Villanova University Men's Football

Mark Ferrante enters his ninth season as the Thomas and Diane Treacy Endowed Football Head Coach in 2025 and is in his 39th year overall with the Wildcats including his time as head coach and 30 years prior as an assistant coach from 1987-2016. He has been a part of 274 victories and all 16 of the program’s FCS playoff appearances during his Villanova tenure. Entering the 2025 season Ferrante has a career head coaching record of 57-33 (.633) which includes 36 regular season CAA Football wins, two league titles and four playoff appearances.   Under Ferrante’s watch, the Wildcats have consistently been one of the top teams in the country. Villanova begins the 2025 season as one of six FCS programs to have won 10+ games in at least three of the last four years. During that span (2021-24), the Wildcats have made three playoff appearances and won a share of two CAA Football titles as well as the league’s automatic bid to the FCS playoffs in 2021 and 2023. Villanova’s overall record over the past four seasons is 36-15 (.706) and that mark includes a 24-8 record versus CAA Football foes and a 22-3 mark at home.   Ferrante guided the Wildcats to its second straight 10-win season in 2024 and its third appearance in the playoffs in the past four seasons. Villanova finished the year ranked No. 12 in the final Stats Perform national poll and was a top 10 team at the end of the season in two of the previous three years. Ferrante ranks third in school history in head coaching wins, while his .633 career winning percentage trails only Harry Stuhldreher (1925-35) and Clipper Smith (1936-42) among Wildcats head coaches who held the position for three or more seasons.  Villanova has consistently earned national recognition for its success during Ferrante’s head coaching tenure. Following the 2024 season, linebacker Brendan Bell and cornerback Isas Waxter were selected as All-American by both Stats Perform and the Associated Press. Freshman running back David Avit was the CAA Football Offensive Rookie of the Year and a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award presented to the top FCS freshman. Honors have already started to come in for the 2025 campaign with Avit on the watch list for the Walter Payton Award and linebacker Shane Hartzell on the Buck Buchanan Award preseason watch list. Their accolades make the Wildcats one of 10 schools to have at least one player on the watch lists for the top offensive and defensive honors in the FCS.  Villanova was picked to finish seventh in CAA Football entering the 2023 season but instead won a share of the league title and the CAA automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. The successful season culminated with a 10-3 record, including three wins over nationally ranked opponents and an appearance in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs. Villanova ended the year ranked No. 6 in the final Stats Perform poll of the season.  There was plenty of recognition to go around for a team which excelled in every facet of the game. For the third time in the previous five seasons the Wildcats had at least 10 players selected to the CAA Football All-Conference teams, led by offensive lineman Michael Corbi and wide receiver Rayjuon Pringle on the first team. Villanova had a dozen all-conference honorees overall, with five players on the second team to go along with three third team choices and two honorable mention selections. Corbi went on to be named an All-American by Stats Perform and Phil Steele, while Pringle (Phil Steele) and cornerback Isas Waxter (FCS Football Central) also earned All-America recognition.   In his first seven seasons as head coach, Ferrante has seen the Wildcats win six CAA Football major awards and earn a total of 61 all-conference accolades. Five players under Ferrante’s watch – Corbi, cornerback Christian Benford, linebacker Forrest Rhyne and the aforementioned duo of Bell and Waxter – have earned All-America honors from Stats Perform and/or the American Football Coaches Association. Benford and Rhyne were first team All-Americans in 2021. Ferrante is himself one of the CAA Football major award winners after earning his first Coach of the Year honor in 2021.   Villanova had a breakthrough 2021 season which included a conference title and a top eight seed in the FCS playoffs. In addition to being named the CAA Football Coach of the Year, Ferrante was the 2021 winner of the AFCA FCS Region 1 Coach of the Year award. That honor made him a finalist for National Coach of the Year consideration and earned him recognition at the AFCA national convention following the season. Ferrante guided the Wildcats to a 10-3 record in 2021 and Villanova won a share of the CAA Football title while reaching the playoffs for the second time in his head coaching tenure (2019, 2021).   Ferrante’s 2021 squad was the first Wildcats team in seven years to finish the season ranked in the top 10 of both FCS national polls. Villanova came in at No. 8 in the final Stats Perform and AFCS FCS Top 25 rankings while tallying their seventh season in program history with 10 or more victories. The team hosted two playoff games and achieved success by playing – and beating – some of the top FCS teams in the nation. Villanova’s 10-3 record was punctuated by four victories over Top 25 opponents, including No. 3 James Madison, No. 18 Rhode Island, No. 21 Richmond and No. 24 Holy Cross. Ferrante led the Wildcats to a 7-1 record against a challenging CAA Football schedule to mark the fifth season since 1988 in which the team had no more than one loss in conference play.    Villanova’s recent teams have featured several players who had an opportunity to continue their football careers beyond the collegiate ranks. Most recent on the list is Isas Waxter who signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2025. Following the 2023 season, running back Jalen Jackson and offensive lineman Nick Torres signed free agent contracts with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Kansas City Chiefs, respectively. Three other players – running back TD Ayo-Durojaiye (Chicago Bears/Kansas City Chiefs), linebacker Danny Abraham (Seattle Seahawks) and wide receiver Jaaron Hayek (Kansas City Chiefs) – were invited to attend NFL rookie mini camps.  Ferrante coached 11 players on the 2021 team who had professional opportunities, led by Christian Benford who was a sixth round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills and has since gone on to have a successful NFL career in Buffalo. In addition, 2021 CAA Football Defensive Player of the Year and first team All-American Forrest Rhyne signed a free agent contract and played in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts. Cornerback Denzel Williams signed a free agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens.  