There was about one week between when Lehigh footballʼs head coaching position became vacant and Rich Nagy was named the Vandergrift Family Head Football Coach.
But before any decisions were made, the staff began talking amongst themselves, and with Jeremy Gibson Pʼ28, Murray H. Goodman Dean of Athletics, about the need to keep everyone together regardless of who the 31st head coach in program history was going to be. It was business as usual among the group until it was official that the Mountain Hawks promoted from within and Nagy, the former defensive coordinator, was announced as the selection. Then, it was time to make sure everyone actually stayed.
“This doesnʼt happen everywhere,ˮ Nagy said. “People ask, ‘Is it unusual?ʼ Yes, it is. Itʼs unusual for a head coach to leave, nobody to follow him, the whole staff stays in place and you move and go. Everybody was on board with that, and everybody just wanted to keep moving forward with what weʼd already started.ˮ
While a few outside hires were necessary, a number of senior staff members were rewarded with promotions: Dan Hunt to associate head coach, Mike Kashurba to defensive coordinator, Mike Morita to assistant offensive coordinator and Jeff Comissiong to defensive run game coordinator.
“I couldnʼt have scripted a better situation,ˮ Nagy said.
Much of the staff has known each other for years, even before Nagy arrived at Lehigh three seasons ago, and they were aligned on how the program should be run. When former head coach Kevin Cahill hired the staff, Nagy said Cahill didnʼt just hire friends, he hired people who had the same vision, and that vision now continues.
Stability Breeds Success
Nagy said what also made the transition easier is that the foundation for the 2026 season was already in place—he didnʼt have to start from scratch. He told the players there will be some small tweaks, such as practice structure, but heʼs not changing what Lehigh football is. Heʼs not changing the process that has led the program back to the success itʼs long known.
Coming off a 12-1 season that ended in the second round of the FCS playoffs, Nagy isnʼt feeling pressure.
“If youʼre prepared, the pressure gets minimized,ˮ Nagy said. “Weʼre going to prepare. Weʼre going to do things to the best of our ability to be successful.ˮ
And while winning matters, the top priority remains the student-athletes themselves.
“Itʼs about how can we get our guys to grow?ˮ Nagy said. “How can we get them to be better people, better players, better students and ultimately better alums?ˮ
