CEDAR CITY, Utah, Aug. 5, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Third-year Southern Utah head football coach DeLane Fitzgerald signed a contract extension Monday that will keep him at the Thunderbirds’ helm through 2028.
Fitzgerald, 47, posted an 11-11 record in his first two seasons at SUU, including a 6-5 overall mark last season and a 4-2 showing to finish second in the United Athletic Conference.
“Coach Fitzgerald has brought an incredible level of energy and excellence to our football program,” Southern Utah Athletic Director Doug Knuth said. “His leadership, experience and commitment to building a winning culture have positively impacted our student-athletes and the Thunderbird community.
“Under coach Fitzgerald, the program continues to win in the classroom with a high team GPA, build great community relationships, and win on the field. We are thrilled to extend his contract and look forward to continued success under his guidance.”
The Thunderbirds’ six wins last season were the most for an SUU program since 2017, and more is expected in 2024 as they’re picked to finish third in the UAC.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue leading this program and these young men,” Fitzgerald said. “We’re building something special here at SUU, and I’m excited for what the future holds for Thunderbird football.”
Fitzgerald’s resume includes 24 years of college football coaching experience, including 15 seasons as a head coach. He joined SUU in 2022 after spending eight seasons (2014-21) as head coach at Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland.
The Bobcats competed at the Division III level when Fitzgerald was hired as head coach at Frostburg State but moved to Division II in 2019.
Fitzgerald left Frostburg State as the winningest coach in program history, posting a 62-19 record and winning two New Jersey Athletic Conference titles (2016 and 2018) and a Mountain East Conference championship (2021). He also collected three conference coach of the year awards at Frostburg State.
Fitzgerald began his head coaching career in 2009 at Southern Virginia, where he posted a 24-30 overall record but turned around a struggling Division III independent program, leading the Knights to an 8-2 mark in 2012 — his final season in Buena Vista, Virginia.
Prior to being head coach at Southern Virginia, Fitzgerald was the Knights’ offensive coordinator and offensive line coach (2006-08). The Lovingston, Virginia, native also has assistant coaching experience at Bethel University (2005) in McKenzie, Tennessee; Tennessee-Martin (2003-04); James Madison (2022); and Bridgton Academy (2000-01) in North Bridgton, Maine.