One of the themes of Ferrante’s head coaching tenure has been his ability to keep his teams largely intact throughout the COVID pandemic and the changing landscape of college sports. Villanova began the 2021 season with 75 out of 85 players returning from the previous Spring, while the members of the 2023 team had combined to play in more than 1,000 college football games even before the season started. Experience wins, and Nova Nation has taken notice. Villanova’s average attendance for five regular season home games in 2021 was its highest mark since 2013 and represented a 23 percent increase from 2019 prior to the pandemic. The increased attendance included the Wildcats first home sellout crowd since 2015 during the 2021 Family Weekend game against Richmond.   Ferrante has continually stressed the importance of his student-athletes coming to Villanova for a complete collegiate experience which includes excellence in their academic pursuits. In his first eight years as head coach, the Wildcats have been the winner of the CAA Football Team Academic Excellence Award four times. The award is presented to the team with the highest GPA in the conference each academic year and Villanova has been a repeat winner of the honor in each of the last three years spanning the 2022-23 through 2024-25 academic years.   The football program set and tied its highest overall NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) with a mark of 96 percent in both 2022 and 2023, while the team has had a mark of at least 95 percent in four consecutive years. The most recent NCAA GSR data was released in November 2024 and the Wildcats were one of two CAA Football teams with a score of at least 95 percent.   During the 2024-25 academic year, the Wildcats had 63 student-athletes selected to the CAA Football Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll during the Fall semester and another 64 honorees for the Spring 2025 grading period. Two student-athletes each semester had perfect 4.0 GPAs: Gilbert Deglau and Chris Dobrydney in the Fall and the duo of Temi Ajirotutu and Ryan Kennedy in the Spring. Villanova had a total of 34 selections to the CAA High Honors List in 2024-25 for having a 3.7 or higher semester GPA.  Villanova has had nearly 800 selections to the CAA Football Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll during Ferrante’s head coaching tenure and has had more than 650 selections to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll which is announced each semester for student-athletes who post a GPA of 3.2 or higher during the grading period.   Villanova’s success under Ferrante’s guidance includes a 2019 season in which the Wildcats were ranked as high as No. 5 in the nation. Ferrante led the Wildcats to a 9-4 record and the program’s seventh FCS playoff berth in a span of 12 years despite the team being picked to finish ninth in CAA Football prior to the season. Instead, Villanova raced out of the gates with a 6-0 record and won its first three league contests by the midpoint of the regular season. Ten players were recognized with all-conference honors, including a trio of first team selections in Rhyne, offensive lineman Paul Grattan and Fondacaro.   In addition to Benford being an NFL Draft pick and the aforementioned NFL free agent contracts signed by Jackson, Torres, Rhyne and Williams, six players signed free agent contracts earlier in Ferrante’s head coaching tenure. The list includes offensive tackle Brandon Hitner (LA Rams); safety Rob Rolle (Miami Dolphins); offensive lineman Ethan Greenidge (New Orleans Saints); defensive back Trey Johnson (Pittsburgh Steelers); defensive back Malik Reaves (Kansas City Chiefs); and linebacker Ed Shockley (Dallas Cowboys).  Ferrante leads one of the nation’s elite FCS programs after playing an instrumental role in the Wildcats rise to national prominence. He has been a part of the coaching staff for all 16 of Villanova’s appearances in the FCS playoffs, including the 2009 national championship season and a 2010 semifinal appearance while serving as the Assistant Head Coach on Andy Talley’s staff. Ferrante has been a part of Villanova teams that have won eight CAA titles, three Lambert Meadowlands Cups and three ECAC Team of the Year awards.  Ferrante’s success during his years as an assistant coach was recognized by others outside the Villanova program. At the end of the 2015 season, he was named the FCS Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). This award was first presented in 1997 and was created to honor assistant coaches who excel in community service, commitment to student-athletes and on-field coaching success.   The characteristics that earned Ferrante the Assistant Coach of the Year award exemplify his dedication to all facets of a complete student-athlete experience. Since he arrived on the Main Line prior to the 1987 season, Villanova Football student-athletes have been named Academic All-Americans on 12 occasions. That honor is one of the top accolades a collegiate student-athlete can earn, and the Wildcats additionally had four student-athletes be named the CAA Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year in a span of nine years. Each year the NCAA recognizes programs that have a multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) score that ranks within the top 10 percent of their sport nationwide. Villanova earned this award nine times in the first 14 years of the APR program.   Ferrante was involved in all aspects of the Villanova program during his time as an assistant on Andy Talley’s staff. On the field he coached the offensive line for 27 seasons and developed a unit that was perennially one of the best in CAA Football. Over the years he coached three All-Americans, 11 All-East performers and 15 first team all-conference selections. The offensive line had 17 All-CAA selections in a nine-year span, including three-time first team honoree Ben Ijalana along with first team selections Brant Clouser (2010), Dan Shirey (2011) and Vince Kowalski (2014).  Two of Ferrante’s players went on to be selected in the NFL Draft. Ijalana was a second round selection by the Indianapolis Colts in 2011 and Brad Seaton was picked in the seventh round by the Tennessee Titans in 2017. Ijalana was a two-time All-American (2009, 2010) and a three-time first team All-CAA selection during his collegiate career. Villanova reached the FCS playoffs in each of his last three seasons on the team, winning the 2009 national title and advancing to the semifinal round a year later. Seaton was a second team CAA Football All-Conference selection in 2016 when the offensive line enabled the Wildcats to average 206.3 rushing yards and 378.7 yards of total offense per game. Villanova ranked third in the CAA and 24th nationally in rushing offense in addition to ranking fourth in the league in total offense and fifth with a scoring average of 24.4 points per game.  