BRIDGEWATER, Va. -- Bridgewater College head football coach Scott Lemn has announced his full staff for the upcoming 2023 season on Thursday morning.

A new arrival in the Shenandoah Valley is Joe Denney who will work with tight ends and running backs, while Deion Richardson has been elevated from a student assistant to the staff and will lead the whips. In addition, Dustin Green has been promoted to a full-time position after working as a part-time coach for the past year. Green will assume the role as defensive backs coach. 

Denney comes to Bridgewater after spending the spring season at NCAA Division II Ohio Dominican where he was the tight ends coach. Denney served as an offensive coordinator for the Panthers during their annual spring game earlier this year. Prior to his time at the DII ranks, Denney mentored the tight ends and running backs at Kenyon, a DIII institution also located in Ohio. While in Gambier, Ohio, the Owls ranked 24th in the nation in total offense and passing offense, while the team set a school record with 248 first downs. 

Prior to hitting the college ranks, Denney led the tight ends and was the assistant offensive line coach at Westerville Central High School for a year and mentored wide receivers, tight ends and led quality control efforts for Naperville Central High School for a pair of seasons. Denney started his coaching career at Carlsbad High School in California where he spent three years across multiple roles. In total, Denney saw 12 all-conference players with four conference championships and four playoff appearances. 

In addition to coaching, Denney served our country for seven years in the United States Marine Corps. He holds a sports management degree from North Central and a masters in sports coaching from Ohio State.

"I was happy to find someone in the coaching search that came with such high recommendations as Joe Denney," said Lemn. "His enthusiasm and passion for coaching is evident from our first conversation. His background - having served in the military as a Marine - will add a diverse perspective to our staff and players."

Green, also a Bridgewater graduate, has been elevated into a full-time role as he takes oversight of the defensive backs. Green served as the assistant coach for the unit last season, which saw the Eagles' defense be among all NCAA division leaders in turnover differential and total turnovers for a majority of the season.

"Promoting Dustin into a larger role was a high priority for me," said Lemn. "He has a strong passion for Bridgewater College and our program and he connects well with our players. His passion for helping them improve and perform comes through every day."

Richardson, a graduate of Bridgewater, sees his title elevated after spending last season on the sidelines as a student assistant. Richardson spent four seasons on the field with the Eagles where he saw the field in 17 games and finished with 20 tackles. 

"Adding another alum to our coaching staff was a great opportunity for our team," continued Lemn. "Deion has great energy to help players succeed and that was evident during his time serving as a student assistant last season."

On top of the additions to the staff, Mike Giancola will now work with the defensive line. Giancola, who is also the team's assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, led the defense to one of its best seasons in recent history. Previously, he guided the secondary for several years and will continue into his fifth year as the defensive coordinator.

Bridgewater, which were among other teams receiving votes in the D3football.com Preseason Top 25 poll, opens the 2023 campaign against No. 22 Susquehanna on home turf on Sept. 2. Kickoff is slated for 2 pm.