Lehigh’s Defense Is Locking Down the FCS
Oct 22, 2025 7:03 pm
Coach -
Through seven weeks of the 2025 season, Lehigh University has quietly climbed among the elite defenses in the FCS. The results are undeniable:
- #2 Rushing Defense – 70.1 yards per game
- #6 Total Defense – 281.4 yards per game
- #9 Scoring Defense – 17.0 points per game
- #10 in Interceptions – 8
Under Defensive Coordinator Richard Nagy, the Mountain Hawks have built a unit that’s as disciplined as it is disruptive. It’s a defense built on flexibility, structure, and relentless pursuit — a system that forces opponents to prepare for everything and guarantees they’ll never see the same picture twice.
At the heart of this operation are coaches like Defensive Backs Coach Mike Kashurba, who has shared insight into how Lehigh’s defensive design has evolved — a blend of multiple fronts, split-safety structures, and coverage combinations that balance sound fits with unpredictability.
Here's insight from three of his presentations shared at Lauren's First and Goal over the years.
Multiple Fronts, One Mindset
Lehigh’s foundation lies in the ability to seamlessly toggle between three- and four-down fronts without changing the core responsibilities for most players. The defense operates out of 4-2-5 and 3-3 personnel groupings, using what Kashurba describes as “getting very multiple, very simply.”
“We have the ability to bounce between a four-down and a three-down front in literally the exact same call for nine out of the eleven players on the field,” Kashurba explained.
That flexibility forces offenses to prepare for both structures — and often see both in the same series. The design creates confusion without overloading players with volume, allowing Lehigh’s defenders to play fast and decisive.
The Hawk and the Hybrid Front
One of the unique features of Lehigh’s front structure is the tackle–Hawk exchange, a concept that lets the Hawks disguise who’s on the line of scrimmage and who’s in the fit. The Hawk — a hybrid linebacker/safety — can rush, drop, or fold inside, giving the staff endless ways to alter leverage and disguise pressure.
“The non-traditional spacing element for the offense really should consume a lot of their time, effort, and energy,” Kashurba said. “Where is the Hawk going to be? How is he getting there? It really jams up some angles and makes things tricky.”
That versatility has fueled Lehigh’s dominance against the run. The front can morph from an under front with a shaded nose to a 3-3 structure simply by moving the Hawk, eliminating predictable run fits and keeping the ball funneled to help.
Eliminating Conflict Through Combination Coverages
While the fronts create flexibility, the back end provides control. Against the RPO-driven offenses common in the Patriot League, the Mountain Hawks rely on combination coverages to erase conflict for second-level defenders.
“We try to eliminate conflict as much as we possibly can for the bonus defender,” Kashurba explained. “We’ll play a lot of different split coverages to change the support and create a bonus overlap defender.”
Lehigh mixes read quarters, lock, robber, and bracket coverages versus two-by-two sets, and transitions into one-high structures versus three-by-one to load the box late from light pre-snap looks. The concept is simple: start balanced, finish heavy.
That adaptability gives Lehigh the best of both worlds — a defense that can defend space early and outnumber the run game late, all without substituting or tipping the call.
Complementing Quarters with Three-Deep
In an era where quarters coverage dominates, Lehigh hasn’t forgotten the value of three-deep zone. Kashurba described it as a key complement to the Hawks’ split-safety structure:
“It changes the run-fit system for the offensive line… We’re not predictable. It also eliminates some of the RPO conflicts for our linebackers and protects against level-three RPOs.”
Three-deep allows Lehigh to bail corners from man-match situations, vary coverage leverage, and close the middle of the field without losing aggression up front. It’s a tool that keeps offenses off balance while preserving the simplicity of the teaching system.
Fitting the Scheme to the Personnel
Perhaps the biggest reason Lehigh’s defense has taken off is how naturally the system fits the roster. The staff has recruited and developed an athletic, versatile front seven — long five-techniques, downhill linebackers, and safety bodies who can play multiple roles.
“It fits who we have and who we’ve been able to recruit,” Kashurba said. “You can do a lot more with less and be efficient.”
That efficiency defines Lehigh’s 2025 defense. They don’t rely on exotic pressure packages or wholesale changes. Instead, their disguise, leverage, and precision allow them to dictate tempo and control games.
A Complete Defensive Identity
From top to bottom, Lehigh’s defense reflects a unified vision under Richard Nagy — one that values clarity, adaptability, and constant pressure on the opponent’s mind. With each week, the Mountain Hawks continue to validate that formula, combining a disciplined front with a coverage system designed to frustrate modern offenses.
In a season defined by explosive offenses across the FCS, Lehigh is proving that elite defense still wins — when it’s smart, sound, and built together.
Always be growing!
Coach Grabowski
P.S. Get all three of his presentations together here and save big