The Villanova Wildcats garnered their second consecutive season with 10 wins in 2024, led by a stunning defensive front that helped them outscore their opponents by over 60 total points in 14 games. 

The Wildcats went on to compete in the FCS Playoffs, making it all the way to the second round before narrowly falling to Incarnate Wood, who they held to just 13 points. 

• 5 Biggest Things That Happened In College Football On FloFootball In 2024
• Subscribe To FloCollege To Watch College Sports Live And On-Demand
• FloCollege FAQ: Everything To Know About The New Home For College Sports

On defense, two fifth-year stars shined for Villanova in what would be their last season as Wildcats. Cornerback Isas Waxter and linebacker Brandon Bell finished with multiple accolades for their efforts, including Stats Perform FCS All-America Team selections and CAA Football First Team Defense honors. 

Waxter totaled 33 tackles, forced three fumbles, recovered one, and made two pass breakups. Bell led the team with 126 tackles on the season and 16 tackles for loss, alongside three sacks, one interception returned for a touchdown, and three fumble recoveries. 

The loss of both Waxter and Bell will be carefully considered heading into the 2025 season, and many of their fellow defensemen look to also graduate. While the updated roster has yet to be announced, rising senior linebacker Shane Hartzell might be the best case for replacing Bell and guiding the next generation of Wildcats to another successful season. Hartzell notched 121 tackles and a team-high five sacks last season. 

The 2025-2026 season will mark the last for Villanova in the CAA, as the program accepted an invitation to the Patriot League beginning with the 2026 season. 

Who Is The Villanova Football Coach?

Villanova head coach Mike Ferrante has been a generational impact on the Wildcats program, and looks to continue leaving his legacy in 2025. Ferrante will enter his ninth season with the team and 39th year overall to include his 30 years as assistant head coach from 1987-2016. 

Ferrante finally helped the Wildcats to emerge as a force not to be reckoned with in 2021 when Villanova took home a conference title and became the No. 8 seed in the FCS playoffs. He brought the Wildcats to another conference championship win in 2023 and the quarterfinal round of the FCS playoffs before taking them to the playoffs again in 2024, unfortunately missing out on the conference championship. 

In total, Ferrante has been part of all 16 FCS playoff appearances and nearly 300 victories for Villanova. 

Villanova Football 2024 Results

*NCAA DI FCS Playoffs

• August 29 - Youngstown State - W, 24-17
• September 7 - Colgate - W, 28-3
• September 14 - Towson - W, 14-13
• September 21 - Maryland - L, 20-38
• September 28 - LIU - W, 24-10
• October 5 - Stony Brook - W, 42-24
• October 19 - Maine - L, 7-35
• October 26 - New Hampshire - W, 14-6
• November 2 - Hampton - W, 20-14
• November 9 - North Carolina A&T - W, 31-3
• November 16 - Monmouth - L, 33-40
• November 23 - Delaware - W, 38-28
• November 30 - Eastern Kentucky - W, 22-17*
• December 7 - Incarnate Wood - L, 6-13*

2025 Villanova Football Schedule

• September 6 - 6:00 p.m. - Colgate
• September 13 - 3:30 p.m. - Penn State
• September 20 - 1:00 p.m. - Monmouth
• September 27 - 3:30 p.m. - William & Mary
• October 4 - 1:00 p.m. - New Hampshire
• October 11 - 2:00 p.m. - Elon
• October 18 - 1:00 p.m. - Hampton
• October 25 - 3:30 p.m. - UAlbany
• November 8 - 1:00 p.m. - Towson
• November 15 - 1:00 p.m. Stony Brook
• November 22 - 1:00 p.m. - Sacred Heart

Villanova Football Roster

Villanova has not updated its roster to reflect the 2025 season. Check back for updates.

Villanova Football Coaching Staff

• Mark Ferrante - Thomas and Diane Treacy Endowed Football Head Coach
• Chris Boden - Assistant Coach (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)
• Ross Pennypacker - Assistant Coach (Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line)
• Sean Devine - Assistant Coach (Offensive Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line)
• David Riede - Assistant Coach (Recruiting Coordinator/Linebackers)
• Nate Pagan - Assistant Coach (Wide Receivers)
• Matt Colangelo - Assistant Coach (Special Teams Coordinator/Safeties)
• Josh Fletcher - Assistant Coach (Running Backs)
• Dustin Johnson - Assistant Coach (Cornerbacks)
• Lachlan Kline - Offensive Assistant (Tight Ends)
• Ricky Venuto - Defensive Assistant
• TJ Landis - Coordinator Of Football Video Operations & Administrative Services
• Mike Tucker - Strength & Conditioning

Archived Footage On FloCollege

Video footage from all events will be archived and stored in a video library for FloFootball subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscription.

Watch The 2025 College Football Season On FloCollege

FloFootball is the home of the best FCS, Division II, and Division III football action all season long. 

Don't miss the latest college football action by bookmarking the FloFootball schedule page for the latest games. 

Join The College Football Conversation

• Follow us on Twitter @FloCollegeFB
• Follow us on Instagram @FloCollegeFootball
• Follow us on TikTok @FloCollegeFootball
• Watch us on YouTube
• Like us on Facebook