A new era of Jacket football is on the horizon. Over winter break, Waynesburg University hired its new head football coach, Larry Wilson. Wilson will succeed Dr. Cornelius Coleman, who had an overall record of 14-26 as the head coach from 2022-2025.

“If you love football and you want to grow and develop as a man while becoming a great player, you’re going to love this program,” Wilson said. “I’m excited to get everything organized, get the guys back and set our plan.”

Wilson, 50, has coached NCAA Division II Football in the area for two decades, according to waynesburgsports.com. He most recently served as the offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach and wide receivers coach at Pennsylvania Western University, Clarion, in 2025. 

From 2022-2024, Wilson was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Indiana University of Pa. Before that, he spent 16 years on the staff at Pennsylvania Western University, California. 

“To take an opportunity like this, I’ve been around some great football coaches to give me the how-to to get this program moving in the right direction,” Wilson said. “The understanding of western Pennsylvania and a Division III program that has an opportunity to compete certainly intrigued me.”

After an interview via Zoom and an on-campus interview, the search committee deemed Wilson the best candidate for the job. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Larry Wilson and his family to Waynesburg. Coach Wilson’s overall experience and passion to rebuild this program is what set him apart in this search,” director of athletics Tim Fusina said in a press release on waynesburgsports.com. “Our football program took a tremendous step forward with this hiring. This is an exciting time for Waynesburg football and the athletic department as a whole.”

Wilson talked about some of the core values he plans to instill as head coach.

“I believe in showing kids the path to becoming better men, and in turn, becoming better football players,” Wilson said. “When kids start understanding what it takes to be a student athlete, it coincides with what’s happening on the football field.”

Explosiveness on offense is a key component for Wilson, who stressed the importance of scoring points in modern-day college football. 

“I like to be explosive in the run game and the pass game,” Wilson said. “Points are a premium since you’re not getting as many plays in a game as you used to.”

To add context, Wilson is talking about NCAA rule changes within recent years to continue to roll the clock after first downs that happen any time before the two-minute warning. 

Getting pressure on the quarterback is something Wilson prioritizes from a defensive standpoint.  

“On the defensive side, I’d like us to match that [explosiveness] and be aggressive,” Wilson said. “I want to get after the quarterback on early downs.”

In 2025, the Yellow Jackets were bottom five in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference in sacks. In 2024, they had the least sacks in the PAC. 

In terms of filling out the rest of his staff, Wilson says he is going through the interview process with some of his former players that have got into coaching, and a few more veteran coaches. 

“You have to have guys that are different,” Wilson said. “You gotta have guys that love the strength aspect and guys that love the operational end.”

At the same time the university parted ways with former head coach Coleman, it also dismissed defensive coordinator Dave Arnold and special teams coordinator Dominic Bornman. 

The Yellow Jackets will also be moving forward without offensive coordinator Phil Hamilton and offensive line coach Russ Moore, as both announced on their social media accounts. Hamilton accepted the offensive coordinator position at West Liberty University.

“We’re a long ways away, but if you blink your eyes, it’s going to happen,” Wilson said. 

The full 2026 football schedule is not out yet, but Waynesburg’s first game is against non-conference opponent Capital University on Sept. 5. The two teams have not met since 1988, according to waynesburgsports.com archives.