Chris Pincince was announced as Susquehanna's new head football coach on February 17, 2026. He comes to Selinsgrove taking over one of the top programs in the region, something he is familiar with after a 10-year run as head coach at the University of New Haven from 2014 to 2024, becoming the winningest coach in program history with 76 victories and five NCAA Division II Tournament appearances.
Pincince brings over 30 years of college coaching experience to Susquehanna, with much of his time spent in his native New England, where he grew up in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. He attended Boston University, where he played quarterback for the football team from 1990 to 1994 and graduated with a degree in Mathematics. He was a member of the 1993 Yankee Conference championship team and played on two NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS) playoff teams.
He made the first of three stops at New Haven in 1995 as a wide receivers coach, joining his offensive coordinator from BU Tony Sparano, who was now the Chargers' head coach. Sparano would go on to a prolific NFL coaching career, including serving as the Miami Dolphins head coach from 2008-11. With Pincince on staff UNH posted ten wins in 1995 and reached the NCAA Division II Quarterfinals. Two of Pincince's receivers earned D2CCA All-East Region, first Bobby Barnette in 1995 and Tyrone Seabrooks in 1996. He returned to New Haven as Offensive Coordinator from 1999 to 2001 under head coach Darren Rizzi, who would also go on to an NFL coaching career, currently with the Denver Broncos. In 2001 he earned an All-American on his side of the ball in offensive lineman Phil Bogle.
Pincince made his third trip to New Haven in 2014, this time as head coach. Taking over one of the premier Division II programs in New England, Coach Pincince won at least six games in each of this ten seasons, while making five NCAA Division II Tournament trips and five Northeast-10 (NE-10) Conference titles. His 2018 team was the first under his watch to reach the national tournament thanks to a 9-3 overall record and 8-1 league mark. In the first round of the NCAA Tournament they defeated West Chester 35-28 for their first NCAA playoff win since 2011 and advanced to the second round against Slippery Rock. The team finished 7-3 the following year and had a share of the NE-10 championship, their first under Pincince. The 2021 season was the most successful under Pincince as the program finished 10-2 and won the outright NE-10 championship with an unbeaten 8-0 league mark. They defeated conference rival Bentley in the NCAA First Round 38-13 to reach the second round against Kutztown.
The Chargers reached the NCAA Tournament the next three seasons in 2022, 2023 and 2024, going 8-3 each year and totaling a 19-3 conference record in that span. They shared the NE-10 title in 2022, then winning it outright in 2023 and 2024. In the 52-year history of the New Haven football program (since 1973), Pincince is the Chargers' all-time winningest coach with a 76-34 overall record (.691 win percentage) and 65-18 mark in the NE-10 (.738 win percentage). In his time Pincince had 19 All-American selections and twice received the NE-10 Coach of the Year in 2021 and 2024. He twice received NEFW All-New England Coach of the Year in 2018 and 2021, and again in 2024 by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston. The Chargers also boasted two NE-10 Most Valuable Player honorees, two NE-10 Rookies of the Year, and 14 NE-10 Player of the Year awards.
Between his stops at UNH, Pincince served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Fairfield University in 1997 and 1998, winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) title in 1998. After his second stint at New Haven Pincince moved on to become the quarterbacks coach at Brown University in 2002 before becoming the offensive coordinator at Ursinus College in 2003. It was here where he had his first direct encounter with the Susquehanna football team as the Bears defeated SU by a 24-17 score in their season opener. He then spent four years at College of the Holy Cross as an offensive coordinator and receivers coach from 2004 to 2007. In 2008 he rejoined Coach Rizzi, who took over as head coach at University of Rhode Island and where Pincince was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach until 2010. He made the move to Elon University in 2011, serving as offensive coordinator in charge of the running backs and quarterbacks until 2013. He spent the 2025 season as wide receivers coach at Post University.
As offensive coordinator at Holy Cross, he directed a Crusaders offense which led the Patriot League in 2006 in total yards (384.4 yards per game) and passing yards (271.5 yards per game), while standing third in the conference in scoring (25.0 points per game). His 2007 offense led the Patriot League in scoring (35.9 ppg.), passing (335 ypg.), total offense (463 ypg.) and first downs (272). Crusaders quarterback Dominic Randolph led the league in passing (3,604 yards), touchdown passes (30) and total offense (340 ypg.) and finished 12th in the balloting for the Walter Payton Award. Pincince’s first two seasons at Holy Cross were spent as the wide receivers coach. Over those two seasons, Pincince led a group which included All-Patriot League wide out Sean Gruber, who finished his career as the Crusaders' all-time leader with 22 career touchdown catches.
