Following an extensive search, Lehigh University has named Kevin Cahill the 30th head football coach in program history.
Cahill’s appointment was announced in a release issued by Lehigh sports information and he will be introduced at a news conference on campus Monday afternoon.
The 44-year-old Cahill will replace Tom Gilmore, who stepped down two days after the end of the 2022 season in which the Mountain Hawks finished 2-9. Gilmore was 9-27 in four seasons after succeeding the late Andy Coen in 2019.
A coaching veteran with more than 20 years of experience, Cahill comes to Lehigh following 10 seasons at Yale University, where he was a member of the coaching staff for three Ivy League championship teams and oversaw one of the nation’s top offensive units.
Yale defeated Lehigh 34-0 the last time they met in October 2021 at Goodman Stadium.
“I am deeply grateful to and highly impressed by the work of our search committee and appreciative of the many other people at Lehigh who engaged in supporting our search and evaluation processes,” said Lehigh athletic director Joe Sterrett. “The search process was thoughtfully executed, with sensitive consideration of the input from our team prior to the search and our staff throughout the evaluation process. I see Kevin as a very talented, successful yet grounded individual, a strategic thinker, and a coach that our players will respect and find trustworthy and inspiring.”
Since 2018, Cahill served as Yale’s associate head coach and offensive coordinator, working directly with the quarterbacks. In 2022, the Bulldogs went 8-2 overall and 6-1 in Ivy League play to capture their third Ivy crown in the last five seasons. Yale boasted the top-ranked offense in the Ivy League and ranked in the top 25 in the FCS in total offense for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
“Lehigh is more than a football team, it is a family with a football program,” Cahill said in the release. “Generations have built this program into an organization that is ready to win. This program celebrates student-athletes, values dedication and produces young people ready to make an impact when they graduate. Thank you to President [Joseph] Helble, Joe Sterrett, Sue Troyan and the hiring committee for this opportunity to be a part of the Lehigh legacy.”
At Yale, Cahill also served as a member of Yale Athletics’ Cultural House Connection Subcommittee.
“Kevin was quite impressive among a really strong pool of candidates, which made the final decision very challenging for the search team,” said Troyan, Lehigh’s deputy director of athletics, who led the search committee. “In the end, the evidence of his strong and enduring relationships with team members, his fresh outlook and detailed vision for our program, his fundamental skill as a teacher and developer of young people and his optimism and passion about the people he met and opportunity at Lehigh influenced the final decision. The breadth and diversity of his experiences will be valuable as he engages with our team, our alumni, our university and our Lehigh Valley community.”
Cahill moved on to Yale following four seasons on the staff at the University of Maine, including three as special teams coordinator, while also coaching the wide receivers and running backs. He helped the Black Bears to a pair of FCS playoff appearances and mentored six all-conference performers, including All-Americans Jared Turcotte and Jhamal Fluellen.
During the 2006 and 2007 seasons, Cahill was at Murray State University, where he coached the wide receivers and was the racers’ recruiting coordinator. He mentored two all-conference student-athletes.
Cahill’s first Division I experience was at the University of Tennessee-Martin in 2004 and 2005, where he helped the program record its first winning season in 13 years. He began his coaching career at Maine Maritime Academy in 2001 before returning to his alma mater, Springfield College for two seasons.
Cahill was a three-year starter at quarterback and a three-year starting pitcher on the baseball team at Springfield College. He helped lead Springfield College to a pair of NCAA playoff appearances and was recognized twice as the ECAC Division III New England Player of the Year.
A native of New York Mills, New York, Cahill graduated from Springfield College in 2001 with a degree in physical education. He added a masters in athletic administration from Springfield in 2004.
Cahill and his wife, Carah, have three children: sons Patrick and Thomas and a daughter Elizabeth.
Yale head coach Tony Reno said that his family is “extremely excited for Kevin and Carah. Kevin has been with us since we came to Yale 10 seasons ago and has been instrumental in our success. He is a tremendous football coach and an even better mentor and person. I am proud of Kevin and so excited for him and Lehigh’s future.”
Who is Kevin Cahill?
Born: December 2, 1978 Wife: Carah. Children: Sons: Patrick and Thomas; Daughter: Elizabeth.
High School: New York Mills (NY)
College: Springfield College 2001 (BS – Physical Education); Springfield College 2004 (ME – Athletic Administration).
Coaching resume
2001: Maine Maritime Academy – quarterbacks, fullbacks, wide receivers coach
2002-2003: Springfield College – Quarterbacks Coach, Graduate Assistant
2004-2005 University of Tennessee-Martin, wide receivers coach
2006-2007 Murray State University, Wide Receivers Coach, Recruiting Coordinator
2008 University of Maine, running backs coach
2009-2011 University of Maine, Special Teams Coordinator, Wide Receivers Coach
2012-2013 Yale University, Special Teams Coordinator, Wide Receivers Coach
2014-2017 Yale University, Assistant Head Coach, Passing Game Coordinator, Quarterbacks Coach
2018-2022 Yale University, Associate Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator, Quarterbacks Coach
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