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Mike Sirianni (Mount Union '94), one of NCAA football's most successful head coaches and the winningest football coach in W&J history, enters his 23rd season as the head coach at Washington & Jefferson College in 2025.
Sirianni's winning percentage of .808 (194-46) places him among the best active NCAA football coaches (FBS, FCS, D-II, or D-III) with at least 10 years of experience. At the conclusion of the 2024 season, Sirianni ranks seventh in winning percentage among active head coaches across all divisions with 10+ years of experience. Among that group, he ranks fourth best among all Division III coaches.
An eight-time Presidents' Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, the 2012 D3football.com South Region Coach of the Year and the 2017 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Region 2 Coach of the Year, Sirianni has led W&J to the postseason in 19 of his 22 seasons, including 11 NCAA playoff appearances. Sirianni's squads have won at least nine games 15 times, including three-straight, 10-plus win seasons from 2006-08.
Sirianni guided the Presidents back to the NCAA Playoffs in 2024. W&J captured its conference-leading 27th Presidents' Athletic Conference title with a 45-0 shutout victory over Allegheny on Nov. 16. This marked the 12th time that Sirianni has guided W&J to the NCAA Playoffs overall. This marked the 41st straight season that W&J finished with a winning record, as only Linfield (68) and Mount Union (46) have longer such streaks. During that streak, the Red and Black have won at least eight games 36 times. W&J collected three major PAC awards, as Sirianni earned Coach of the Year honors while Jake Pugh (Offensive Player of the Year) and Dawson Dietz (Defensive Player of the Year) collected individual honors. Dietz went on to earn his third-straight All-America First Team honor from D3football.com. Dietz was among six D3football.com All-Region selections. W&J finished the season ranked in the Top 25 of both the AFCA Coaches Poll and the D3football.com Poll.
Under Sirianni's direction, W&J finished the 2023 campaign with a 9-2 overall record. The Presidents capped the season with a 46-21 win over the United States Merchant Marine Academy in the 2023 ECAC James Lynah Bowl. Dawson Dietz received First Team All-America honors for a second-straight year from D3football.com. On the offensive side of the ball, quarterback Jacob Pugh enjoyed a breakout season, as he was named PAC Offensive Player of the Year and ECAC Offensive Player of the Year. Four players earned D3football.com All-Region, six players were named to the ECAC teams and 15 Presidents were All-PAC honorees.
The Presidents finished with a 9-2 record in 2022. W&J capped the season with a 35-18 win over Hobart College in the ECAC Asa S. Bushnell Bowl on Nov. 19. Four Presidents earned All-Region status from D3football.com, including Dawson Dietz as a First Team pick. Six Presidents picked up First Team All-PAC honors while 17 student-athletes earned a spot on the All-PAC Teams. Aside from its bowl win over Hobart, the Presidents also snagged wins over traditional power John Carroll along with victories over Westminster and Grove City, a pair of conference foes who qualified for the postseason.
W&J finished the 2021 campaign with an 8-3 overall record and an appearance in the ECAC Clayton Chapman Bowl. The Presidents opened the season on a high note as they toppled No. 11 John Carroll on the road by a 21-14 decision. Both Andrew Wolf and Justin Huss earned All-Region honors from D3football.com following the season. A total of 17 players, including seven first team selections, were honored on the 2021 All-PAC Football Teams. Additionally, Sean Doran and Alex Keith were recognized as CoSIDA Academic All-Americans.
The Presidents opened the 2019 season with a 16-8 win over nationally-ranked Wittenberg and concluded the season by overcoming a 17-point third quarter deficit to defeat Ithaca 20-17 in the ECAC Asa S. Bushnell Bowl. The 2019 President defense ranked among the best in Division III, ranking second in the nation in sacks (4.27), third in takeaways (34), sixth in third down defense (25.6 percent), seventh in team tackles for loss (9.1), ninth in red zone defense (52.6 percent), 10th in passes intercepted (18) and 12th in defensive touchdowns (4). The Presidents boasted the number-one scoring defense (16.1) and total defense (297.6) in the PAC. Senior defensive tackle Mike Williams was honored as an All-American by The Associated Press and D3football.com. Sophomore returner Joey Koroly joined Williams as a D3football.com All-American, and senior defensive lineman Conor Manning was named a First Team CoSIDA Academic All-American.
With a 33-14 road win over Waynesburg on Nov. 10, 2018, the W&J football team claimed its 26th Presidents' Athletic Conference championship. Following the conclusion of the 2018 season, sophomore wide receiver Andrew Wolf was named a unanimous All-America selection.
On November 11, 2017, the Presidents clinched the program's 25th Presidents' Athletic Conference championship and a 10-0 regular season with a 42-0 win over Waynesburg. That victory was the 138th for Sirianni as he moved into sole possession of first place on the school's wins list, passing Hall of Famer John Luckhardt.
The 2017 Presidents won 11 games and their 25th PAC title and hosted two NCAA Division III playoff games for the first time since 2004. W&J also earned ECAC Division III Team of the Year honors for the first time. Wide receiver Jesse Zubik broke nearly every W&J and PAC receiving record en route to unanimous First Team All-America honors (AFCA, AP, D3football.com), while cornerback O'Shea Anderson was a consensus All-American after claiming First Team honors from the Associated Press and Third Team accolades from D3football.com.