The other All-Americans Ferrante mentored are Eamonn Allen (2001) and Bryan Russo (1989). Allen earned first team Associated Press All-America recognition in 2001 and was also a first team All-East and first team All-Atlantic 10 selection. Russo was chosen as an All-American by the Sports Network and the American Football Coaches Association as a senior in 1989 when he was also a first team all-conference and an All-ECAC selection. He was inducted to Villanova’s Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 2007.  Ferrante was a standout collegiate performer in his own right prior to joining the football coaching ranks. He was the quarterback for Andy Talley at St. Lawrence where he was named the 1982 Division III Player of the Year to go along with first team All-East honors. Ferrante directed the offense for a St. Lawrence team that went 10-1 during the 1982 season and reached the national semifinals in the playoffs.  Following the end of his playing career Ferrante joined Talley’s staff at St. Lawrence and spent one season as the running backs coach in 1983. His other coaching stops before Villanova include coaching the running backs at Wagner (1984) and working on the coaching staff at Lafayette (1985-86).  Ferrante and his wife, Georgea, reside in Phoenixville, Pa. The couple has a son, Jimmy, who earned his undergraduate degree from Villanova in 2018. 

A veteran member of the coaching staff who is in his second stint with the program, Ross Pennypacker is the Defensive Coordinator for the Wildcats and coaches the team’s defensive line. The 2025 season will be his 11th overall at Villanova and his ninth season on head coach Mark Ferrante’s staff. This will also be his fourth year as the program’s Defensive Coordinator.   Pennypacker recruits several local schools and his primary territory in the area consists of Pennsylvania district 11 in addition to Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia (North) counties. Villanova is coming off back-to-back seasons as a top 10 defensive team in the country in 2023 and 2024. Last year, the Wildcats finished the year ranked 10th in the FCS in scoring defense with an average of just 18.2 points per game allowed. Villanova held nine of its 14 opponents to 17 points of fewer and ended the year ranked third in CAA Football in total defense (326.2 yards allowed per game) and turnovers gained (19). The 2024 defensive unit led the conference in passing efficiency defense (119.9) and was both second in the CAA and 14th nationally in passing yards allowed (171.5 per game).   Those sterling numbers came on the heels of a 2023 campaign in which the Wildcats won a share of the CAA Football title while ranking seventh nationally in total defense (300.3). Villanova also ranked 11th in the country in third down defense, 13th in scoring defense (18.8) and allowed the second-fewest first downs of any CAA team.   Six players on the defensive side of the ball earned CAA Football All-Conference honors for the 2024 season, headlined by the trio of linebacker Brendan Bell, linebacker Shane Hartzell and cornerback Isas Waxter who were each named to the CAA Football First Team Defense. It was the first full season since 2016 in which the Wildcats had three first team all-conference selections on defense. Bell went on to be a third team All-American and is on the 2025 preseason watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award.   Prior to being elevated to Defensive Coordinator, Pennypacker spent the previous three seasons (2019-21) as the Defensive Run Game Coordinator and the Special Teams Coordinator while working with the Wildcats defensive line. Villanova ranked among the national leaders (No. 18) in stopping the run during the 2021 season, allowing just 3.2 yards per carry to the opposition while holding six opponents to fewer than 80 yards on the ground. Pennypacker helped mentor a defense that led CAA Football and ranked seventh in the FCS in total defense last year with an average of just 274.5 total yards allowed per game.  From an individual standpoint, Pennypacker saw 2021 fifth-year senior Malik Fisher earn CAA Football All-Conference honors for the third time in his career. Fisher was a first team All-CAA selection in 2020, garnered second team accolades in 2021 and was a third team pick in 2019. He ranked among the CAA leaders in tackles for loss and quarterback sacks in each of those seasons while amassing career totals of 125 total tackles, 32.0 tackles for loss and 20.0 sacks. He was invited to the New Orleans Saints rookie minicamp following the end of his Wildcats career.   Villanova excelled in special teams during the three seasons Pennypacker was the team’s Special Teams Coordinator. One of the Wildcats most versatile players in 2021 was TD Ayo-Durojaiye who was named a third team All-CAA performer on special teams. Ayo-Durojaiye led Villanova with 10 special teams tackles that year, including eight stops on kickoff returns and two on punt returns. He also scored a touchdown on a return of a blocked punt. Wildcat punter Nathan Fondacaro was named a first team All-CAA choice for the 2019 campaign and kick returner Dez Boykin was a second team All-CAA pick in 2020. Villanova ranked third nationally for the 2020 season while holding opponents to an average of just 10.5 yards per kickoff return.  Pennypacker returned to the Wildcats in 2017 for Mark Ferrante’s first season as head coach after spending four years (2013-16) as the Defensive Coordinator and safeties coach at Kutztown. During those seasons he mentored 15 players who earned All-PSAC honors. The Bears defense tallied three shutouts and ranked in the top half of the PSAC in rushing defense and turnover margin during Pennypacker’s time on the staff. Kutztown led the PSAC in red zone defense in 2014 and ranked in the top three in the league in total defense and turnover margin that year. Perhaps more impressively, the Bears were 15-1 during Pennypacker’s tenure when the defense held opponents to fewer than 24 points.  Before his coaching stint at Kutztown, Pennypacker was an assistant coach at Bucknell from 2010-12. He worked with the team’s safeties for the 2010 season before spending two years coaching the linebackers. Pennypacker was also the cornerbacks coach at Cornell from 2008-09 following his first stint at Villanova from 2006-07 when he was the program’s video coordinator and assisted with coaching the team’s defensive backs. He began his coaching career in 2005 at his alma mater, Millersville, and was also an intern assistant at Allegheny College where he worked with the outside linebackers.  Pennypacker is a 2005 graduate of Millersville with a degree in social sciences. He and his wife, Lisa, reside in Flemington, N.J. with their six-year-old son, James, and four-year-old daughter, Emily. 

