Lehigh Elevates Defensive Coordinator Rich Nagy to Head Coach; Staff Retained

Rich Nagy has been elevated from defensive coordinator to the Vandergrift Family Head Football Coach at Lehigh University, the school announced March 2, 2026, making Nagy the 31st head coach in program history. Nagy replaces Kevin Cahill, who left Lehigh on Feb. 23 to accept the head-coaching job at Yale University; the promotion is positioned as continuity for a program that went 12-0 in the regular season and won back-to-back Patriot League titles.

Dean of Athletics Jeremy Gibson framed the hire around experience and staff continuity, saying, “We are incredibly excited to name Rich Nagy as our next Vandergrift Family Head Football Coach,” and adding, “Rich brings a powerful combination of experience as both a head coach and coordinator, a proven record of leadership, and a deep understanding of what it takes to build and sustain a successful program. His familiarity with our program and alignment with our vision position him to lead with clarity and purpose from day one. The ability to retain and empower our current staff is critical, as the strength of this program is rooted in the culture that emanates from our talented and dedicated student-athletes. With Rich’s leadership, we are confident that The Nest will continue to grow and thrive. I am thrilled for Rich, Erika and the Nagy family.”

WFMZ noted, “Nagy has spent the last three years as Lehigh’s Defensive Coordinator and the unit was one of the top in all of FCS during the 12-0 regular season.” Mcall and LancasterOnline detail the defensive credentials under Nagy: the 2024 Lehigh defense was tops in the Patriot League and ranked in the top 20 nationally in total defense, pass defense and sacks; the Mountain Hawks allowed a league-low 21.6 points per game. Individual honors in Nagy’s units included defensive lineman Matt Spatny being honored as Lehigh’s first All-American in five years and linebacker Mike DeNucci being a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award.

Nagy’s résumé mixes head-coaching experience and long coordinator work across divisions. He served as head coach at Division III Allegheny College from 2019–2022 and is described in reports as a coaching veteran with almost 40 years of experience at Division I and Division III levels. Wikipedia lists Nagy’s biographical details as Richard Nagy, born June 21, 1965, in Fairfield, Connecticut, and a Trinity College alumnus (class of 1987) who played running back at Trinity from 1983–1987. Wikipedia also documents Nagy’s coaching timeline verbatim: 1987 | Trinity (CT) (DB); 1988 | Allegheny (GA); 1989 | Union (NY) (OLB); 1990–1991 | Maine (OLB); 1992–1995 | Allegheny (ST/LB); 1996 | Allegheny (AHC/ST/LB); 1997 | South Dakota (ST/DB); 1998 | Fordham (DC/DB); 1999–2000 | Fordham (DB); 2001–2005 | Maine (DC/LB/DB); 2006–2008 | Murray State (DC/LB); 2009 | Hofstra (DC/LB); 2010–2011 | Western Michigan (S); 2012 | Western Michigan (DC/S); 2013–2014 | Old Dominion (DC/DB); 2015–2018 | Old Dominion (DC/LB); 2019–2022 | Allegheny (head coach); 2023–2026 | Lehigh (DC/LB); 2026-present | Lehigh (head coach). Wikipedia lists his head-coaching record as an overall 10–20.

Reporting on staff moves emphasizes internal promotion rather than wholesale change. Mcall reported, “The coaching staff faces will largely remain the same, but in new roles,” and Lehigh Sports Information announced Monday night that Nagy’s appointment succeeds Cahill’s departure to Yale. Lehigh’s official athletics page and media partners supplied imagery of Nagy on the sideline, credited to Lehigh Athletic Communications.

Nagy takes over a program fresh off a 12-0 regular season and consecutive Patriot League crowns, inheriting a defense that produced All-American Matt Spatny and a Buck Buchanan finalist in Mike DeNucci. With the March 2 announcement in hand and staff continuity emphasized by Gibson and Mcall, Nagy assumes the head-coaching role as Lehigh prepares to defend its Patriot League status and build on recent FCS playoff appearances.