Springfield College announced three coaching changes to its football staff, effective immediately, as the Pride prepare for spring practice ahead of the 2026 season. The moves include a new offensive line coach, a defensive backs specialist, and a reassignment of special teams duties.

The college named Jake Morrison as offensive line coach, replacing Tim Hennessey, who departed for a private-sector role in December. Morrison arrives from Endicott College, where he coached offensive line for two seasons. Chris Valerio joins as defensive backs coach after three years at Western New England University. Special teams coordination shifts from Dan Murphy to Rob Castellano, the Pride's existing linebackers coach, while Murphy focuses exclusively on tight ends and H-backs.

The timing aligns with Springfield's 2027 recruiting cycle, which opens in earnest this month. Division III programs operate on compressed timelines—no athletic scholarships, no early signing periods, only admission pre-reads and verbal commits that hinge on academic clearance. Position coach stability matters. A defensive back considering Springfield wants to know who will coach him for four years, and Valerio's hire gives the staff a specialist to sell during spring campus visits. The offensive line move is more urgent: Springfield returns two starters on the interior but loses both tackles. Morrison's first task is evaluating junior-college transfers and post-graduate prospects who can step in immediately.

The special teams reassignment is structural. Castellano already handled kickoff coverage schemes last season while Murphy focused on field goal protection. Formalizing the split allows Murphy to spend more time in the tight end room, where Springfield is installing a heavier two-tight end personnel package under offensive coordinator Mike DeLuca. Worth noting: DeLuca was promoted to coordinator in January 2024 after six seasons as quarterbacks coach. The Morrison hire is his first offensive line coach selection, and Morrison's spread-zone blocking background suggests the Pride will continue the tempo-based attack DeLuca installed last fall.

Springfield finished 6-4 in 2024, missing the playoff cut in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference. The Pride's schedule strengthens in 2026, with road trips to conference favorites Salve Regina and Western Connecticut. The offensive line rebuild is the leverage point: if Morrison can develop two tackles by August camp, Springfield's skilled-position talent—including returning quarterback Matt Gilmore, who threw for 2,100 yards last season—has a cleaner runway.

The college has not yet announced any changes to its defensive coordinator or recruiting coordinator roles. Springfield's spring game is scheduled for mid-April, which gives the new staff 90 days to install schemes and evaluate returning players. The Pride's next significant move will likely be hiring a director of player personnel, a role that has been vacant since November when Sarah Tompkins left for a compliance position at Assumption University. That hire would signal whether Springfield intends to expand its transfer recruiting or lean harder into New England high school pipelines.

Morrison's first recruiting visit is reportedly scheduled for late this week, targeting an offensive tackle from a Connecticut prep school.