Josh Fletcher is in his seventh year at Villanova and has earned two promotions during his time on the coaching staff. He is in his fourth year as the running backs coach and begins his first season with the new responsibility of Special Teams Coordinator in 2025. Fletcher initially came to the Wildcats as an offensive assistant and he worked with the tight ends for three seasons from 2019-21.   In addition to his coaching responsibilities Fletcher recruits in the DMV area, responsible for both Washington D.C. and Virginia. Villanova’s running backs have been one of the team’s strengths in recent years, including in 2024 when David Avit was named the CAA Football Offensive Rookie of the Year. Avit ranked third nationally among FCS freshmen with 923 rushing yards and had a team-high 1,098 all-purpose yards on the year. He scored nine rushing touchdowns as a freshman and has been named to the preseason watch list for the Walter Payton Award entering the 2025 campaign.   Last year’s success by the Wildcats in the running game was a continuation of the 2023 season when Villanova ranked 10th in the country with an average of 214.5 rushing yards per game and scored at least two rushing touchdowns in nine of 13 contests. Leading running back Jalen Jackson was a second team CAA Football All-Conference selection after amassing 981 yards and nine touchdowns on the year. He ranked third in the country with an average of 7.43 yards per carry and soared to sixth place in school history with 2,548 career rushing yards.   The trio of Jackson, DeeWil Barlee and TD Ayo-Durojaiye combined for 2,104 yards and 23 touchdowns during the 2023 season. All three players wound up their careers in the top-20 in school history in rushing yards. Barlee ranked eighth in the record book with 2,308 yards and Ayo-Durojaiye was 20th with 1,605 yards. The troika combined for 56 rushing touchdowns during their careers.   From 2019-21 Fletcher coached one of the key contributors to the Villanova offense in tight end Todd Summers whose collegiate career culminated with being named a second team CAA Football All-Conference selection for the 2021 season. Summers ended his collegiate career with 76 career receptions for 901 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 11.9 yards per catch. He played in all 13 games as a sixth-year player in 2021, amassing 288 receiving yards and three touchdowns for a Wildcats team which won a CAA title and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the FCS playoffs.   Before he came to the Wildcats, Fletcher spent the 2018 season at Missouri State where he was a special teams and quality control coach. He worked with the kickers and punters for a team that led the Missouri Valley Conference and ranked in the top five in the FCS in net punting and punt return defense. During his time with the Bears, Fletcher was responsible for all special teams scout meetings and scout cards in addition to working with the scout teams during practices.   He previously was a defensive assistant at Valdosta State in 2017 and an offensive assistant at Towson for the 2016 season. Fletcher worked with the special teams units during each of those stops and he assisted with coaching the linebackers at Valdosta State when the team ended the 2017 campaign ranked in the top 10 in Division II in fewest first downs allowed and fewest touchdowns allowed. Fletcher also assisted the special teams coordinator with game planning and was charged with breaking down video of opposing offenses and special teams.   Fletcher was in charge of defensive scout team meetings at Towson in 2016 and on game days was responsible for charting opposing defenses in addition to assisting with clock management. Towson led the FCS in kickoff returns, ranked 18th nationally in kickoff return defense and was fourth in net punting for the 2016 season. Fletcher additionally recruited areas of Georgia, Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania during his year on the Tigers staff.   During the 2014 and 2015 seasons Fletcher was the running backs and tight ends coach at ASA College New York where current Villanova offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Chris Boden was on the staff. Boden was the ASA College offensive coordinator in 2014 and the head coach in 2015. Fletcher assisted with designing the Avengers offensive playbook, formulated weekly game plans and assisted with play calling for the offense. He was also in charge of travel accommodations, film exchange and assisting with student-athlete eligibility.   Fletcher graduated from McDaniel College in 2014 with a degree in Exercise Science and a minor in Sports Coaching. He began his coaching career as an undergraduate assistant linebackers coach for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. He assisted with on-campus recruiting as well as running offensive scout team meetings and practices. 