In 2016, W&J once again had one of the most prolific offenses in Division III, averaging 455.7 yards of total offense and 37.5 points per game. Wide receiver Jesse Zubik earned Second Team All-America honors from D3football.com and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), while also being recognized as an Associated Press Second Team Little All-American, which recognizes players from NCAA Divisions II and III and the NAIA.
The 2015 campaign saw the Presidents finish with an 8-2 record, the 12th season with at least eight wins under Sirianni.
W&J captured its 24th PAC Championship during the 2014 season with a 10-2 overall record and defeated Wittenberg 41-25 in the first round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. In 2010, W&J secured the ECAC Division III Southwest Bowl with a 54-41 victory over Franklin & Marshall. Seven years earlier, the Presidents routed Wilkes 41-19 to win the same ECAC bowl game.
The 2012, 2013 and 2014 Presidents were PAC co-champions and earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs.
Since Sirianni’s arrival at Washington & Jefferson, the Presidents have shattered over 100 individual or team offensive records. Sirianni has a knack for developing great quarterbacks as Brian Dawson ’03, Chris Edwards ’06, Bobby Swallow ’09 and Pete Coughlin '16 hold nearly every record in W&J history. The quartet combined to throw for nearly 40,000 yards and almost 400 touchdowns.
W&J advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2008 and finished with an 11-2 overall record. Following a 35-29 victory over Christopher Newport in the opening round of the NCAA playoffs, the Presidents traveled to Mississippi and knocked off the South Region’s top seed, third-ranked Millsaps, 35-20. Washington & Jefferson set school records for total offense (6,118 yards) and points (532) during the 2008 campaign. The 11 victories marked the fourth time in six years that W&J reached double-digit win totals.
In 2007, Sirianni earned his third Presidents’ Athletic Conference Coach of the Year award after leading W&J to its ninth undefeated regular season (2nd under Sirianni) in school history. Washington & Jefferson ranked second in the nation in total offense (518.7 ypg) and fourth in scoring (46.2 ppg).
The 2006 Presidents won the PAC title and won 10 consecutive games after dropping its season opener. Sirianni helped W&J reach the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs and his offense committed the fewest turnovers in the nation with only 10 in 12 contests.
W&J finished the 2005 campaign with the sixth-best overall (501.8 ypg) and passing (327.3 ypg) offenses in NCAA Division III. W&J also finished fourth in the country with an average of 41.9 points per contest.
In 2004, Sirianni, a former Washington-Greene County College Men’s Coach of the Year, helped W&J set a new school record with 12 victories after the Presidents advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III playoffs for the first time since 1995. W&J also strung together a school-record 12-game win streak.
As the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 1999-2002, Sirianni brought yearly national recognition to W&J’s offensive unit. He is credited with the development of former W&J quarterback Brian Dawson, who finished his career with 10,259 passing yards, the fifth-highest total in NCAA Division III history.
Washington & Jefferson ranked fifth in the country in total offense in 2000, averaging 500.8 yards per game. He helped Dawson lead all NCAA divisions (I, II or III) in passing efficiency with a rating of 201.5.
In 1998, he served as the offensive coordinator at Wilkes, where he helped the Colonels achieve national rankings in pass offense and passing efficiency.
Prior to coaching at Wilkes, Sirianni spent three years as the wide receivers coach at his alma mater, Mount Union. During his stint as a coach, the Purple Raiders won national championships in 1996 and 1997. Before his time at Mount Union, he also served one year on the staff at Ithaca as a graduate assistant coach, while earning his master’s degree in exercise and sports management.
As a player, Sirianni was a three-year starter and two-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference selection as a wide receiver and won a national championship in 1993. He also was a four-time conference triple jump champion on the Mount Union track team.
Sirianni is a member of two Hall of Fames - The Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2022 and the Washington-Greene Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024.
Sirianni and his wife Jennifer, reside in Hopewell, Pa. They have two daughters, Jenna and Jordan. Jordan is currently a freshman member of the W&J women's volleyball program.
His brother, Nick, was named the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles on Jan. 24, 2021. Nick guided the Eagles to the Super Bowl LIX title on Feb. 9, 2025. Their father, Fran, was inducted into the Clarion (Pa.) Sports Hall of Fame in 2015 for football and track & field.
| Year-by-Year Record |
| 2024 |
9-2 |
| 2023 |
9-2 |
| 2022 |
9-2 |
| 2021 |
8-3 |
| 2020-21 |
3-1 |
| 2019 |
8-3 |
| 2018 |
9-2 |
| 2017 |
11-1 |
| 2016 |
9-2 |
| 2015 |
8-2 |
| 2014 |
10-2 |
| 2013 |
8-3 |
| 2012 |
8-3 |
| 2011 |
6-4 |
| 2010 |
9-2 |
| 2009 |
9-2 |
| 2008 |
11-2 |
| 2007 |
10-1 |
| 2006 |
10-2 |
| 2005 |
9-2 |
| 2004 |
12-1 |
| 2003 |
9-2 |
| Total |
194-46 |
Updated 2/10/2025
