Jeff Behrman - Football Coach - Bucknell University Athletics

Jeff Behrman

Title:
Head Coach

Jeff Behrman, a 30-year veteran in the college football coaching ranks who won more than 72 percent of his games as a head coach at John Carroll and Union, was named the 28th Bob Odell Head Football Coach at Bucknell on Jan. 1, 2026.

Behrman (pronounced BEAR-man) came to Bucknell from his alma mater, John Carroll, where he guided the Blue Streaks to a 29-7 record in his three seasons as head coach. Behrman was named the Division III Region 4 Coach of the Year this fall after his top-10 team finished 12-2, won the North Coast Athletic Conference title, and made a run to the NCAA semifinals. John Carroll beat three ranked teams along the way, including a double-overtime thriller over No. 2 Mount Union, which has won a record 13 Division III national championships.

Behrman previously spent seven seasons as the head coach at Union. He inherited a team that had been 0-10 the year before his arrival, and by his fourth season the squad started 10-0, won the Liberty League crown, and reached the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs.

All told, Behrman has a 71-27 record as a head coach, including a 5-3 record in the NCAA Division III playoffs. Prior to his hiring at Union in 2016, Behrman was the offensive coordinator at Division I FCS Stony Brook for 10 seasons. He also had assistant coaching stops at Trinity, Hofstra, Blackburn, Glenville State, and Clarion.

“Jeff Behrman has a three-decade track record as an impactful leader of student-athletes who have achieved tremendous success both on and off the football field, and I am thrilled to welcome Jeff and his family to Bucknell,” said Pavlechko. “Jeff’s record as a head coach speaks for itself – a .724 winning percentage with numerous conference championships, NCAA appearances, and records broken – but what stands out the most is the value he places on developing a team culture defined by accountability, competitiveness, and care for student-athletes, which then serves as the foundation for championship success.”

“Becoming the head football coach at Bucknell is an incredible honor, and I am sincerely grateful to president John Bravman and vice president Tim Pavlechko for their trust and support,” said Behrman. “Bucknell represents excellence, toughness, and integrity, and our goal will be to build a disciplined, competitive program that develops men the right way. My family and I are excited to join the Bucknell community.”

At John Carroll, Behrman led the Blue Streaks to three winning seasons and an NCAC championship in his three years with the program. In his first year at the helm, Behrman guided the Blue Streaks to an 8-2 record, and John Carroll finished 20th in the D3football.com Top 25. He continued to build upon those efforts in his second season, as he led the Blue Streaks to a 9-3 ledger and their first NCAA playoff berth since 2018, where they won a first-round game. This past fall, Behrman led his team to a No. 9 national ranking and a 12-2 record that included an undefeated conference record and the historic run to the NCAA semifinals.

Behrman is known for bringing the best out of his offenses, and John Carroll ranked highly in several categories in every season under his direction. 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. Berhman also oversaw a defense that ranked eighth nationally in total defense and fifth nationally in rushing defense in 2025.

Behrman’s John Carroll teams broke 11 school records, and he coached four All-Americans, including Bucknell graduate Nick Semptimphelter (QB) and Tyren Montgomery (WR) this past season. He also mentored a Gagliardi Trophy (D3 Player of Year) semifinalist, a Rimington Award (nation’s top center) winner, and three conference players of the year, as well as 37 all-conference, 13 all-region, 48 academic all-conference, 15 CSC Academic All-District, and three CSC Academic All-America honorees. The coaching staff also earned major awards in 2025, including NCAC Coaching Staff of the Year and Behrman’s D3football.com Region 4 2025 Coach of the Year honor.

Prior to his time at John Carroll, Behrman completed a remarkable rebuild at Union, where he flipped a winless team into a conference champion and NCAA qualifier in a span of four seasons. He tallied an overall 42-20 record during his time in Schenectady.

Behrman proved to be an adept recruiter at Union, and he won the 2019 AFCA Region 1 Coach of the Year, the Liberty League Coach of the Year, and the ECAC Division III Coach of the Year awards. The Dutchmen won a school-record 21 straight regular-season games from 2018-21. Additionally, he served as a board member for the Capital District Chapter of the National Football Foundation.

The Dutchmen won the 2019 Liberty League title and advanced to the second round of the Division III playoffs after recording the 10th undefeated regular season in school history. During his tenure, Union registered three All-America selections, 16 all-region honorees, 87 All-Liberty League selections (league record 21 in 2019), two CSC Academic All-Americans, 15 CSC Academic All-District selections, 33 National Football Foundation Honor Society selections, over 125 Academic All-Liberty League qualifiers, one Liberty League Offensive Player of the Year, two Liberty League Rookies of the Year, and two ECAC Rookies of the Year. The 2019 coaching staff also earned the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year honor.

Before earning the head job at Union, the seasoned veteran spent 10 seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Stony Brook from 2006-15. The Seawolves won four Big South titles and reached the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs in 2011 and 2012. Behrman helped to mentor tight end Will Tye, who became the first Stony Brook alum to play in an NFL game.

In between a pair of two-season stints at Trinity College (the latter as the offensive coordinator), Behrman worked as the wide receivers coach at Hofstra for two seasons. During his second stint at Trinity, the Bantams went undefeated in back-to-back seasons. He saw his first stint as an offensive coordinator at Blackburn College for the 1999 season.

Behrman’s coaching career started at Clarion, where he served as a graduate assistant during the 1996 season. Behrman then headed to Glenville State for the 1997 and 1998 seasons, where he worked as a wide receivers and tight ends coach.

All told, Behrman has coached 10 players who have gone on to play in the NFL or CFL, including former Hofstra star Marques Colston, who became the New Orleans Saints’ all-time leading receiver. Behrman has been a part of 10 conference championships during his coaching career.

Following a prolific basketball and football career at Stow High School in Ohio, Behrman played quarterback during his undergraduate days at John Carroll. He was elected team captain as a redshirt senior in 1995 and started the season opener at Ohio Wesleyan, however he suffered a broken ankle during the 28-13 win. After spending eight weeks in rehab with eight screws and a metal plate in his ankle, he managed to play a series in each of the final two games of the campaign. Behrman’s comeback story earned him recognition as a 1995 NSCA All-American Strength & Conditioning Athlete of the Year.

Behrman earned a number of accolades during his playing career at John Carroll, including the team’s Leadership Award and Loyalty Award following the 1995 campaign. He notched Academic All-OAC honors and won the Jerry D. Keller Award for Outstanding Community Service. He received his bachelor of arts degree in physical education in December 1995, and he later earned a master of science degree in community health promotion from West Virginia University in May 1998.

Behrman came to Lewisburg with his wife, Karen, and son, Brock, who is a junior on the lacrosse team at Notre Dame and was a member of the Fighting Irish’s 2024 national-championship team.