Season preview of two-time defending Patriot League football champions

Fresh off of an undefeated season and back-to-back Patriot League titles, Lehigh football enters their 2026 campaign with a new look.

With former head coach Kevin Cahill departing for Yale in March, Lehigh elevated defensive coordinator Rich Nagy to become the 31st head coach in program history. Rather than overhauling the existing staff, Nagy opted to retain much of the system this year.

“It was the number one priority to keep the staff in place,” Nagy said. “All the culture and different things that we had put together, we had put together as a staff to keep that vision and plan intact was a really important piece to all this — not only for the staff, but for continuity with the players.”

Nagy, who has a 40-year coaching career, was promoted to the head coach position after being the Mountain Hawks’ defensive coordinator for the last three years. With Nagy’s promotion, former defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator Mike Kashurba was named the new defensive coordinator. 

Offensive coordinator Dan Hunt, entering his fourth season with Lehigh, will retain his offensive play-calling duties and was also promoted to associate head coach following Cahill’s departure. 

“If you’re going to lose a coach in March, this was as seamless as possible that it could have happened,” Hunt said. “The team was just to the point where the culture and the accountability that we were trying to teach was starting to take hold.”

Lehigh did not only need to deal with coaching departures. The Mountain Hawks  also lost key contributors on both sides of the ball to the transfer portal and graduation.

In order to replace those departures, Nagy and staff brought in key transfers including sophomore wide receiver Landon Kennel, junior running back Trey Tremba and sophomore defensive back T.J Hill. All three were originally evaluated and pursued by Lehigh during their high school careers, according to Nagy.

Also arriving to help the offense is first-year running back Aidan Mayfield. Hunt said Mayfield is primed to turn some heads as the season progresses, citing five or six “eye-popping” runs  in training camp.

The Mountain Hawks still have strong returners, including junior quarterback Hayden Johnson. Johnson, became the starting quarterback in his first year and now will anchor a revamped offense this season. 

With standout receivers Mason Humphrey and Geoffrey Jamiel departing, who accounted for a combined 68% of Lehigh’s total passing offense last season, Johnson said he will look to lead a more balanced attack through the air this year. 

“It was no secret last year on third down people knew we were pretty much looking to either (Jamiel) or (Humphrey),” Hunt said. “Now, any of the five eligibles on any play could get the ball. In some ways, it makes us more dangerous on offense because you’ve got to defend the whole field.”

This offensive transition will be aided by prior chemistry, as Monmouth University transfer Kennel and junior wide receiver Nick Palumbo both went to high school with Johnson. Johnson, who was named to the preseason All-Patriot League team, said he has full confidence in the coaching staff. 

“Johnson is one of the hardest working players I’ve ever been around,” Nagy said. “He’s grown with the players that are around him, so he has a lot more confidence and trust, and he understands the system really well.”

The offensive line, tasked with protecting Johnson, will return four of their five starters this season, with junior Jacob Messina filling in for recent graduate Langston Jones.

Also behind the line, returns 2025 Patriot League offensive player of the year, Luke Yoder, who leaped out to a hot start Saturday with 3 touchdowns versus Holy Cross to help lead the Mountain Hawks to a 1-0 start to the season. 

On the other side of the ball, Kashurba and Nagy must reshape a defensive line that headlined the best scoring defense in the FCS last year. Senior Jadin Nelson returns as the sole starter from last year, and the coaching staff is prepared to potentially shape playcalling around a new-look defense.

“We knew there was going to have to be a little more pressure situations,” Nagy said. “I feel confident with the guys up front and their abilities, but we’re going to call what we feel we need to call to win games and be successful.”

The secondary lost two every-day players to the transfer portal, with defensive backs Aidan Singleton and Mason Moore departing. However, the Mountain Hawks have experienced players ready to take on larger roles.

Junior defensive back Ignatious Williams and senior DJ Brown return as starters this year, offering some experience for the defense to build off  their strong 2025 season. 

“If you’re watching film, if you’re fixing the little things in practice, and you’re prepared, the game’s just gonna feel like a Tuesday practice.” Williams said. “We like to say that Saturdays are Tuesday practices and it’s just a different color in front of us.”

As the Mountain Hawks move through the beginning of the 2026 season, many analysts predict them to be extremely competitive, despite the roster changes from last year. In the Patriot League preseason awards, they were voted as the second strongest team, receiving three first place votes and ending only four points behind Villanova. 

Despite this preseason external noise, the coaching staff said they will remain  adamant about blocking out unnecessary expectations and focusing on daily standards. 

“Our focus has always been to be 1-0 today,” Hunt said. “If we keep the focus small, the big picture will take care of itself.”

As Lehigh kicks off the 2026 season, the Mountain Hawks remain grounded in a proven winning culture, and look to defend their championship one day at a time.

They are back in action at Cooper Field in Washington, D.C. against Georgetown this Saturday.