Bucknell Football Announces New Staff Hires
1/9/2026 3:30:00 PM | Football
LEWISBURG, Pa. — Bucknell football's offensive staff and defensive coordinator have officially been named for the 2026 season. Head coach Jeff Behrman announced seven new members of his staff on Friday afternoon, and the newcomers include; Travis James (offensive coordinator), Jeffrey Long Jr. (defensive coordinator), Rex Rover (wide receivers/recruiting coordinator), Drew Chance (quarterbacks), Mac Austin (tight ends), Joe Collins (running backs) and Tyler Hughes (director of football operations/video operations).
Alongside the new hires, assistant coach McNeil Parker (defensive backs) will be returning to the Bison for his fourth season.
Coach Behrman will enter his first season as the 28th Bob Odell Head Football Coach, after being named to the position earlier this month. Behrman came to Bucknell from his alma mater, John Carroll, where he guided the Blue Streaks to a 29-7 record in his three seasons at the helm and earned several coaching honors.
Behrman and the new staff will be formally introduced at a press conference on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 3:30 p.m. The press conference will be streamed live on Bucknell Athletics YouTube.
Below is more information on the Bucknell football program's new hires ahead of the 2026 season that features its strongest Patriot League conference schedule to date.
TRAVIS JAMES
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Travis James joined the Bucknell football staff as the offensive coordinator in January 2026.
James most recently spent three seasons at John Carroll with head coach Jeff Behrman, before following him to the Bison. While there, the Blue Streaks ranked in the top-10 nationally in team passing efficiency (5th, 2023) (4th, 2024) (6th, 2025), team completion percentage (5th, 2023) (2nd, 2024) (1st, 2025), and third-down conversion percentage (3rd, 2023) (6th, 2025). John Carroll players ranked at the top of their positions each year in statistics such as completion percentage, pass efficiency, and receiving yards. John Carroll teams over the three seasons broke 11 school records, and saw four All-Americans, including Bucknell graduate Nick Semptimphelter (QB) and Tyren Montgomery (WR) this past season.
Under James' direction in 2024, Semptimphelter set the career records for completion percentage (74.4%) and passing efficiency (194.0). Semptimphelter also finished 3rd in JCU history in passing yards per game with 242.7. Montgomery set the single season JCU receiving TD record and won the OAC Ed Sherman Wide Receiver of the Year award in 2024. Matt Wrather won D3football.com and AFCA All-America honors, the OAC's Ken Wable Offensive Lineman of the Year award for the second straight season, the first two-time winner in JCU Football history. He was also a College Sports Communicators Academic All-America® distinction for the second time.
Prior to his time at John Carroll, James followed Behrman from Union College, where he served as offensive coordinator for two seasons. Before Union, James had stints as the offensive coordinator and then head coach at Rhodes College, the offensive line coach, offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator and then associate head coach at his alma mater, Illinois College. James started his collegiate coaching career in 2014 at Missouri Baptist University coaching the offensive line, tight ends and serving as the recruiting coordinator.
JEFFREY LONG JR.
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Jeffrey Long Jr. joined the Bucknell football staff as the defensive coordinator in January 2026.
Long came to the Bison from Moravian University where he served as the head football coach for three seasons and saw an overall 13-18 record. He had the most wins in his first two seasons with the program since Rocco Calvo was at the helm in 1955-56. Long also led the team to become the 2024 Chesapeake Challenge Cape Charles Bowl champions during his tenure.
The New Jersey native coached eight All-Landmark Conference First Team selections, 12 All-Landmark Conference Second Team selections, five D3football.com All-Region 2 selections, three Landmark Conference All-Sportsmanship honorees and three National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society members while at Moravian. Long himself was selected to the AFCA 35 under 35 Coaching Leadership Program in 2024.
Long joined the Greyhounds in 2023 and produced the most program wins since 2019. In his second season at Moravian as the head coach, Long's squad produced a 7-4 overall record and a 4-2 conference record, which was the team's first winning record in nine years. The Greyhounds also earned their first postseason win in 14 years. In the 2024 season, Long led Moravian to be ranked number one in several categories in their conference: scoring defense, total defense, passing defense, passing defense efficiency, red zone defense, passing offense and net punting.
Prior to his time with Moravian, Long served as a defensive coordinator for three seasons and a defensive line coach for three seasons at John Carroll University from 2017-22, where he coached a team that had the most sacks per game in college football.
Before John Carroll, Long had stints at Wilkes University as a defensive line coach and saw time as an assistant coach at the high school level with Absegami High School in New Jersey and Emmaus High School.
Long served as a scouting intern for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015.
REX ROVER
ASSISTANT COACH (WIDE RECEIVERS)/ RECRUITING COORDINATOR
Rex Rover joined the Bucknell football staff as a wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator in January 2026.
Most recently, Rover spent five seasons with the John Carroll University football program before he followed head coach Jeff Behrman to Bucknell.
Rover spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons as the pass game coordinator, recruiting coordinator and director of football operations for the Blue Streaks. He continued to earn more responsibilities every season with the Blue Streaks. In 2022, Rover was given the duties of the director of football operations and in 2023, he became the recruiting coordinator as well in addition to working with the wide receivers.
