Courtesy of Lafayette Athletics Communications
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EASTON, Pa. – John Troxell '94 has been named the Fred M. Kirby II '42 Head Football Coach at Lafayette College. The coaching veteran will be introduced at a press conference today at 4 p.m. in Pfenning Alumni Center. All members of the Lafayette campus community and members of the media are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Troxell is coming off a 16-year head coaching stint at Franklin and Marshall College where he molded the program into a consistent winner. Prior to his arrival at the Lancaster, Pennsylvania school in 2006, F&M had managed one winning season in the previous 13 campaigns. Four years later, after a full recruiting cycle, the Diplomats finished with a 9-2 record and have continued to climb, subsequently reaching the postseason on nine occasions.
"We are proud and excited to be able to bring back an alumnus of Lafayette College to take over our storied football program. We undertook an exhaustive hiring process featuring a deep applicant pool, to bring John on board," said Director of Athletics Sherryta Freeman. "In each of his coaching stops covering nearly three decades, he has been part of program turnarounds, including those on our own campus. John further set himself apart with his head-coaching experience, alumni development and willingness to be a partner to our campus community. We are so excited for the future of Lafayette football."
Troxell was twice named the Centennial Conference Coach of the Year and coached 111 all-conference selections. The program's high-water mark came in 2017 when the team was 10-1 and captured its conference championship. That season kicked off a span from 2017-21 when Troxell and Franklin and Marshall posted a cumulative mark of 31-13.
Alumni engagement was integral to Troxell's success at Franklin and Marshall and is key within his plan for his return to College Hill. He developed a mentoring and internship program utilizing the alumni network and played an integral role in mobilizing the group behind the construction of a $19.6 million football stadium project.
"I am so thrilled to be coming home to Lafayette College and look forward to creating a championship culture on and off the field," Troxell said. "I am looking forward to getting our alumni and the Lehigh Valley community excited for Saturdays in the fall as we restore glory to the Lafayette football family. As I begin a new chapter, I also want to thank Franklin and Marshall for giving me the honor of leading its football program and preparing me for this opportunity."
Troxell has been a key ingredient in program rebuilds at each of his stops, and his time on College Hill as an assistant coach on Frank Tavani's staff was no exception. He served as the running backs coach, recruiting coordinator and special teams coach from 2001-05. He was on the staff for Patriot League championships in 2004 and 2005, part of a stretch of three straight titles for the Leopards that coincided with the program's first three NCAA FCS Playoff appearances.
Prior to his assistant coaching tenure at Lafayette, Troxell was part of a dramatic reversal at Muhlenberg College from 1997-2000 under head coach Mike Donnelly. He served multiple roles, working as the special teams coordinator (1997-99), quarterbacks coach and wide receivers coach (1997-2000) and offensive coordinator (2000). Muhlenberg progressed from a 1-9 season in 1997 to the Eastern College Athletic Conference title with a record of 9-2 in 2000. In 2000, under Troxell's tutelage, the offense ranked 22nd in the nation and led the Centennial Conference in total offense (427.8 ypg) while averaging 31.0 points per game.
Troxell joined the Muhlenberg staff after serving as an assistant coach for three seasons (1994-96) at Columbia University under head coach Ray Tellier beginning his career path of coaching at elite academic institutions. In 1996, Troxell oversaw a secondary that recorded the third-best passing defense in the country. The turnaround tendency first showed itself at Columbia in 1994 when the Ivy League school recorded its first winning season in 23 seasons. An 8-2 mark and the program's best finish in 15 years followed in 1996.
His first extended stint on College Hill came as a student-athlete from 1990-94, when he earned his bachelor's degree with a major in government and law. Troxell was the starting free safety on the Leopards' 1992 Patriot League Championship team and received the Unsung Hero Award as a senior. He completed his master's degree in sociology and education in 1997 while on staff at Columbia.
The 49-year-old Troxell is native of Phillipsburg, New Jersey. He and his wife, Pamela, have two daughters, Summer and Capri. Troxell is the 29th coach in the program's history, the third who is an alum, and he takes over prior to the program's 141st season.