Wachenheim Receives Contract Extension Through 2025 Season

Lenny Brown, then-acting director of athletics, announced Sept. 1 that Scott Wachenheim, head football coach, has agreed to terms for a contract extension that will run through the 2025 season.

Wachenheim—who led VMI football to a historic season last spring as the Keydets won their first Southern Conference football championship since 1977 and made their first FCS playoff appearance—received a three-year extension beyond the existing contract which was set to expire following the 2022 season.

Entering his seventh season as VMI’s head football coach, Wachenheim guided the Keydets to a 6-2 season mark and the 2020-21 Southern Conference football championship after going 6-1 in league play—securing the Institute’s first outright league championship since 1974. VMI also attained its first FCS national ranking and completed the year ranked 12th in the polls while also earning its first ever FCS playoff appearance. The season was VMI’s first winning campaign since 1981. The Keydets also successfully defended the Silver Shako trophy, awarded to the winner of the series with The Citadel, for the first time since 1995-96.

The spring 2021 football season was highlighted by an undefeated 3-0 road record in the regular season—the program’s first since 1922.

“We’re excited to extend the contract of Coach Scott Wachenheim after such a historic year and bringing VMI football back to prominence in both the Southern Conference and FCS,” said Brown. “We look forward to his continued leadership moving forward as he leads the program to more accomplishments in the years ahead.”

Wachenheim was named 2021 Spring FCS national coach of the year by Stats Perform, which presented him the prestigious Eddie Robinson Award, and was also named FCS national coach of the year by the American Football Coaches Association. Wachenheim was a consensus Southern Conference Coach of the Year voted by both the media and coaches and was tabbed top Division I coach in the Commonwealth of Virginia by both the Virginia Sports Information Directors and Touchdown Club of Richmond. Wachenheim was also named Southern Conference Coach of the Year in 2019.

“Coach Wachenheim is a proven winner whose development of our cadet-athletes goes well beyond the football field,” said Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins ’85, superintendent. “His dedication to producing leaders of character both on and off the field perfectly aligns with the VMI mission. I look forward to watching Coach Wachenheim’s teams competing and winning for many years to come.”

“I would like to thank Major General Wins and acting athletic director Lenny Brown for their confidence in our staff to continue to lead the VMI football program,” said Wachenheim. “I am especially appreciative of our players’ and staff’s efforts that produced a season to remember this past spring. We have built a culture that I am very proud of, and the best is yet to come.”

Editor’s Note: This article was first published at vmikeydets.com.