Under Rover's direction, wide receiver Tyren Montgomery gained star status in his first season at John Carroll. Montgomery set the program record for receiving touchdowns in a season with 17. Montgomery was named to the All-OAC first team and the Ken Wable award winner for the OAC's top receiver, becoming the first Blue Streak in 12 years to win the award. Dorian Facen Jr. was tabbed Honorable Mention status in 2024 as well with 529 yards receiving.
Prior to John Carroll, Rover spent the 2020-2021 season as an offensive quality control/assistant running backs coach at William & Mary. Before William & Mary, he spent the 2019-20 season at the University of San Diego as an offensive assistant/assistant tight ends coach. USD was a 2019 FCS Playoffs participant after winning the Pioneer Football League while ranked in the FCS top 10 in several Offensive Categories. During his time in San Diego, Rover worked closely with future NFL player Dalton Kincaid, who was named an AP All-American (Third Team) as a sophomore after recording 44 receptions, 835 receiving yards, and 8 TDs in 12 games.
DREW CHANCE
ASSISTANT COACH (QUARTERBACKS)
Drew Chance joined the Bucknell football staff as a quarterbacks coach in January 2026.
Most recently, Chance spent the 2025 season as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Bethel University at the NAIA level, where he led two all-conference players in offensive linemen Jaden Taylor and wide receiver Ray Harvey.
Prior to Bethel, Chance spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at his alma mater, Illinois College. Chance made an immediate impact in his short stint with the Blue Boys, leading the team to a 9-1 record with an NCAA Division III playoff appearance after a 5-5 season the year prior. Illinois would go on to have two historic seasons under Chance. The Blue Boys ranked first among Division III programs in total offense (554.6 ypg) and ranked first in passing offense (381.9 ypg) in 2023. The Blue Boys also ranked top-10 in scoring (45.7 ppg) and top-30 in red zone offense, turnover margin and first downs.
Chance began his coaching career at West Virginia State University, serving as the pass game coordinator while coaching the quarterback and tight end position groups.
He was a prolific quarterback himself at Illinois College where he led the Midwest Conference in total offense during the 2017, 2018, and 2019 seasons. He ranks top-five in program history in passing attempts, completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns. At the high school level, Chance led Auburn High School (Ill.) to its first State Championship appearance in 2015.
MAC AUSTIN
ASSISTANT COACH (TIGHT ENDS)
Mac Austin joined the Bucknell football staff as the tight ends coach in January 2026.
He comes to the Bison after one-year stints at Harvard and New Mexico. Austin most recently served as a defensive graduate assistant at New Mexico. Prior to New Mexico, Austin was the defensive quality control coach at Harvard and was a part of the Crimson's 2024 Ivy League Championship. At Harvard, Austin also coached All-Ivy League players in Jacob Psyk and Tyler Huenemann.
Austin began his coaching career at his alma mater John Carroll, where he coached with head coach Jeff Behrman. Austin was the tight ends coach for the Blue Streaks, where he coached Lucas D'Orazio to First Team All-OAC and First Team All-Region honors.
He played linebacker for the Blue Streaks from 2017-2021 and earned a BA in Communications and a Master's in Sports Leadership, both from John Carroll University, in 2022. Austin is a native of Aurora, Ohio.
JOE COLLINS
ASSISTANT COACH (RUNNING BACKS)
Joe Collins joined the Bucknell football staff as the running backs coach in January 2026.
Collins most recently served as a graduate assistant coach at Temple. For the Owls, he worked closely with the wide receivers. Collins mentored JoJo Bermudez, a Pro Football & Sports Network 2025 Second Team All-American Conference selection.
Collins served under coach Jeff Behrman at John Carroll in 2024 as a running backs coach. The Blue Streaks were successful on the ground under Collins, ranking fourth in the OAC in rushing and third in total offense. He also led Evan McVay, an All-OAC Honorable Mention, who ran for 493 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Collins was a successful quarterback and captain at John Carroll in his playing days, where he set season and career records for pass completion percentage, pass efficiency, and average yards per pass for the program. With Collins at quarterback, the Blue Streaks enjoyed back-to-back 8-2 seasons. Collins was a two-time All-OAC player, making the Second Team in 2022 and improved to a First Team selection in 2023.
TYLER HUGHES
DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL OPERATIONS & VIDEO OPERATIONS
Tyler Hughes joined the Bucknell football staff as the director of football operations & video operations in January 2026.
A John Carroll graduate, Hughes most recently served as a graduate assistant coach for his alma mater, working closely with the tight ends.
Hughes coached Kenneth Rawls, who earned a spot on the All-NCAC Second Team in 2025 and was an All-OAC First Team selection in 2024. In 2025, Rawls finished third on the team and ranked 11th in the NCAC with 61 receptions for 669 yards and nine touchdowns. In 2024, Rawls went for 317 yards and was second on the team with six touchdowns.
In 2025, the Blue Streaks ranked 30th in total offense, 36th in passing offense, sixth in team passing efficiency and 12th in red zone offense nationally. Among the NCAC, the Blue Streaks led the conference in scoring, total offense, passing offense, team passing efficiency and receiving touchdowns.
Just a year prior, the Blue Streaks ranked second in team passing efficiency and ranked top-50 in total offense, scoring and red zone offense nationally.
At John Carroll, Hughes played tight end for the Blue Streaks from 2018-22. After graduating from John Carroll with a major in exercise science, Hughes served as an offensive graduate assistant coach before coming back to his alma mater. He worked closely with the tight ends and assisted with the quarterbacks during that time.
