2023 Athletic Director Suit Ranking
In 2022, one of my favorite articles was the Suit Rankings for Troy’s illustrious Athletic Director Brent Jones. So you know I had to do it again.
No Athletic Director in the country has as much drip as Brent and his suit reveals are almost as anticipated as the Troy Football Uniform Reveals.
Let’s see how he did in 2023.
Honorable Mention: A Championship Surprise
I’m not going to lie, I was excited about this one when Brent posted this. Trojan Threads did a great job of making these overalls available for fans, but for a few minutes on Championship Saturday, we all thought the most fashionable man in Troy, Alabama was about to break out the overalls.
While I am sad that he was joking, it got a great laugh from Troy Twitter and it probably wouldn’t have looked good with a blazer anyway. Maybe he’ll break them out for baseball season?
#14 vs Army
This one has to go at the bottom simply because it doesn’t have the same amount of drip as the rest of the selections. This is particularly ironic if you remember what the New York weather was like.
It’s understandable that Brent would not want to bring the full swag out just to be rained on, so this makes for a smart look. Not gonna lie, I’m more of a hoodie guy myself, but that is an awesome coat.
#13 vs App State
Although I was disappointed he didn’t actually rock the overalls, this was a solid look for ring season. Brent went with the lighter checker pattern coat. While the shoes and belt might not fully match the jacket, they definitely match the ever-present pocket square.
Overall, I like this look as a nice business casual combination, like when you show up to work, but you don’t have to work too hard. Basically like Troy Football during the Sun Belt Championship Game.
#12 vs Southern Miss
If Brent only posted the jacket and shoes for this one, I might have been very concerned and, honestly this might have been the bottom for 2023. The gray jacket and white shoes look very muted on their own, but man, oh man, the cardinal pants just set this one off.
I know my limits and non-khaki/black colored pants are past them. I am definitely not on his or Adam Prendergast’s levels.
#11 vs ULM
For the second time this season, Brent brought out the hat, this time with the Troy script. While the color on the jacket might be a tad muted compared to other jackets from 2023, but the pocket square on this one might be my favorite of the whole season.
As always, I’m at awe of his ability to have four very different items (belt, hat, shoes, and pocket square) and get them all to as close to the same shade of cardinal as he can.
#10 vs Texas State
The first official use of the hat in the Suit Rankings brought out the crossed swords emoji. This is definitely one of the top 3 jackets that Brent used all season and it works even better with the white shoes.
I am not a man who is good for white shoes, as I get them very dirty, but Brent is a man who knows when it is time to rock some white Adidas. This was definitely one of those times.
Editor’s note: You’ll notice the lining of this coat and the following coat both feature Troy logos. If you think that’s as cool as we do, you can buy a suit with a Troy lining from Reveal Suits. This is not a sponsored ad—trust me, I wish we were getting a kickback from them. I just wanted to make the link as accessible as possible. Prepare your wallet, too; prices start around $450.
#9 vs Georgia State
This combination is one of the better muted cardinal looks. The cardinal striping on the jacket works great as an accent on the jacket normally, but when paired with the cardinal pants and shoes, they become a feature of the jacket.
The white pocket square lined in cardinal works great as an accentuation of the Troy pin and the cardinal and white of the shoes.
If I had to be in Turner Field potentially hearing that godforsaken horn, then I would hope I was at least dressed half this good.
#8 vs Kansas State
Brent used this same (I think) cardinal jacket during the Ole Miss game last year. I’m all for this becoming his P5/P4 jacket from now on.
With the trip to Manhattan being much longer than the one to Oxford, Brent went with a more comfortable set of white Adidas sneakers. The embroidered Troy belt is just the icing on the suit cake.
#7 vs JMU
For everyone who remembers the monsoon that preceded the JMU game, you wouldn’t have blamed Brent for pulling out the rain coat like he did later for Army.
However, this was a major game against an undefeated opponent on the NFL Network. One must look their best.
The cardinal jacket with subtle red stripes matched the dual red/cardinal look of the shoes in a way you wouldn’t notice upon first glance. Again, the Troy belt ties the whole thing together.
#6 vs Arkansas State
For me, one of the best parts about Homecoming is that it is a time for old styles and new to come together. That perfectly sums up the look that Brent used here.
First off, props for reusing one of my favorite looks from 2022 (This one finished #2). Second, this look just works so well at using the school colors in new ways.
While it’s not full traditional plaid, the jacket is giving me big Wimp Sanderson vibes.
#5 vs WKU
I really love this look, especially since you can see it was paired with khakis. I always love patterned jackets and I’m continually impressed by Brent’s color matching skills when it comes to the shoes and jackets.
I would argue this is the fanciest pocket square that he broke out this year, which put this combination in a nice area between stylish athletic director and casual bank president.
#4 vs Duke
Big time games call for big time suits. This one did not miss. The small checkered pattern seamlessly blends the cardinal, black, and gray. The suit itself came together well with the blank pants over that amazing pair of Adidas.
Run DMC would be proud to see someone rocking a pair that good looking.
#3 vs 🚫
Someone once said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” This suit from the TSIM game was the very definition of that.
Cardinal jacket.
Cardinal pants.
White shoes.
The simple patterns on the shirt and pocket square add elegance without being overbearing. I wouldn’t mind seeing this be his standard against Southern Alabama.
#2 vs Louisiana
While this jacket does also gives off Wimp Sanderson vibes, the only coach that matters in how Brent dressed this day was Coach Larry Blakeney. The 90s white Adidas kicks were brought out as tribute to the greatest coach in Troy history who started his career here in 1991.
While I am typically averse to the “Dad Shoe”, Brent pulled these off in such a classy way that it didn’t even look like the stereotypical shoe. Even with the jacket pattern, the overall suit was very subdued because all the attention needed to be in the right place: honoring Coach Blakeney.
#1 vs Stephen F. Austin
A special night like DeMarcus Ware Day requires the most unique look. For the first time, I can remember Brent forsaking the button down in favor of the jersey under the coat look.
Based on last year’s looks, it’s clear the best jacket Brent owns is The Cardinal Jacket and it makes a wonderful appearance here.
The shoes for this weekend were perfect for two reasons: aesthetics and comfort. The cardinal and white match all of the details of this ensemble and perfectly balance all parts of the look. Plus, any more formal shoes would be uncomfortable for all of Brent’s walking around.
Once again, we wanted to show some appreciation to the hardest working AD in all of college sports. Here’s to hopefully many more years of AD Suit Rankings here at The Trojan Wall.