Mulrooney named LHU’s new coach in football
Dan Mulrooney has been named the new football coach at Lock Haven University.
Mulrooney comes to Lock Haven after leading a remarkable turnaround at NCAA Division III Anna Maria College in Paxton, Massachusetts. A historic 7–3 record led Anna Maria to the 2021 NCAA Division III playoffs, the school’s first-ever NCAA tournament appearance.
“On behalf of Lock Haven University, we are thrilled to welcome Dan Mulrooney to The Haven family,” said LHU Interim President Bashar Hanna. “Dan separated himself among a large and impressive list of coaching candidates and I am confident that his energy, strong football background and commitment to excellence will inspire our student-athletes. Under Dan’s leadership, the vision for the program’s future is strong and I’m excited to see our student-athletes succeed on the field and in the classroom.”
“I am thrilled to welcome Coach Mulrooney to the Bald Eagle family and to lead LHU football,” said LHU Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Ron Darbeau. “Coach brings a legacy of creativity and success and I am confident in his ability to make an immediate and positive impact on our football program. Our young men and LHU football are in good hands.”
In addition to the program’s first-ever NCAA postseason berth, the 2021 Anna Maria squad also claimed the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference championship, the first conference crown in the school’s history. In four seasons (*2020 season canceled because of COVID-19), Mulrooney went 11–29 overall, which included the 7–3 season during 2021.
Following the 2021 season, Mulrooney was voted the ECFC Coach of the Year and his student-athletes earned a number of individual athletic and academic awards.
The 2017 season was Mulrooney’s first at Anna Maria and prior to his arrival, the program won a combined six games in the previous five seasons from 2012–16.
His 11 wins are the most in school history and before Mulrooney was the head coach, Anna Maria had never won more than two games in a season. The team went 2–8 in 2019, before the 2020 season was canceled because of COVID-19 and despite the 2020 layoff, the program soared to new heights during the 2021 campaign.
Mulrooney is certainly looking forward to his next challenge at LHU.
“It is with great pride that I accept the head football coaching position at Lock Haven University,” said Mulrooney. “I would like to thank President Hanna, Provost Ron Darbeau, Director of Athletics Tom Gioglio and the members of the search committee for entrusting me with this incredible opportunity. I am ready to build LHU football into a program with a championship culture. A culture that our entire university community, alumni and our entire fanbase will be proud to support. My family and I are excited for the future and cannot wait to call Lock Haven home.”
“I am excited to welcome Dan as our new head football coach and his family to Lock Haven. Dan knows what success looks like and has proven that he knows what it takes to build a successful football program,” said LHU Director of Athletics Tom Gioglio. “Dan has shown both in his time at Anna Maria College and in my conversations with him that he is a person of the highest integrity and character who will care deeply about our amazing student-athletes, and will be committed to their academic and athletic success and personal excellence.”
“Dan’s ability to engage with our alumni, along with his experience as a successful coach and recruiter set him apart as we went through our search process. I am excited to see under Dan’s direction in conjunction with our remarkable student-athletes and our supportive alumni the new culture that will be created,” added Gioglio.
According to Mulrooney, several factors attracted him to The Haven, which included the leadership of the university and the people he met and encountered throughout the interview process.
Additionally, Mulrooney noted that he’s always been drawn to a great challenge and he believes there lies a great opportunity here at LHU.
“I have the utmost respect for the history, programs and coaches of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. It will be an honor to compete against some of the best coaches and programs in the country,” added Mulrooney. “Our plan for the future is simple. Our staff will get to work, hold ourselves to a high standard and compete in every aspect of our day. We will work to efficiently and diligently build a program of which the school, the community of Lock Haven and all of Haven Nation can be proud to call its own. Our core values of passion, toughness and family will awake our community with the strength and camaraderie to lead us into the future.”
Prior to his head coach tenure at Anna Maria, Mulrooney spent three years serving as the defensive coordinator at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a Division III institution in Worcester, Massachusetts. During his three years as the defensive coordinator at WPI, his defense became one of the top defensive units in the Liberty League Conference. In 2015, WPI had its best season in 23 years after going 7–4. In 2016, Worcester Polytechnic Institute reached new heights by recording its first back-to-back winning season since 1995.
In 2017, Mulrooney was selected by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) to the 35 under 35 Coaches Committee. This committee is hand-picked by the AFCA to showcase the top young coaches in the profession and it’s a group that consists of coaches from all levels of NCAA football (FCS, FBS, Division II & III). Since 2017, Mulrooney has been a headline-speaker at the national convention (2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020).
Mulrooney attended Boston College and was a full scholarship student-athlete for the football program. He played safety for the NCAA Division I Eagles and was a member of teams that made four bowl appearances as well as two trips to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championship game.
Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox
Originally published at https://www.sungazette.com.
