WALTHAM, Mass. – Following eight seasons at the helm, Bill Kavanaugh has stepped down as the head football coach at Bentley University, Director of Athletics Vaughn Williams announced today.

"I'd like to thank Coach Kavanaugh for his dedication to Bentley University and his tireless efforts in taking our football program to the next level," said Williams. "Under his leadership, our student-athletes experienced success on the field and excelled in the classroom."

"I'm extremely proud to have had the opportunity to represent my alma mater as the head football coach for the last eight years," said Kavanaugh. "I'm even more proud of the great group of men I've been able to lead over the last eight years."

During his final season as head coach at his alma mater, Kavanaugh guided the Falcons to a 9-2 season and a first round game in the NCAA Division II Championships. His team had a 13-game winning streak, dating back to the midpoint of the 2019 season, and was ranked 24th in the final American Football Coaches Association coaches poll.

"Winning 14 of our last 16 games, a conference championship and our first NCAA appearance in 17 years was special," said Kavanaugh. "Over time I may lose track of wins and losses, but I will not forget the amazing players and coaches I was lucky enough to work with each day."

Kavanaugh, a 2004 graduate of Bentley who was a captain of the Falcons' first-ever NCAA playoff team, returned to Bentley in December 2013 after six years on the staff at Penn State, including two seasons as the Director of Player Personnel.

The 2019 Northeast-10 Coach of the Year and the 2021 Gridiron Club of Greater Boston Division II-III Coach of the Year, Kavanaugh finished his Bentley career with a 40-34 record, including victories in 14 of his last 16 games (a span interrupted by the cancelled 2020 season).

During his tenure, Kavanaugh has coached two All-Americas, six CoSIDA Academic All-Americas, 27 All-Northeast-10 honorees and seven Academic All-Northeast-10 performers.

"My family and I have given Bentley everything we had and now it's time to pass the torch," Kavanaugh explained. "I'm extremely confident that Vaughn will find the right leader to keep Bentley football at the top and whoever that person is will be the luckiest coach in the country to be surrounded by such great people."

A national search will be conducted to find a successor to Kavanaugh.