When the holidays passed and the New Year began, Lenoir-Rhyne’s athletic leadership thought it had survived the latest football coaching carousel.
Then on Jan. 9, the Mercer University head job came open. Then Mike Jacobs, who had led Lenoir-Rhyne football to a 32-9 record over the previous four seasons, announced Jan. 19 he was leaving Hickory to accept that position, an FCS post, in Macon, Ga.
“We had to go to work,” Dr. Fred Whitt, Lenoir-Rhyne’s president said.
In just over a week from Jacobs’ departure, the search committee found its man to replace him. On Tuesday, the university officially introduced Doug Socha as the 24th head coach in the program’s more than 100-year history. The process — and the result — proved impressive, much like the Bears’ 2023 season, which included 13 wins, a South Atlantic Conference championship and a trip to the Division II semifinals.
Kim Pate, vice president for athletics, went through 150 applicants, Whitt said during Tuesday’s press conference. “She probably talked with more than 40 people, zoomed maybe with 30. And we brought in five candidates and were able to find our head coach almost within one week … That’s pretty incredible.”
The Lenoir-Rhyne job, though opening late in the hiring process, attracted head coaches from across the spectrum, from Division I, D2, D3 and NAIA, Whitt said.
“It would blow your mind if you saw some of the names … We got the top choice that we wanted, and we are very excited about that … We got a first-round draft choice, a lottery pick … If Lenoir-Rhyne is going to win a national championship in football, it is going to be this coach and this staff.”
Socha has spent the past six seasons at Keiser University, which competes at the NAIA level. Socha helped start the program from scratch. His first team went 6-4. Each of the next five won at least nine games, captured a conference championship and went to the NAIA playoffs. The 2023 Seahawks earned the national championship.
All told, Socha posted a 54-15 mark at the West Palm Beach, Fla., school. He was the American Football Coaches Association coach of the year for 2023 at the NAIA level.
From a football perspective, Socha’s resume obviously got Lenoir-Rhyne’s attention. But Dr. Whitt and Kim Pate (vice president for athletics) both said they and the search committee wanted a coach who also aligned with the school’s other core values. Socha fit that bill as well.
“Leaning into the student-athlete, academics, community service — that’s really what it’s all about here at LR,” Dr. Whitt said. “We have a rich and storied tradition. We just completed our 104th season of football … We want to excel on and off the field.”
Added Pate: “I am confident we have hired one of the top coaches and leaders of men in college football.”
Alignment was a word used often in Tuesday’s press conference. Socha talked about it with the assistant coaches he is bringing in, many of whom served with him at Keiser and other places. Socha and new Lenoir-Rhyne defensive coordinator Robbie Owens have been friends and colleagues since playing together in college.
“We are really well aligned. He is a big piece of this thing,” Socha said.
Other assistant coaches listed on Socha’s staff include Steven Demeo (QBs, passing game coordinator), Jalani Lord (OL, run game coordinator), Justin Hilliker (DL, special teams coordinator), Nick Rosen (TEs), Nick Vagnone (LBs, recruiting coordinator), Zack Owens (defensive assistant, analytics, football operations), Guam Lee (graduate assistant, assistant DBs), Alexa Bruni (chief of staff, director of football operations), Rashad Yelding (volunteer assistant) and Will Hornsby (RBs, recruiting coordinator, co-special teams coordinator).
Socha said he and his staff will base recruiting on talent and character. “We will not compromise from that standard,” he said. “We will be a tough and disciplined football team.”
The new coach wants to build a team that dominates the line of scrimmage on both sides. He wants an aggressive defense that plays fast and mixes up its looks. Offensively, he wants to put the ball in the hands of play-makers as much as possible. Again, he aims to install multiple schemes to keep opposing defenses off-balance.
Socha’s most recent Keiser team scored 47 rushing touchdowns and piled up 3,169 yards on the ground. The defense held opponents to 18.5 points per game, 90.3 rushing yards per game and a 28.5 percent conversion rate on third downs. The Seahawks ranked first in NAIA in forcing fumbles and were second in both fumble recoveries and sacks.
Socha pledged to “pour everything we have” into the program and the Hickory community. He’ll face high expectations, as the Bears have been one of the most successful programs in North Carolina across all divisions over the past decade. Lenoir-Rhyne was NC Football Teams top team in the final statewide 2023 Fabulous 14 rankings.
Since 2011, LR is 108-41 overall and has won 11 or more games in a season five times (including three 13-win campaigns). The school won or shared conference championships in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019 and 2023.
Unlike at Keiser, where everything had to be built from zero, Socha is inheriting a program on solid footing. His job will be to level it up even more.
“I believe in the process we’re putting in place,” Socha said. “We’re going to win. It is going to be bigger than football but we’re going to win at football. We’re going to get the best out of these players, I promise you that.”
Lenoir-Rhyne has not yet announced its schedule for the 2024 season. Last year, the schedule was released in late March. National Signing Day is tomorrow, Feb. 7.
Jacobs was the second head coach in a row to springboard from Lenoir-Rhyne to FCS Mercer. Drew Cronic, who coached the LR Bears in 2018 and 2019, was the other. Cronic is now the offensive coordinator at Navy.
“I do want to publicly thank coach Mike Jacobs and his staff for the outstanding job they did. We miss him,” Whitt said. “We wish them great success. We’ll be pulling for those Bears during their quest at Mercer.”
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Doug Socha Football Resume
(Courtesy Lenoir-Rhyne)
- 2017-2023: Keiser University – Head Coach
- 2016: Buffalo Bills – Offensive Quality Control
- 2012-2015: Oxbridge Academy – Head Football Coach
- 2010-2012: American Heritage School – Head Football Coach/Athletics Director
- 2006-2010: American Heritage School – Offensive Coordinator
- 2001-2005: University of Buffalo – Recruiting Coordinator/Wide Receivers
- 2000: University of Buffalo – Defensive Graduate Assistant/Inside Linebackers
- 1998-2000: College of the Canyons – Defensive Backs Coach
- 1997: Grand Junction High School – Defensive Backs Coach
Lenoir-Rhyne year by year since 2011
- YEAR – W/L – COACH
- 2011 7-3 Mike Houston
- 2012 9-3 Mike Houston
- 2013 13-2 Mike Houston
- 2014 11-1 Ian Shields
- 2015 5-5 Ian Shields
- 2016 3-8 Mike Kellar
- 2017 3-7 Mike Kellar
- 2018 12-2 Drew Cronic
- 2019 13-1 Drew Cronic
- 2020 3-1 Mike Jacobs
- 2021 8-3 Mike Jacobs
- 2022 8-3 Mike Jacobs
- 2023 13-2 Mike Jacobs
- TOTALS: 108-41
