Davidson hires Scott Abell to lead football program

Scott Abell, a successful Division III coach from Virginia, has been hired as Davidson’s new football coach, the school announced Tuesday.

Abell, 48, has been the head coach at Washington & Lee since 2008. His Generals won three Old Dominion Athletic Conference championships and went 39-24 over that time, with Abell being named the league’s coach of the year three times.

“I am excited and eager to get started,” Abell said in a statement. “I’m grateful to everyone at Davidson for this opportunity. I look forward to meeting the student-athletes, and we will work diligently to bring the same pride and excellence to Davidson football that is expected in all aspects of the college.”

Abell replaces Paul Nichols, whose contract wasn’t renewed after his Wildcats teams went 7-49 in five seasons.

Abell served as Washington & Lee’s offensive coordinator from 2008-11 before he was promoted to head coach. A former player at Longwood (Va.), Abell was a longtime high school coach in Virginia before going to Washington & Lee.

Under Abell, Washington & Lee led Division III in rushing three of the past six seasons. In 2015, the Generals went unbeaten in the regular season and set school records in total yards (5,439), rushing offense (4,773) and points (417).

The Wildcats football job is a tough one. Davidson, which has high academic standards, plays in the Division I Football Championship Series non-scholarship Pioneer Football League. The Wildcats haven’t had a winning season since 2007. Davidson went 2-9 in 2017, with its two victories coming against Division III teams.

This story was originally published January 2, 2018 at 10:04 AM with the headline "Davidson hires Scott Abell to lead football program."