Union College Men's Football

Jon Drach finished his second season as head coach of the Union College football team in 2025, having quickly brought the Garnet Chargers back to the top of the Liberty League.   After a challenging first season, Drach was named both the D3football.com Region 2 and ECAC Coach of the Year and helmed the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year in 2025 after engineering the second-largest turnaround in Division III. The team went from a 3-7 record in 2024 to an 8-2 regular-season record and the program's 14th NCAA Tournament appearance in his second season, completing the program's fourth undefeated conference slate (and second 7-0 finish) and ending the regular season on an eight-game winning streak. Led by Liberty League Offensive Player of the Year Patch Flanagan, Union boasted 16 All-Liberty League performers and senior offensive lineman Nick Olivola earned All-Region 2 second-team honors. In his first season at the helm of the Garnet Chargers, Union posted a 3-1 record at home as part of a challenging 10-game schedule that saw the team on the road for five of its first seven games. The team had 11 student-athletes named to the All-Liberty League teams and three - seniors Cole DaSilva and Nate Sullivan and sophomore Hayden Hall - earn D3football.com All-Region recognition.   Drach came to Union after a six-year stint at Wilkes University, where he took over a team that finished 0-10 the year before and led the Colonels to four straight winning seasons before placing second in the inaugural season of Landmark Conference play, earning the program's first postseason win in 17 years in 2023. With a 32-20 overall record in five seasons, he boasts the highest winning percentage (.615) for a coach in program history and is third all-time in victories at Wilkes.   In his time in Wilkes-Barre, Drach recruited and coached 41 All-Conference honorees, three D3football.com All-Region selections, one Middle Atlantic Conference Offensive Player of the Year and one Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year. Wilkes also boasted 139 MAC All-Academic Team honorees in his five seasons.   Off the field, Drach began a four-year term on the NCAA Football Rules Committee in February 2024, serving as one of only four NCAA head coaches on the committee alongside Kirby Smart (University of Georgia), Aaron Best (Eastern Washington University) and John Wristen (Colorado State University-Pueblo). He also serves on the AFCA Division III Head Coaches Committee and has presented at multiple AFCA Conventions.   Prior to Wilkes, Drach spent 11 seasons at fellow Liberty League school Hobart College, helping the Statesmen to a combined 92-24 record as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.    Drach graduated from Western Michigan University in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in finance and economics. He was a three-year starting quarterback for the Broncos from 2001-03 and posted a then-program-record .670 completion percentage as a senior. That season included a career-high 391 yards against the University of Connecticut and a program-record 94-yard touchdown pass to future NFL draft pick and Pro Bowler Greg Jennings against Central Michigan University.

Mike Perrone finished his first season as an assistant coach with the Union College football team in 2025, working primarily with the outside linebackers. In his first year in Schenectady, Perrone was a key part of the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year that engineered the second-largest turnaround in Division III. The team went from a 3-7 record in 2024 to an 8-2 regular-season record and the program's 14th NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025, completing the program's fourth undefeated conference slate (and second 7-0 finish) and ending the regular season on an eight-game winning streak. Union boasted three All-Conference players from its linebacking corps, including first-teamer John Droggitis.   Perrone came to Schenectady after spending nine years at Warrensburg Central School, coaching the Wolverines from 2016-21 and continuing over the last three seasons after merging programs with several other local schools. A two-time Section II Class D Coach of the Year, he led Warrensburg to three Section II championships and one state semifinal appearance while the Warrensburg-Lake George/Bolton team started the 2024 season ranked first in New York State.   Perrone played football collegiately at the former Castleton State University (now VTSU Castleton), recording 95 tackles in three seasons at linebacker for the Spartans from 2012-14.  

Paul Tonic returns for his second season as an assistant coach with the Union College football team in 2025, working primarily with the team’s fullbacks.   In his second year in Schenectady, Tonic was a key part of the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year that engineered the second-largest turnaround in Division III. The team went from a 3-7 record in 2024 to an 8-2 regular-season record and the program's 14th NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025, completing the program's fourth undefeated conference slate (and second 7-0 finish) and ending the regular season on an eight-game winning streak. Tonic spent the 2023 season as the wide receivers coach and co-field goal coach at Division II Pace University. He previously spent two years in the Capital Region, spending two seasons as an assistant coach and Offensive Coordinator at Hudson Valley Community College and then serving as Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator of the National Arena League’s Albany Empire.   Tonic played three years on the gridiron at Buffalo State College from 2017-19, spending two years at running back before moving to defensive end. The Liberty League All-Academic team honoree graduated from Buffalo State in 2020 with a degree in business management.  

