Football
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- rhuesman@richmond.edu
The third-winningest coach in University of Richmond football history, Russ Huesman enters his ninth season as the Spiders' head coach in 2025, marking his 17th season overall as a collegiate head coach. This is Huesman’s second stint with the program after spending five seasons (2004-08) as an assistant coach, including serving as the defensive coordinator for the 2008 National Championship team.
Under Huesman’s leadership, the Spiders have steadily improved. The 2021 season saw Richmond battle through injuries and a 2-5 start before finishing with four straight victories, including a 20-17 win over William & Mary in the Capital Cup. Since that turnaround and through the 2024 season, the Spiders have posted a 32-10 overall record, with an impressive 26-3 mark in conference games. During this stretch, Richmond earned the second-most conference wins in the country, claimed two conference titles, made three trips to the FCS Playoffs, and ranked seventh nationally in total wins while leading the CAA.
In his 40-plus years of coaching, Huesman has coached 53 All-Americans and 23 NFL Draft Picks, while being a part of 11 conference championships and the 2008 National Championship with the Spiders.
An Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year finalist and recipient of the Touchdown Club of Richmond's Coach of the Year award, Huesman guided the Spiders to a historic season in 2024, their final year in the Coastal Athletic Association. Huesman led Richmond to the FCS Playoffs for a third consecutive year, with the Spiders winning back-to-back conference championships for just the second time in program history. The team finished the regular season with 10 wins, the best record since 2009, and completed an undefeated 8-0 conference season—just the second such accomplishment in program history and the first since a 6-0 record in the Southern Conference in 1968. The 2024 team became just the seventh in CAA history to finish conference play unbeaten. Under Huesman’s guidance, defensive end Jeremiah Grant finished third in voting for the prestigious Buck Buchanan Award, given annually to the top defensive player in FCS. Grant, along with center Tom Elia, safeties Jabril Hayes and Matthew Traynor, were named All-Americans, while the Spiders boasted 12 All-CAA selections, including Traynor as Defensive Rookie of the Year.
The 2023 season was another successful one for Huesman, as the Spiders reached the playoffs for back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2016. Richmond earned a share of the CAA title for the first time since 2015 and advanced to the FCS Playoffs Second Round for the second consecutive year. The Spiders were ranked nationally in several key statistical categories, with eight players earning All-CAA honors, and punter Aaron Trusler, offensive lineman Ryan Coll, and linebacker Tristan Wheeler earning All-America honors. Richmond regained possession of the Capital Cup with a thrilling 27-26 victory over William & Mary, giving the Spiders a share of the CAA title and Huesman's 100th head coaching victory. After starting the season 3-5, Huesman and the Spiders finished strong, winning seven straight games, including a win over No. 22 Rhode Island, to end the season with a 9-4 overall record.
In 2022, Huesman’s team won five of its final six regular season games to finish 6-2 in the CAA, tying for third in the conference standings. Richmond knocked off three top-25 opponents, earning a berth in the FCS Playoffs, where they defeated Davidson 41-0 in the First Round, recording the first postseason shutout in program history. In the Second Round, Richmond pushed unbeaten No. 2 seed Sacramento State to the limit, taking a lead into the fourth quarter before falling 38-31. Richmond finished 11th in the season-ending Stats Perform FCS Media Poll and 12th in the AFCA Coaches Poll. Quarterback Reece Udinski won the Dudley Award as the top college football player in Richmond, and linebacker Tristan Wheeler received the CAA’s prestigious Chuck Boone Leadership Award. The Spiders earned 11 All-CAA selections and two All-American honors in Wheeler and Coll.
In 2021, the Spiders closed the season with four straight victories, finishing 6-5 overall. Richmond posted wins over New Hampshire, Towson, Delaware, and rival William & Mary. The win over UNH marked the Spiders' first victory in Durham since 2000, while the win over William & Mary gave Richmond a 64-63-5 all-time lead in the series. Seven Spiders were named to the Colonial Athletic Association All-Conference teams, with five First Team All-CAA selections: Tristan Wheeler, Tyler Dressler, Kobie Turner, Clayton McConnell, and Aaron Dykes.
