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| Southern Virginia athletics photo |
Southern Virginia athletic director Josh Monsen announced that Chris Ehorn Jr. has been named interim head football coach.
He'll replace Joe DuPaix who stepped down after three seasons at the helm, in his second stint as head coach at Southern Virginia. Ehorn arrived on campus ahead of the 2025 campaign after being named defensive coordinator. Shortly after a record-breaking season, he was promoted to associate head coach.
DuPaix left in June to return to his home state of Utah and become head coach at the American Leadership Academy, a K-12 school. He was 12-38 in two stints as head coach at SVU, in 2016-17 and 2023-25.
"Coach Ehorn is primed to do a tremendous job for our football team. He's been impactful the moment he stepped on campus. He will do great things for our program and we're excited for the upcoming season," said Monsen.
Under his watch, the defense improved significantly in just one season. They recovered the second most fumbles in Division lll and were second in the USA South with 12 interceptions, four of which were returned for touchdowns. As a result, the Knights enjoyed the program's winningest campaign in over a decade.
Shortly after his appointment as lead man, Ehorn announced adjustments to his coaching staff. Notably, after several seasons as the Knights' defensive backs coach, Will Ortiz has been named defensive coordinator. Additionally, John Martinez will serve as special teams coordinator and the offensive line coach.
When asked about the upcoming season, Ehorn expressed excitement about the group.
"We return a lot of veteran players, guys who have seen what it takes to succeed. Another reason for excitement is our incoming freshman class. It could be the best class in program history."
Several players have thrived individually under Ehorn's watch, including Ty Smith, an All-USA South safety who became just the second player in program history to garner All-Region honors. Tradyn Henderson also received All-USA South recognition on the defensive line.
Southern Virginia is slated to open the 2026 season with a visit to the defending NCAA Division lll national champions, UW-River Falls.