During his first season at Elon, his offense led the Southern Conference and ranked 14th nationally with 281 passing yards per game. Pincince’s offensive scheme was anchored by All-America wide receiver Aaron Mellette, who led all of FCS in receptions per game (10.27) and receiving yards per game (149). His season totals also set new school and conference records in 2011. Quarterback Thomas Wilson also led the conference and ranked 14th nationally in total offense. In his second season at Elon, the offense ranked 12th in the FCS in passing yards per game (296), with Mellette again earning All-America honors. The receiver became the first Elon player invited to the Senior Bowl and was later selected in the seventh round of the NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens. In Pincince’s final season at Elon, the Phoenix ranked second in the conference in passing yards per game (231) and averaged over 350 total yards per contest.
Chris and his wife Jennifer have three children: Zack, Owen, and Emma, all of whom attended North Haven High School in North Haven, Conn. His son Zack played baseball at University of New Haven from 2019 to 2023. His son Owen currently plays baseball at Siena University. His daughter Emma competes in track and field at North Haven High School, where she is a junior.
As New Haven Head Coach (2014-24)
- 19 All-Americans: (2014) Tyler Condit - LB (2015) Andre Anderson - RB, Tyler Condit - LB, Drake Harris - DT, Eliot Leubner - OL, Jared Orazio - OL, Zach Voytek - OL, Matt Zakrzewski - LB, Dean Tsopanides - DT, Ty Headen - WR (2016) Tyler Condit - LB, Zach Voytek - OL (2018) Dan Iannone - OL, Ju'an Williams - WR (2021) Khyon Fitzpatrick - OL (2022) Terrell Ford - RET (2023) Dev Holmes - RET, Glye Jenkins - DB (2024) Kha'lil Eason - RET
- Coach of the Year: (2018) NEFW All-New England (2021) Northeast-10 Conference, NEFW All-New England (2024) Northeast-10 Conference, Gridiron Club of Greater Boston
- NE-10 Players of the Year: (2014) Zach Voytek - Co-Offensive Lineman (2015) Zach Voytek - Offensive Lineman, Drake Harris - Defensive Lineman, Tyler Condit - Defensive Player (2016) Zach Voytek - Offensive Lineman (2021) Mike Zecchin - Offensive Lineman, Michael Wilson - Elite 24 (2022) Connor Degenhardt - Offensive Player (2023) Dev Holmes - Offensive Player, Giye Jenkins - Defensive Player of the Year, Jack Quander - Defensive Lineman, Dante DeLorenzo - Elite 24 (2024) Justin Cesaire - Offensive Player, Jack Quander - Defensive Player
- 2 NE-10 Most Valuable Player: (2015) Andre Anderson (2018) Ajee Patterson
- 2 NE-10 Rookies of the Year: (2014) Lemar Thomas (2019) Shemar Thomas
As New Haven Offensive Coordinator (1999-01)
- 1 All-American: (2001) Phil Bogle - OL
As New Haven Wide Receivers Coach (1995-96)
- 2 All-Regions: (1995) Bobby Barnette - WR (1996) Tyrone Seabrooks - WR
University of New Haven (1995-96, 1999-01, 2014-24)
- Wide Receivers Coach (1995-96)
- Offensive Coordinator (1999-01)
- Head Coach (2014-24)
Fairfield University (1997-98)
- Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach
Brown University (2002)
Ursinus College (2003)
College of the Holy Cross (2004-07)
- Wide Receivers Coach, 2004-05
- Offensive Coordinator, 2006-07
University of Rhode Island (2008-10)
- Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach
Elon University (2011-13)
- Offensive Coordinator, Running Backs and Quarterbacks Coach
Post University (2025)
| Year |
School |
Overall Record |
Conference Record |
Postseason |
| 2014 |
New Haven |
6-5 |
6-3 |
|
| 2015 |
New Haven |
7-4 |
7-2 |
|
| 2016 |
New Haven |
7-4 |
6-3 |
|
| 2017 |
New Haven |
6-4 |
5-4 |
|
| 2018 |
New Haven |
9-3 |
8-1 |
NCAA Division II Tournament Second Round |
| 2019 |
New Haven |
7-3 |
6-2 |
|
| 2020 |
New Haven |
|
|
No Season due to COVID-19 |
| 2021 |
New Haven |
10-2 |
8-0 |
NCAA Division II Tournament Second Round |
| 2022 |
New Haven |
8-3 |
6-1 |
NCAA Division II Tournament First Round |
| 2023 |
New Haven |
8-3 |
6-1 |
NCAA Division II Tournament First Round |
| 2024 |
New Haven |
8-3 |
7-1 |
NCAA Division II Tournament First Round |
| 10 Seasons |
Two Schools |
76-34 |
65-18 |
Five Conference Championships
Five NCAA Tournament Appearances
|
- Married to Jennifer Pincince and has three children: Zack, Owen, and Emma, all of whom attended North Haven High School in North Haven, Conn.
- Son Zack played baseball at University of New Haven from 2019 to 2023.
- Son Owen currently plays baseball at Siena University.
- Daughter Emma currently competes in track and field at North Haven High School, where she is a junior.