During the unconventional spring 2021 season, the Spiders posted a 3-1 record in the shortened CAA season and were ranked nationally for most of the year. Richmond finished No. 14 in the country and third in the CAA standings. Defensive lineman Kobie Turner was named CAA Co-Defensive Player of the Year, and eight Spiders earned All-Conference honors. Richmond also won the CAA Team Academic Award for the first time in program history, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2019, the Spiders finished 5-7 overall and 4-4 in Colonial Athletic Association play. Richmond picked up three victories against nationally ranked opponents, including two on the road. The Spiders defeated No. 18 Maine and No. 19 Delaware on the road and knocked off No. 20 Stony Brook at home. Freshman linebacker Tristan Wheeler was named CAA Defensive Rookie of the Year and was a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, given annually to the top freshman in NCAA FCS. Wheeler, along with Aaron Dykes, was named a Freshman All-American, and the Spiders placed eight players on the postseason All-CAA teams.
In 2018, Huesman led the Spiders through a tough, injury-riddled season. Richmond's defensive line ranked as the top unit in the Colonial Athletic Association, leading the league with 23.5 sacks. Junior Maurice Jackson led the CAA in sacks and earned All-America honors, while senior Andrew Clyde earned All-Conference honors for the third straight year, becoming the first Spider to start every game of his collegiate career.
Huesman returned to Richmond in 2017 and guided the Spiders to a 6-5 record. The Spiders had 11 players earn All-CAA honors, led by Offensive Player of the Year Kyle Lauletta. Lauletta became the first Richmond player to win Offensive Player of the Year since Greg Lilly in 1992. He led the CAA with 3,737 yards, 28 passing TDs, and 3,827 total yards and was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award.
Joining Lauletta on the All-CAA First Team were Alex Light (OL), Garrett Hudson (TE), Dejon Brissett (WR), Griffin Trau (PK), and Andrew Clyde (DL). Tyler Wilkins (WR) and Cortrelle Simpson (WR) earned Second Team All-CAA honors, while Brandon Waller (DL), Justin Rubin (LB), and John Yarbrough (OL) were named to the Third Team.
Before returning to Richmond, Huesman spent eight successful seasons at Chattanooga, where he was named Southern Conference Coach of the Year three times (2009, 2013, 2014) and was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year three times. Under Huesman, the Mocs achieved a 59-37 record, including a 36-16 mark in his last four seasons (2013-16), which featured three Southern Conference regular-season championships. Chattanooga was one of only 10 programs to reach the FCS Playoffs each year from 2014-16.
In his eight seasons, the Mocs had at least seven players named to the All-SoCon team every year, including a school-record 17 honorees in 2014. Prior to Huesman’s arrival, Chattanooga had not boasted seven members of any All-SoCon team since 1979. Over that period, the Mocs had 17 All-America honorees and three NFL draft picks: DB Buster Skrine (Cleveland – 2011), QB B.J. Coleman (Green Bay – 2012), and LB Davis Tull (New Orleans – 2015).
Huesman’s first tenure at Richmond came from 2004-08 as defensive coordinator, where he molded the Spiders’ defense into one of the best in the country. In 2008, the national championship season, the Spiders led the nation in interceptions and ranked in the top-10 in four other defensive categories. Under his guidance, the Spiders had 23 All-Conference selections, including former NFL standouts Lawrence Sidbury Jr. and Justin Rogers. During his five years as an assistant, the Spiders posted a 42-23 (.646) record and made three FCS Playoff appearances, including a quarterfinal appearance in 2005, a semifinal appearance in 2007, and the National Championship in 2008.
Before his time with the Spiders, Huesman spent six years at the University of Memphis (1998-03), holding several positions, including recruiting coordinator and offensive line coach. As recruiting coordinator, Huesman brought in a Top 50 recruiting class, ranked No. 1 in Conference USA, in 2002—the first such ranking at Memphis.
Huesman also spent 13 years at William & Mary (1985-97), coaching both defense and special teams. During his time there, he coached Steve Christie, a 15-year NFL placekicker with Tampa Bay, Buffalo, San Diego, and the New York Giants. His coaching tree includes Mike Tomlin, head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers; Sean McDermott, head coach of the Buffalo Bills; and Alan Williams, former defensive backs coach of the Detroit Lions— all of whom played for Huesman at William & Mary.
A standout player at Moeller High School in his native Cincinnati, Ohio, Huesman helped his team to a record of 43-0-1, winning two Ohio state championships. He was an all-city selection as a senior and signed a football scholarship with Chattanooga, where he started all four years as a defensive back (1978-81) and was a two-sport athlete. Huesman helped UTC to a 31-11-2 record and two Southern Conference championships. He also played centerfield for the Mocs' baseball team during his freshman and junior seasons.
Huesman earned his degree in business education from Chattanooga in 1983, following which he served as a student coach during the 1982 season. He later moved to the University of South Carolina as a graduate assistant under the late Joe Morrison.
Huesman and his wife, Amy, have two daughters, Natalie and Emily, and two sons, Jacob and Levi.