David Riede has been a mainstay on the Villanova coaching staff and the 2025 season will be his 19th with the program. He has held several roles during his time with the Wildcats and currently serves as the Recruiting Coordinator in addition to being in his first year working with the team’s safeties. Riede previously coached the cornerbacks and most recently worked with the linebackers for the past six seasons.   Villanova has had a great deal of success with its recruiting efforts in recent seasons by combining a national outlook with the ability to keep top talent close to home for their collegiate careers. Those efforts are evident with 13 incoming signees for the Class of 2029 who hail from five states on the Eastern seaboard – Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Over the last two years, the Wildcats have brought in players from nine different states and the District of Columbia. Riede's specific recruiting territories are the states of Delaware and Maryland. On the playing field, Riede will be entering his first season working with a young and talented group of Villanova safeties. He was the Wildcats linebackers coach from 2020-25 and helped the group consistently be one of the team’s top performing units. Last year was a particular notable one for the Wildcats linebackers as Brendan Bell and Shane Hartzell were each named to the CAA Football First Team Defense. It was the first time in 14 years that the Wildcats had two linebackers garner first team all-league recognition in the same year. Bell went on to be a third team All-American from Stats Perform, while Hartzell is on the preseason watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award entering the 2025 campaign. The pair combined for 247 tackles last season and each had more than 120 stops on the year.  Riede helped Forrest Rhyne develop into one of the top players in the nation during the 2021 season which saw him be named the CAA Football Defensive Player of the Year as well as The Maxwell Football Club co-winner of the Regional Player of the Year Award. Rhyne’s 154 total tackles in 2021 were the most among all FBS and FCS players and he averaged 11.8 tackles per contest. He was a three-time first team All-CAA selection and went on to play in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts before returning to Villanova and joining Riede on staff.   During the nine seasons that Riede was in charge of player personnel for the Wildcats he served as the team’s liaison to the Academic Support and Compliance offices while assisting heavily in all aspects of the program’s recruiting efforts. Riede came to Villanova from Allegheny College where he was an assistant from 2005-07. During his stay at Allegheny, Riede was responsible for coaching the wide receivers and overseeing all aspects of video coordination.   Riede is a 2003 graduate of Baldwin Wallace College where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice. During his playing days at Baldwin Wallace, he was a two-year letterwinner in football and a three-year letterwinner in baseball. Riede earned a Master’s in Sport and Recreational Management from Kent State University in 2005.   Riede and his wife Lindsey reside in Wilmington, Del., with their seven-year old son Jack, five-year old son Dan and two-year old daughter, Madelyn. 

Former Wildcat quarterback Matt O'Connor serves as an assistant on the Villanova football staff, coaching the wide receivers. In addition to his coaching duties, O'Connor recruits New York sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 10 in addition to Pennsylvania's District 2.

Nick Woodman is in his first year as a defensive assistant on the Villanova coaching staff in 2025. He comes to the Wildcats from Williams College where he spent two years as the team’s defensive line coach. Woodman entered the coaching ranks after a successful collegiate and professional playing career. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Woodman is also in charge of recruiting New York sections 1, 2, 8, 9 and 11. The first stop in Woodman’s coaching career came at his alma mater, Utica College, where he served as an assistant coach from 2020-23 working with the Ephs outside linebackers and defensive line. His responsibilities included organizing individual positional drills for daily practice and contributing to game planning by scouting upcoming opponents. Woodman handled the in-game rotation of student-athletes and assisted with virtual recruiting days during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. As a collegiate player in his own right, Woodman was a standout four-year performer at Utica who graduated as the career sack leader in school history and in the Empire 8 Athletic Conference with 29.5 career sacks. Woodman set the Utica single season sack record with 13 and served as a team captain in addition to being a four-year leadership council member. Following his collegiate career, Woodman was invited to the New York Giants minicamp in 2016. He played professionally from 2016-22 in the Canadian Football League (Saskatchewan Rough Riders, 2016); the American Arena League (Jersey Flight, 2018); the National Arena League (Jacksonville Sharks, 2019) and the Indoor Football League (Spokane Shock, 2020 and 2021; Vegas Knight Hawks, 2022). While playing in Jacksonville he was named the Defensive Player of the Year, Defensive Lineman of the Year and Rookie of the Year while recording 16.5 sacks. He helped lead the Sharks to a 2019 championship. Woodman earned his Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from Utica in 2016 with a concentration in sports management and a minor in journalism.