Bob VanHoesen finished his second season as an assistant coach with the Union College football team in 2025, serving as an assistant with the defensive line.   In his second year in Schenectady, VanHoesen was a key part of the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year that engineered the second-largest turnaround in Division III. The team went from a 3-7 record in 2024 to an 8-2 regular-season record and the program's 14th NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025, completing the program's fourth undefeated conference slate (and second 7-0 finish) and ending the regular season on an eight-game winning streak. Union boasted four All-Conference players from its defensive line, including first-teamer Charlie Johnson and the conference's leader in tackles for loss, Daniel O'Leary. VanHoesen boasts over 25 years of coaching experience, including eight years as an assistant coach at Hudson Valley Community College. He assumed multiple roles at the school, including Defensive Coordinator, Special Teams Coordinator and Recruiting Coordinator for the three-time NJCAA Region 3 titlists and served as defensive line coach in 2023. Van Hoesen also served as an assistant high school coach throughout Section 2 from 1999-2015.   Van Hoesen received his bachelor’s degree in physical education from SUNY Cortland.  

Quinn Girard finished his first season as an assistant coach with the Union College football team in 2025, working primarily with the cornerbacks.   In his first year in Schenectady, Girard was a key part of the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year that engineered the second-largest turnaround in Division III. The team went from a 3-7 record in 2024 to an 8-2 regular-season record and the program's 14th NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025, completing the program's fourth undefeated conference slate (and second 7-0 finish) and ending the regular season on an eight-game winning streak. Union boasted two All-Conference players in the defensive backfield, including first-team cornerback Matt Mitchell. Girard was a five-year letterwinner at Plymouth State University, playing 30 games over four seasons between 2018-22. The defensive back accumulated 179 tackles and 11 passes defended over his career and finished his time at Plymouth State with All-MASCAC second-team honors as a senior in 2022 after finishing second on the team in tackles.   Girard graduated from Plymouth State in 2022.  

Devin Higgins finished his first season as an assistant coach with the Union College football team in 2025, working primarily with the wide receivers.   In his first year in Schenectady, Higgins was a key part of the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year that engineered the second-largest turnaround in Division III. The team went from a 3-7 record in 2024 to an 8-2 regular-season record and the program's 14th NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025, completing the program's fourth undefeated conference slate (and second 7-0 finish) and ending the regular season on an eight-game winning streak. Led by Liberty League Offensive Player of the Year Patch Flanagan, the offense averaged over 369 yards per game and produced an All-League second-team honor for senior receiver Gil Rivera. Higgins was a four-year letterwinner at Wilkes University, playing 40 games at wide receiver. He earned a pair of All-Landmark Conference honors as a junior and senior, combining for nearly 1,000 receiving yards and nine touchdowns over his final two seasons. He finished his career with 104 receptions for 1,474 yards and 13 touchdowns.   Higgins graduated from Wilkes in 2025.  

Dan Loeffert finished his first season as an assistant coach with the Union College football team in 2025, working primarily with the running backs.   In his first year in Schenectady, Loeffert was a key part of the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year that engineered the second-largest turnaround in Division III. The team went from a 3-7 record in 2024 to an 8-2 regular-season record and the program's 14th NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025, completing the program's fourth undefeated conference slate (and second 7-0 finish) and ending the regular season on an eight-game winning streak. Loeffert brings nearly 30 years of coaching experience to the Union sidelines, most recently serving as head coach of Chatham High School in 2024. He also worked in the region as an assistant coach at Ichabod Crane High School from 2019-22.

