Rich Nagy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Lehigh |
| Conference | Patriot League |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | June 21, 1965 Fairfield, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Trinity College (1987) |
| Playing career | |
| 1983–1987 | Trinity (CT) |
| Position | Running back |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1987 | Trinity (CT) (DB)[1] |
| 1988 | Allegheny (GA)[1] |
| 1989 | Union (NY) (OLB)[1] |
| 1990–1991 | Maine (OLB)[1] |
| 1992–1995 | Allegheny (ST/LB)[1] |
| 1996 | Allegheny (AHC/ST/LB)[1] |
| 1997 | South Dakota (ST/DB)[2] |
| 1998 | Fordham (DC/DB)[2] |
| 1999–2000 | Fordham (DB)[2] |
| 2001–2005 | Maine (DC/LB/DB)[2] |
| 2006–2008 | Murray State (DC/LB)[2] |
| 2009 | Hofstra (DC/LB)[2] |
| 2010–2011 | Central Michigan (S)[1] |
| 2012 | Central Michigan (DC/S)[1] |
| 2013–2014 | Old Dominion (DC/DB)[2] |
| 2015–2018 | Old Dominion (DC/LB)[2] |
| 2019–2022 | Allegheny[2] |
| 2023–2025 | Lehigh (DC/LB)[2] |
| 2026–present | Lehigh[2] |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 10–20 |
Richard Nagy (born June 21, 1965) is an American college football coach. He is the head coach for Lehigh University; who he has been with in different roles since 2023.[3][4] He was the head football coach for Allegheny College from 2019 to 2022.[5][6]
Richard Nagy was born on June 21, 1965 in Fairfield, Connecticut.[citation needed] Nagy played as a runningback at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut and was their most valuable player in 1986.[1] Nagy graduated from Trinity in 1987 with a degree in political science.[1]
Coaching career
Nagy started his coaching career in 1987 working as a part time defensive secondary coach for his alma mater during his senior year, before working as a graduate assistant at Allegheny College coaching their inside linebackers.[1] Afterwards he coached at Union College in 1989 and Maine before returning to Allegheny as a full time positional coach in 1992.[1] He would go on to work as a positional coach at South Dakota from 1997 to 1998, Fordham from 1998 to 2001, another stint at Maine from 2001 to 2005, Murray State from 2005 to 2008, and Hofstra from 2009 to 2010.[2]
Nagy's first experience coaching at an FBS level started in 2012 when he coached the safeties and was defensive coordinator for the Central Michigan Chippewas.[1] Next season in 2013 he was named the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Old Dominion, a position he would hold for six years.[1] In 2019 he was named the head coach at Allegheny leading the Gators for three seasons.[a][1]
Lehigh University (2023-present)
Going into the 2023 season the Lehigh University Mountain Hawks fired Tom Gilmore, the school's head coach since 2019 who compiled a 9–27 record at Lehigh, alongside his entire coaching staff.[7] Gilmore would be replaced by Kevin Cahill, Yale's offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, who brought Nagy in as Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers coach as the two worked together at Murray State.[7] In 2024 the Mountain Hawks ranked in the top 20 nationally in total defense, pass defense and sacks and allowed a league-low 21.6 points per game.[1] Nagy's defense would improve in his third year as coordinator with Lehigh ranked in the top five nationally in five major defensive categories and lead the FCS in Red Zone defense.[1] In both seasons Lehigh would win the Patriot League title.[8][9]
Despite a concerted fundraising effort to retain Cahill by increasing his pay, he would return to Yale at the end of the 2025 season leaving a vacancy at head coach.[10] Nagy would be chosen as Cahill's replacement becoming the programs 31st head coach and stated his priorities where to keep the coaching staff together, and to win another Patriot League title.[11][2][12][13]
Personal life
Rich is married to Erika Nagy and is the father of two daughters: Jordan and Erin.[1]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny Gators (North Coast Athletic Conference) (2019–2021) | |||||||||
| 2019 | Allegheny | 4–6 | 4–5 | 7th | |||||
| 2021 | Allegheny | 3–7 | 2–7 | 8th | |||||
| Allegheny Gators (Presidents' Athletic Conference) (2022) | |||||||||
| 2022 | Allegheny | 3–7 | 2–6 | 9th | |||||
| Allegheny: | 10–20 | 8–18 | |||||||
| Lehigh Mountain Hawks (Patriot League) (2026–present) | |||||||||
| 2026 | Lehigh | 0–0 | 0–0 | ||||||
| Lehigh: | 0–0 | 0–0 | |||||||
| Total: | 10–20 | ||||||||