Chris Boden is in his seventh season as the Offensive Coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Wildcats in 2025. The former Villanova standout is the program’s all-time career passing leader and returned to his alma mater starting with the 2019 season.  Boden recruits locally, with his territory consisting of Chester, Delaware and Philadelphia (South) counties. In Boden’s first six seasons as the Wildcats offensive coordinator, the team has earned a total of 31 CAA Football All-Conference awards on offense. Four of those honors came at the end of the 2024 season when running back David Avit was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year and offensive lineman Jake Picard was selected to the CAA Football First Team Offense. Last year also marked the second straight season that quarterback Connor Watkins garnered postseason recognition; he was a CAA Football Third Team Offense pick in 2023 and merited honorable mention accolades in his final collegiate season in 2024.  Boden helped Watkins develop into one of the top passers in the country over the last three seasons as the team’s starter under center. He is one of just five quarterbacks in school history to throw for over 7,000 career yards and he finished his collegiate career with 7,029 yards and 50 passing touchdowns. Watkins holds the Villanova career and single season records for yards per completion with marks of 15.0 for his career (470-of-862; 7,029 yards) and 17.6 yards per completion during the 2023 season (152-of-269; 2,682 yards). He wound up fifth in the Wildcats record book in career passing yards as well as sixth in total offense (8,294), seventh in total touchdowns with 77 (50 passing, 27 rushing) and eighth in passing efficiency (136.1).   Villanova has routinely been one of the top offensive teams in the FCS during Boden’s coaching tenure and has averaged better than 30 points per game in three of his six seasons on staff. In 2023, the Wildcats ranked in the top 20 nationally in total offense (15th, 424.9 yards per game); scoring offense (17th, 31.9 points per game); and first downs (19th, 253). Villanova previously averaged 37.3 points per contest in 2019 and 30.1 points per game in 2021.  Boden worked with Villanova quarterback Daniel Smith in his first three seasons on the Wildcats staff. Smith was one of the team’s top storylines in 2019 when he had one of the best passing seasons in Villanova history, throwing for 3,274 yards with 35 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. His passing yards and his 3,731 yards of total offense each ranked third in a single season in school history and Smith also led the team with 12 rushing touchdowns and 13 total touchdowns scored. He led the nation in points responsible for and was in the national conversation among the best FCS quarterbacks.    Boden returned to his alma mater after serving as the head coach of ASA College Miami where he led his teams to a 15-10 record from the 2016-18 seasons. That record included a 7-2 mark in his first year with the program in 2016 when the Silver Storm finished the year leading the nation in total defense and ranked fourth nationally in scoring defense. ASA College tallied a .500 record in each of Boden’s next two seasons, including a 5-5 mark with a +15.3 scoring margin for the 2018 campaign.  In his first experience as a head coach at the collegiate level, Boden led ASA College New York for the 2015 season after serving as the school’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the previous six years. Boden led the Avengers to a 6-5 record in 2015, including a five-game win streak midway through the season. His team featured a strong offensive attack and averaged 25.1 points per game to go along with 353.2 yards per contest. Including his previous stint as the program’s offensive coordinator, Boden was a part of the ASA College New York coaching staff for a total of six years beginning with the program’s inception in 2009.  Boden returned to the collegiate ranks after holding several coaching roles in the Arena Football League. He was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Columbus Destroyers and previously held similar roles with the Colorado Crush and the Nashville Kats. Boden was a part of consecutive playoff appearances by the Crush during the 2007 and 2008 seasons. He coached a pair of All-Arena players in 2007, with center Kyle Moore-Brown earning first team accolades and wide receiver Damian Harrell being named to the second team. Moore-Brown was also a second team All-Arena honoree in 2008.  Boden began his coaching career as the quarterbacks coach at Fordham for one season following a record-setting collegiate career.  A 2000 graduate of Villanova with a degree in Sociology, Boden was the Wildcats starting quarterback from the 1997-99 seasons. He compiled a 25-10 record as a starter under center and helped the 1997 squad to a perfect 11-0 regular season and an appearance in the FCS playoffs. Boden is the school record holder with 10,146 career passing yards and he also holds the career (99), single season (42) and single game (six) passing touchdown records. He was 868-of-1412 through the air in a Villanova uniform, completing 61.5 percent of his passes with the 99 touchdowns and just 31 interceptions.  Boden still holds four of the program’s 10 highest single game passing performances and is the Wildcats career and single game leader in passing attempts and completions. Each of his three seasons as the starting quarterback rank in the top five in school history for total passing yards, including a high of 3,707 yards in 1997 which ranks second all-time. Boden also ranks second in the Villanova record book in career total offense.  Boden is a native of San Clemente, Calif. and set 11 school records at San Clemente High School during a successful scholastic career before he came to Villanova.   Boden and his wife, Jaclyn, reside in Media, Pa. with their 13-year old son, Chase, and 10-year old daughter, Makayla. 

Sean Devine is in his ninth season on the Villanova coaching staff in 2025. He coaches the Wildcats offensive line and is the team’s Offensive Run Game Coordinator.   Devine’s recruiting territory is in the Garden state, taking care of 11 different counties (Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and Salem. At least one Villanova offensive lineman has been a CAA Football All-Conference selection in each of Devine’s first eight years on the coaching staff. The current unit is highlighted by center Jake Picard who was a first team all-conference pick last year and is garnering preseason All-America recognition entering the 2025 campaign. In addition to Picard’s first team selection in 2024, left tackle Stephane Voltaire earned honorable mention All-CAA accolades. There has been due recognition for the Wildcats on a national level as well, as Michael Corbi (2021, 2023) developed into a two-time Stats Perform All-American under Devine’s watch.   