FCS East ranks top 20 head coaches, Ferrante and Cahill lead the list

1. Mark Ferrante

Ferrante sits at No. 1 because Villanova’s case is built on the hardest currency in this exercise: wins, playoff berths, and sustained relevance. The Wildcats say he entered 2025 in his ninth season as head coach and 39th year overall with the program, has been part of 274 victories and all 16 of Villanova’s FCS playoff appearances, and just guided back-to-back 10-win seasons with a No. 12 final Stats Perform finish.

2. Kevin Cahill

Cahill is the ranking’s biggest projection, but it is a projection with a championship pedigree attached. Yale hired him on Feb. 23, 2026 as the 35th head coach in program history, bringing back the reigning National FCS Coach of the Year after 10 seasons on the Bulldogs’ staff, and the 2025 Yale team had already finished 8-2 overall and 6-1 in Ivy play while earning staff-of-the-year recognition.

3. Russ Huesman

Huesman belongs near the top because Richmond has become the kind of program that can make a title race uncomfortable for everyone else. The Spiders say he enters his 10th season in 2026 as the second-winningest coach in school history, and that longevity matters in the CAA, where one September stumble can shape a November chase.

4. Mike London

London’s place is all about proof, not hype. William & Mary’s notes describe three straight winning campaigns and a 33-22 record through six seasons, which is exactly the kind of floor that keeps the Tribe in every CAA championship discussion once the calendar turns cold.

5. Kevin Callahan

Monmouth keeps nudging itself into the East’s upper tier because Callahan’s Hawks can still spring a result that changes a month. The Monmouth directory lists him in the football orbit, and the Hawks’ 51-33 upset of Villanova was the kind of statement that reminds the CAA how quickly Callahan’s team can turn into a playoff spoiler or more.

6. Rick Santos

Santos is one of the East’s cleanest identity hires, because New Hampshire already knew him as a star before it asked him to lead the program. UNH’s page lists him as head coach, and his backstory includes a Walter Payton Award as the nation’s top FCS offensive player in 2006, which gives the Wildcats a coach who understands both the brand and the pressure.

7. Tony Trisciani

Trisciani’s ranking comes from range, longevity, and the fact that Elon still treats him as a builder rather than a placeholder. Elon says he enters his 8th season as head coach in 2026 after 30 years coaching and 19 at CAA institutions, and the school describes him as someone known for developing champions and nationally strong defensive units.

8. Billy Cosh

Cosh is a pure upside bet, but Stony Brook’s recent profile gives that bet real weight. The Seawolves page names him head coach, and the program’s 2024 finish included a nine-win season and a strong closing statement over Delaware, the sort of evidence that suggests his rise is more than cosmetic.

9. Pete Shinnick

Towson’s position on this list reflects a veteran coach trying to turn accumulated know-how into a real postseason run. Game notes from William & Mary listed Shinnick at 165 career wins and 6-9 in his second season at Towson, which is the profile of a coach with credibility and a program still trying to catch the highest-tier CAA powers.

10. Dan Curran

Curran enters the conversation with one of the fastest proof points in the region. Holy Cross says his first season produced a share of a sixth straight Patriot League title, a 5-1 conference record, and 12 All-Patriot League honorees, all of which argue that the Crusaders did not lose their edge when the sideline changed.

11. Joe Conlin

Fordham stays relevant because Conlin keeps the offense dangerous enough to matter in late fall. The Rams’ preseason profile for 2025 pointed to a second consecutive playoff trip and a prolific offensive duo, a reminder that Fordham’s championship window depends on a coach who can keep scoring at a level that stresses everyone in the Patriot League.

12. John Troxell

Troxell’s ranking is backed by a real breakthrough, not a theoretical one. Lehigh’s postseason recap said he guided the Mountain Hawks to a seven-win turnaround, their first league title, and their first playoff appearance since 2017, while the preseason notebook noted that he entered his third season in Easton with eight starters back on defense.

13. Stan Dakosty

Dakosty keeps Colgate in the middle of the Patriot League argument because continuity still matters in a league built on field position and discipline. Colgate’s current team page lists him as the head coach, and that steady presence is part of why the Raiders remain a program nobody can overlook for long.

14. Jerry Schmitt

Schmitt is the strongest active proof point in the Northeast Conference and maybe the clearest résumé anywhere in the East. Duquesne says he enters 2026 with 135 victories, 10 conference titles, three FCS playoff trips, and the distinction of being the winningest active coach in the subdivision, which makes his placement less a debate than an acknowledgment.

15. Adam Lechtenberg

Lechtenberg turned Central Connecticut into a legitimate NEC power, and the numbers say it plainly. The Blue Devils’ staff page lists him as head coach, while the record summary attached to his profile shows back-to-back NEC titles in 2024 and 2025, giving CCSU the sort of stability that can flip a conference race.

16. Chris Merritt

Merritt deserves his spot because Bryant’s rise has been built piece by piece, not through one lucky season. His Bryant bio says he owns 28 wins in seven seasons, delivered the school’s first win over an FBS opponent, produced Bryant’s first CAA victory, and has overseen an offense that has averaged more than 300 yards per game for five straight seasons.

17. Ron Cooper

Cooper gives LIU a steadier hand in a NEC race that rewards patience as much as flash. The Sharks’ coach directory lists him as head coach, and the current program snapshot pegs him at 18-28 through four seasons, which is the kind of record that still leaves room for a sharp climb if the roster settles.

18. Tom Masella

Masella’s position is a reminder that not every ranking slot is about glamour; some are about whether a coach can keep a program viable in a difficult spot. Wagner’s coaching page lists him as head coach, and a 2026 schedule note attached to the Seahawks said he had a 9-38 record at the school, which explains why his placement is about resilience as much as results.

19. Andrew Aurich

Aurich is the Ivy League’s clearest projection case, because Harvard is asking him to shape what comes next. The Crimson page lists him as head coach, and that alone makes him part of the most consequential coaching conversation in the league, where a new voice can alter the balance of power quickly.

20. Bob Surace

Surace closes the list because Princeton still embodies the value of high-floor coaching in the East. The Tigers’ page lists him as head coach, and in an Ivy race that can turn on one November game, Surace’s steady presence keeps Princeton squarely in the championship conversation every season.