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Reports: Healy, 30, to become Austin Peay coach
(STATS) - Eastern Kentucky hired 38-year-old Mark Elder as its coach two weeks ago.
A relative dinosaur considering what's happened in the FCS since then.
Reports on Monday said Austin Peay is expected to name 30-year-old Chattanooga wide receivers coach Will Healy as its coach, continuing the recent trend of young hires.
Austin Peay athletics said the Ohio Valley Conference school and Healy were continuing contract negotiations Monday. FootballScoop and reports in Chattanooga and Clarksville, Tennessee, said the hiring was imminent.
Last week, two programs hired coaches from within, with Maine making 29-year-old Joe Harasymiak the youngest head coach in Division I and Fordham promoting 31-year-old Andrew Breiner to the top spot.
Healy was a team captain and backup quarterback on Richmond's 2008 FCS national championship team. After graduating, he returned to his hometown in 2009 to join the Chattanooga staff under Russ Huesman.
Healy spent his first season coaching quarterbacks and then took over duties with the wide receivers in 2010, adding passing game coordinator to his title this season. Chattanooga won a share of its third straight Southern Conference title and finished 9-4 this season, its second straight qualifying for the FCS playoffs.
Austin Peay fired Kirby Cannon last month after he went 1-34 in three seasons, including 0-11 this year when the Governors were the only winless FCS team.
Reports said an introductory press conference is expected Tuesday or Wednesday.
Young head coaches are not new to the FCS level. Six of the seven youngest entering the Division I season were in the FCS.