Devine coordinates Villanova’s offensive run game which featured the reigning CAA Football Offensive Rookie of the Year in David Avit, a breakout player last season who is on the preseason watch list for the Walter Payton Award entering his sophomore campaign. Avit ranked third nationally among FCS freshmen with 923 rushing yards last season and he scored nine rushing touchdowns while amassing over 1,000 yards from scrimmage on the year (923 rushing yards, 175 receiving yards, 1008 all-purpose yards).   In 2023, the Wildcats had one of the top running games in the country and topped 225 yards on the ground seven times. Villanova scored multiple rushing touchdowns nine times in 13 outings in 2023 and ranked 10th nationally for the season with an average of 214.5 rushing yards per game.  The offensive line has enabled the Wildcats to be a high-powered offense in recent years. In 2022, the team ranked among the top 25 teams nationally with an average of 189.6 rushing yards per contest. The offense recorded 49 plays from scrimmage of 20 yards or longer during the season, including 32 pass plays and 17 rushes. Villanova’s offensive line has been ranked in the top 10 nationally in fewest sacks allowed in three of the past five seasons.  In 2019, Villanova led CAA Football by giving up just 14 sacks in 13 games played. Starting left guard Paul Grattan earned first team All-CAA honors and Gamroth was a third team selection in his first year as a starter. Following the 2018 season Ethan Greenidge was a second team All-CAA selection. He and teammate Brandon Hitner each went on to sign NFL free agent contracts with the New Orleans Sains and the Los Angeles Rams, respectively.  A veteran of more than 20 years in the collegiate coaching ranks, Devine spent four seasons as the Offensive Coordinator and offensive line coach at Delaware before coming to Villanova. He made an immediate mark on the Blue Hens in his first season in 2013 when he worked with one of the top offensive units in CAA Football. Delaware tallied a 7-5 record and ranked in the top half of the league in nearly every statistical category, including second in scoring offense (32.8 points per game), third in passing offense (240.0 yards per game) and fourth in rushing offense (177.0 yards per game).  Delaware won six games in 2014 and placed both junior tackle Ben Curtis and senior guard JD Dzurko on the All-CAA squad.  Curtis went on to be an All-American in 2015 for a Blue Hens team that ranked second in the CAA and 17th in FCS football in rushing offense (219.4 yards per game).  Delaware was also second in the league and 13th nationally in time of possession per game (33:04) in 2015.  Devine worked with a pair of offensive linemen, Connor Bozick and Brody Kern, who were All-CAA selections for both the 2015 and the 2016 seasons.  Devine coached for 14 years (1995-08) at New Hampshire, where he served as defensive line coach (1995-01), offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator (2002-06), and offensive coordinator and offensive line coach (2007-08).  Devine was a part of five consecutive FCS playoff berths from 2004-08, and during his time on the Wildcats coaching staff he saw New Hampshire gain a No. 1 national ranking and capture three conference titles.  Among the players he coached was quarterback Ricky Santos, who won at least a share of the league’s Offensive Player of the Year award three straight years from 2005-07.  He began his coaching career at his alma mater, Colby College, in 1994 and also coached for four years at Boston College (2009-12) prior to his stint at Delaware.  He served as the offensive line coach at Boston College for three seasons and was also the tight ends coach in 2012.  Devine helped lead the Eagles to berths in the Emerald Bowl (2009) and the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl (2010), and he coached two-time All-ACC performer Anthony Castonzo who was a 2011 first round draft pick by the Indianapolis Colts.  Devine was a four-year starter at linebacker at Colby College, where he was a team captain.  He was an All-East selection as a senior and earned his degree in Physics in 1994.  He was Colby’s defensive line coach for the 1994 football season.  Devine and his wife, Nicole, are the parents to daughters Amelie and Maelle. Amelie graduated from Villanova in 2023. 

Dustin Johnson returns for his fourth year as a member of the Wildcats coaching staff in 2025. Johnson arrived at Villanova in 2022 after serving as the head coach at William Paterson for the previous four seasons. He works with the Villanova cornerbacks in his role on Mark Ferrante’s staff.   In addition to his coaching duties, Johnson recruits a number of counties in New Jersey: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren. In his time as a collegiate head coach, Johnson maintained a philosophy of preparing student-athletes for successful futures by focusing on academic and athletic achievement, teamwork, community involvement, social preparedness and professional development.  Since arriving on the Main Line, one of Johnson’s biggest success stories has been the development of cornerback Isas Waxter into an All-American and bona fide NFL prospect. Waxter wrapped up his collegiate career in 2024 and was named to All-America teams by Stats Perform, Phil Steele and the Associated Press. He was also a member of the CAA Football First Team Defense after recording 33 tackles, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and two passes defended in 11 games played.   Waxter was on the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award last year and finished his collegiate career with totals of 108 tackles, 16 pass breakups and three interceptions. During the 2023 season, Villanova’s starting corners were Waxter and sophomore Devin Marshall who recorded 47 tackles and a team-high 11 pass breakups.   As the head coach at William Paterson from 2018-21, Johnson saw his student-athletes consistently earn regional and conference recognition for their efforts on the field. He guided the Pioneers to a total of 30 All-NJAC selections as head coach and William Paterson had four major conference award winners in a three-year span from 2019-21. Running back Terrique Riddick was the NJAC Offensive Rookie of the Year and the ECAC Division III Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 before going on to be named the NJAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year when the league announced its 2020-21 awards.  Johnson also coached cornerback Devyn Blount who was named the NJAC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 and defensive back Isaiah De La Cruz who was a 2020-21 Co-Defensive Rookie of the Year honoree. During the 2019 season both Riddick and linebacker Andrew Anthony were named to the All-ECAC second team. Tight end William Frese and linebacker Nazier Wright each garnered D3football.com All-Region 2 accolades for the 2021 campaign. Frese was a second team offensive selection and Wright earned a spot on the third team defense.    