Nagy out at Allegheny, set to lead defense at Lehigh

Alex Topor, The Meadville Tribune, Pa.
·3 min read

Jan. 21—Rich Nagy is heading back to Division I.

Nagy, who recently finished his fourth season as head football coach of the Allegheny College football team, will be a defensive coordinator at Lehigh University.

Nagy had a 10-20 record over three seasons with the Gators. He was hired in February 2019.

The decision to leave the program wasn't an easy one, Nagy said. He met with the team Monday to announce his decision.

"I told them I've been wrestling with this decision for a few weeks now. I told them they've done a great job for me and they'll continue to do a great job in the future," Nagy said. "For me personally, it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. I really wish them nothing but success."

With him at the announcement was the rest of the football staff and athletic director Bill Ross.

"We transitioned everything in the meeting. We transitioned to Vann, which was good, and we wanted to make sure everything was clear with the team," Nagy said. "Whoever takes control of the team will have a chance to do some really good things in the next couple years."

Nagy previously served as an assistant coach and associate head coach for the Gators in the 1990s. In his most recent three seasons, he mentored 12 all-conference and two all-region selections. Under Nagy, three Allegheny student-athletes have been named semifinalists for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy, and three have received D3football.com Team of the Week accolades. Additionally, Nagy helped the Gators navigate their return to the Presidents' Athletic Conference for the first time since the 1983-84 academic year.

"I want to thank Rich Nagy for his leadership and professionalism these past four years; our football program is in a much stronger position coming out of the pandemic because of it," Ross said in a press release. "We are very fortunate to have another strong leader in our midst in Vann Hunt, who will assume the reins as we embark on a national search for our next head football coach."

A factor in Nagy's decision to leave was an old friend, Kevin Cahill.

Cahill was named head coach at Lehigh in December. It's his first head coaching gig and he called upon Nagy to serve as his defensive coordinator.

Nagy spent 24 years as a Division I defensive coordinator at Old Dominion, Western Michigan, Murray State and the University of Maine. He and Cahill coached together at Murray State in 2006 and 2007.

"There were parts of being at head coach at Allegheny College I loved, but Kevin Cahill, I've known him for 15, 16 years," Nagy said. "We coached together at Murray State. You just knew then that he was going to be ultra successful. The opportunity to help him as a first-time head coach was too much to pass up."

Alex Topor can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at atopor@meadvilletribune.com.