Football
Cahill, Kevin
Kevin Cahill
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- emb2@lehigh.edu
- Phone:
- 610-758-4290
A fiery competitor who is widely regarded as a strong teacher and mentor, Kevin Cahill is in his third season as Lehigh’s head coach. Cahill and his staff have worked tirelessly to build “The Nest” at Lehigh, an endeavor that paid off in Lehigh’s league-leading 13th Patriot League title in 2024.
The Mountain Hawks enjoyed the second-largest turnaround in FCS football in 2024, posting a 9-4 record, a nine-win improvement over Cahill’s first season. Lehigh won its final five regular season games, clinching its 13th Patriot League title and the league’s automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. From there, Lehigh went on the road and defeated Richmond 20-16 for Lehigh’s first playoff win since 2011.
Ten Mountain Hawks garnered All-Patriot League recognition, with Cahill selected as the Dick Biddle Patriot League Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award. Lehigh featured a top-15 rushing offense while the defensive unit ranked among the FCS leaders in pass defense and total defense.
Center George Padezanin and defensive lineman Matt Spatny earned All-America honors from the Associated Press, becoming Lehigh’s first football All-Americans in five years.
In his first season as a head coach Cahill saw three of his players earn All-Patriot League recognition: defensive lineman Dean Colton, linebacker Mike DeNucci and safety Nick Peltekian. Cahill picked up his first victory as a head coach on Sept. 9, 2023 at Merrimack and his first Patriot League win Oct. 21 at Bucknell.
Cahill was named the 30th head coach in Lehigh football history on Dec. 19, 2022. A coaching veteran with more than 20 years of experience, Cahill came 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.
In his last five years at Yale, 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.
Under Cahill’s guidance, Yale quarterback Nolan Grooms thrived in his first full season as a starter. Grooms threw for 1,660 yards and 14 touchdowns and added 745 yards and six touchdowns on the ground on the way to winning the Asa S. Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League’s Offensive Player of the Year.
Cahill initially came to Yale as Special Teams Coordinator and Wide Receivers Coach in 2012 and took over the quarterbacks in 2014 while also serving as Assistant Head Coach and Passing Game Coordinator. His highly-touted offense helped Yale capture Ivy League titles in 2017 and 2019 in addition to the 2022 championship. Yale had the No. 1 offense in the Ivy League in three of Cahill’s 10 years on staff. Since 2014 Yale has ranked in the top 25 nationally in total offense five times and ranked in the top 25 in scoring offense on four occasions.
In addition to Grooms, Cahill mentored Kurt Rawlings, the 2019 Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year, who is Yale’s all-time leading passer, 2018 Ivy League Rookie of the Year Griffin O’Connor, and Morgan Roberts the No. 2 passer in Yale history.
At Yale, Cahill also served as a member of Yale Athletics' Cultural House Connection Subcommittee.
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 during his tenure. 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 campaigns, Cahill coached at Murray State University, where 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.
As a student-athlete, 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 twice recognized as the ECAC Division III New England Player of the Year.
A native of New York Mills, N.Y., 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.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT KEVIN CAHILL
"Kevin has been one of my closest friends for more than a decade. I'm thrilled to see him get this opportunity. He's a fantastic coach, a great person and a terrific mentor to young men. Lehigh made an outstanding hire." - Joe Conlin, Head Coach, Fordham University
"Toni and I are 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." – Tony Reno, Head Coach, Yale University
"Kevin Cahill is a teacher, mentor and competitor. Kevin has had a profound impact on my career and it has been an honor to play for him and coach alongside him. He holds high standards for himself and those around him. Kevin gets the most out of his players because he cares about them as people first. I'm very excited for Kevin, his family and Lehigh football!" – Jordan Stevens, Head Coach, University of Maine
THE KEVIN CAHILL FILE
Born: December 2, 1978
Wife: Carah
Children: Sons: Patrick and Thomas; Daughter: Elizabeth
High School: New York Mills (N.Y.)
College: Springfield College 2001 (B.S. – Physical Education)
Springfield College 2004 (M.E. – Athletic Administration)
Collegiate Coaching Resume
2023-present Lehigh University, Head Coach
2018-2022 Yale University, Associate Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator, Quarterbacks Coach
2014-2017 Yale University, Assistant Head Coach, Passing Game Coordinator, Quarterbacks Coach
2012-2013 Yale University, Special Teams Coordinator, Wide Receivers Coach
2009-2011 University of Maine, Special Teams Coordinator, Wide Receivers Coach
2008 University of Maine, Running Backs Coach
2006-2007 Murray State University, Wide Receivers Coach, Recruiting Coordinator
2004-2005 University of Tennessee-Martin, Wide Receivers Coach
2002-2003 Springfield College – Quarterbacks Coach, Graduate Assistant
2001 Maine Maritime Academy – Quarterbacks, Fullbacks, Wide Receivers Coach
Lehigh Sports Central: Football
Wednesday, August 27
2025 Lehigh Football Season Preview: Special Teams
Thursday, August 21
2025 Lehigh Football Season Preview: Defense
Thursday, August 21
2025 Lehigh Football Season Preview: Offense
Wednesday, August 20