Prior to his first collegiate head coaching stint Johnson had a successful seven-year run at Stevenson, including the last five seasons as the Mustangs defensive coordinator. He was on the coaching staff at Stevenson for each of the program’s first seven years of intercollegiate competition and helped the team win the Middle Atlantic Conference title in only its sixth season (2016). Stevenson’s inaugural intercollegiate campaign was in 2011 and Johnson was an integral part of building the program’s early success. He first joined the Mustangs coaching staff in August 2010 as a defensive backs coach and he was later the Special Teams Coordinator in 2012 before being elevated to Defensive Coordinator one year later.   Johnson consistently assembled defenses that ranked among the top 25 in Division III in several categories and he developed strong recruiting ties in New Jersey that he brought with him to William Paterson as head coach. Stevenson led the nation in turnover margin per game (1.91), takeaways (40) and interceptions (29) in 2015, ranked fourth in Division III in interceptions (26) in 2016 and was 12th nationally in fumble recoveries (13) in 2017. Among the top performers that Johnson mentored were defensive back Austin Tennessee, a 2016 first team AFCA and D3football.com All-American, the MAC and D3football.com East Region Defensive Player of the Year and the winner of the Rocky Myers Division III Defensive Back of the Year honor. Tennessee eventually went on to sign an NFL contract with the Minnesota Vikings.  Johnson’s responsibilities as Defensive Coordinator at Stevenson included overseeing all facets of the defense, coordinating practice and game planning, play calling, skill instruction, student-athlete performance evaluation, film breakdown and scouting. He managed the special teams and defensive coaching staff members along with handling administrative tasks such as budgeting for apparel, uniforms, travel and meals. His recruiting efforts focused on Northern New Jersey (Bergen, Morris, Passaic and Somerset counties) as well as parts of Maryland (Baltimore and Prince George’s counties, Eastern Shore) and the state of Delaware.  While at Stevenson, Johnson consistently saw his student-athletes excel in the classroom. The Mustangs had 15 conference academic honorees over his last three years on staff when Johnson’s responsibilities included academic support, grade monitoring, conducting weekly academic meetings and supervising study halls. He also collaborated with the Special Olympics, Kennedy Kreiger Institute and Mechanicsville Elementary School on community outreach efforts while utilizing a retention and leadership program that created strong bonds between the program’s upperclassmen and underclassmen.  Johnson was a four-year starting quarterback and two-year captain at Salisbury from 2002-05 during his college football playing career. He was the Sea Gulls second-leading rusher with 3,215 yards, ranked sixth in school history with 2,204 passing yards and graduated 10th in program history with 174 total points. Johnson was named the 2002 Atlantic Central Football Conference Rookie of the Year after rushing for 1,204 yards, the most in the nation by a quarterback. He was a three-time All-ACFC selection during his career and twice earned academic All-ACFC accolades.  Following his collegiate career the native of Delmar, Md. played three seasons (2007-09) in the Arena Football League as a quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back for the Amarillo Dusters and Bossier-Shreveport Battlewings. His coaching career began at Demar High School in 2001 when he worked with the quarterbacks and defensive backs. Johnson was a facility coordinator at Salisbury in 2002 and went on to be the Sea Gulls running backs coach and assistant strength & conditioning coach from 2005-07. He coached Salisbury’s defensive backs from 2008-10 before going on to Stevenson.  Johnson earned his Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Salisbury in 2006 and a Master’s degree in Athletic Administration from Concordia in 2018. 

Forrest Rhyne is in his first season as a member of the Villanova coaching staff in 2025. One of the top linebackers in school history, he returned to campus after a professional playing career which included appearing in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts. Rhyne earned a full-time position on Mark Ferrante’s staff and will work with the Wildcats linebackers.   Rhyne is also responsible for the recruiting of eight different districts in Pennsylvania: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. During both his playing days and his burgeoning career in the coaching ranks, Rhyne has made a name for himself with regards to his keen instincts and game preparation. His work ethic and attention to detail allowed him to develop into one of the top linebackers in the country while wearing a Villanova uniform, and during Rhyne’s final collegiate season in 2021 his 154 total tackles were the most of any FBS or FCS player nationwide. He finished second in the voting for that year’s Buck Buchanan Award which is presented to the top defensive player in the FCS.  Rhyne signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and spent time on the team’s practice squad and active roster before making his NFL debut during Week 12 of the 2022 campaign when he registered a tackle in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He went on to sign offseason contracts with the Steelers in 2023 and the BC Lions of the CFL in 2024.   While playing for the Wildcats, Rhyne was a three-time member of the CAA Football First Team Defense and was chosen as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2021. He finished his collegiate career with 309 total tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss and 13 sacks.  Rhyne now joins the coaching ranks for a positional group which has continued to flourish in recent seasons. Last year the Villanova duo of Brendan Bell and Shane Hartzell became the first pair of Wildcats linebackers to earn first team All-CAA nods in the same year since 2010. Bell was an All-American in 2024 and Hartzell is garnering preseason All-America buzz entering the 2025 season.

TJ Landis is in his 11th year as a member of the Villanova football program in 2025. He is currently the Coordinator of Football Video Operations & Administrative Services. In this role, Landis oversees all aspects of video production for the coaching staff during both practices and game days. He is also the football staff liaison to several of the other departments in Villanova Athletics.  Landis is a 2014 graduate of Elon where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sport and Event Management. During his time at Elon, he worked four years as a student assistant video coordinator for the football team. In this role, he used video editing programs to breakdown film for both practices and games. He also spent one season working as a marketing and recruiting assistant for the Elon women’s basketball team. 

Joan McGuckin serves as the Coordinator of Football Operations for Villanova Athletics. Before joining the football staff, she was the Villanova Athletic Department Travel Coordinator from 1983 until the spring of 1997. McGuckin first came to Villanova in 1976 when she worked as the football secretary under former Wildcats coach Dick Bedesem and held that position until 1981.