Devin Smith finished his second season as a full-time assistant coach and fourth season overall with the Union College football team in 2025. After serving as the Defensive Line Coach and Special Teams Coordinator in 2024, he took over the Defensive Coordinator position in 2025 and works with the inside linebackers. Smith previously served in a part-time role as leader of the defensive line unit. Smith was a key part of the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year that engineered the second-largest turnaround in Division III. The team went from a 3-7 record in 2024 to an 8-2 regular-season record and the program's 14th NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025, completing the program's fourth undefeated conference slate (and second 7-0 finish) and ending the regular season on an eight-game winning streak. Union boasted three All-Conference players from its linebacking corps, including first-teamer John Droggitis, and a total of nine All-League players on the defensive side of the ball overall. In his first season with the special teams unit, Union ranked fifth in Division III in net punting and also saw sophomore Hayden Hall earn D3football.com All-Region team and All-Liberty League second-team honors. Under Smith's direction, Union accumulated 21 sacks during the 2023 season, with more than half (11.5) coming from the defensive line in the team's 3-4 defense, while limiting opponents to 11.4 points per game and just 69.2 rushing yards per contest. Union posted a combined record of 16-6 in his first two years, including the sixth 10-win season in program history in 2023, and the line produced five All-Conference selections in his first three seasons. Smith was a four-year member of the football team at SUNY Cortland, where he was a standout on the defensive line for the Red Dragons. As a senior, he was named to the D3football.com All-America third team as a defensive tackle after making the switch from defensive end, where he played his first three seasons. He recorded 46 tackles (22 solo) in 12 games, including 6.5 sacks and seven total tackles for loss. As a team captain, Smith helped Cortland to a perfect 10-0 regular-season record, an Empire 8 title, and a berth in the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a program-record tying 11 victories. Following the season, Smith represented Cortland at the FCS National Bowl in Daytona Beach. Smith graduated from SUNY Cortland in 2022 with a degree in criminology.

Ryan Ehrets ’21 finished his first season as Offensive Line Coach and Run Game Coordinator for the Union College football team in 2025. In his first year back in Schenectady, Ehrets was a key part of the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year that engineered the second-largest turnaround in Division III. The team went from a 3-7 record in 2024 to an 8-2 regular-season record and the program's 14th NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025, completing the program's fourth undefeated conference slate (and second 7-0 finish) and ending the regular season on an eight-game winning streak. Led by Liberty League Offensive Player of the Year Patch Flanagan, Union boasted four All-Conference offensive linemen and senior right tackle Nick Olivola was named to the D3football.com All-Region 2 second team. Ehrets has spent the last four seasons moving his way up the coaching ranks since graduating from Union, most recently serving as the Offensive Line Coach and Run Game Coordinator at Curry College for the last two years. In his time with the Colonels, Curry boasted the top rusher in Division III in yards per game in each of the last two years and also oversaw a unit that allowed the fewest sacks in the country in 2024 with two in 10 games. He also coordinated the punt and kicking protection units and was responsible for the design and implementation of the team’s strength and conditioning program. Ehrets got his start in coaching at Alfred University from 2021-22, spending two seasons coaching the tight ends and fullbacks as well as assisting with the special teams units and coordinating the offense for the junior varsity team. He had a brief stay at Massachusetts Maritime Academy after that before heading to Curry. Ehrets started every game at center and earned All-Liberty League honors in all three of his playing seasons at Union between 2017-20. He allowed only one sack in his career and earned D3football.com All-East Region third-team recognition as a junior, helping the team to an 11-1 record and a home NCAA Tournament win in 2019. The team boasted a 25-7 record overall during his time in Schenectady. Off the field, Ehrets is one of only six Union College student-athletes ever to be recognized as a CSC Academic All-American on more than one occasion, earning the honor as a sophomore and senior, and is one of only three to earn four CSC Academic All-District honors in his career, three coming with the football team and one with the track & field team as a senior. He was named Union’s Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year in his final year and also earned Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors as a first-year and sophomore as well. Ehrets graduated from Union in 2021 with a degree in mechanical engineering and is currently working towards his masters of business administration from Alfred.      

Vaughn Nichols-Taylor finished his first season as an assistant coach with the Union College football team in 2025, serving as the Special Teams Coordinator and working with the Union safeties. In his first year in Schenectady, Nichols-Taylor was a key part of the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year that engineered the second-largest turnaround in Division III. The team went from a 3-7 record in 2024 to an 8-2 regular-season record and the program's 14th NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025, completing the program's fourth undefeated conference slate (and second 7-0 finish) and ending the regular season on an eight-game winning streak. Union boasted two All-Conference players in the defensive backfield, including honorable mention safety Ryan Grenier. Nichols-Taylor came to Schenectady from the University of Rochester, where he worked for three seasons as the team’s linebackers coach. He previously spent three seasons at his alma mater, Widener University, finishing his time as the defensive backs coach while developing two-time first-team All-American Jordan Powell.   Nichols-Taylor played four years on the gridiron for Widener from 2012-15, accumulating 107 tackles and 12 passes defended in 34 games. He helped the Pride to a pair of Middle Atlantic Conference titles and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2012 and 2014.   Nichols-Taylor graduated from Widener in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in management.