yards. There were two makes of 54 yards, which were tied for the second-longest makes in program history, and a game-winning kick against Jax State in the regular-season finale that sent the Hilltoppers to the CUSA Championship Game. Carneiro became the only CUSA kicker to go 6-for-6 from 50-plus yards in a season since 1996, while only four others have gone at least 3-for-3. Carneiro finished the 2024 season fourth in the league in scoring, second in the league in scoring by a kicker, second in the league in field goals made and first in the league in field goal percentage. He was named CUSA's Special Teams Player of the Week three times, he was a First Team All-CUSA selection and he was the only kicker in the league that was named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award.
In 2025, Pulford helped coach long snapper Rex Robich, who was an All-CUSA Second Team selection. In 2024, he coached Robich to Second Team All-CUSA honors and Maynard, who was a member of the 2024 Ray Guy Award Watchlist and named a CUSA Special Teams Player of the Week during the season.
WKU used two kickers during the 2025 season and finished as the top kicking team in CUSA, making 81.8% of its field goal attempts. John Cannon connected on 15 field goals and all 46 extra points he attempted, and Jack Cassidy was 3-for-3 on the season, including a pair of makes from over 50 yards – and the second-longest ever in program history at 55 yards.
The 2024 WKU Football team was second in CUSA in points scored kicking, first in field goals made and field goal percentage, second in PAT kicks made, first in PAT kicking percentage, third in kick return yards, third in punt return yards and third in kickoff coverage.
Pulford helped oversee a trio of All-CUSA Honorable Mention Special Teams selections in 2023 with Carneiro, kick returner Easton Messer and long snapper Trey Naughton. That season, he also helped develop all members of the CUSA All-Freshman Team for Special Teams with Carneiro, Messer, Naughton and punt returner KD Hutchinson.
The 2023 Hilltoppers were first in CUSA and 10th nationally in blocked kicks with three, including two in critical moments late to help the team come back against Old Dominion in the Famous Toastery Bowl victory. WKU was third in CUSA in both kickoff returns and kickoff return defense – and ninth nationally in the latter – third in CUSA in punt return defense.
In 2022, Pulford worked with All-CUSA Special Teams Honorable Mention picks in kicker Brayden Narveson, long snapper Jake Bowman and punter Tom Ellard – the final of which was also on the All-Freshman Team that season. WKU's kickers made 18 field goals that season, including three from Cory Munson in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl victory over South Alabama, were a perfect 64-for-64 on PATs during the season.
Pulford, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, spent four years on staff as a student assistant, before graduating with a degree in Sport and Fitness Administration from WKU in 2021.
