BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Moravian University Head Football Coach Jeff Pukszyn '98 has stepped down from his position after 12 seasons as head coach and 29 years with the Greyhound football program.
"I'd like to thank Coach Pukszyn for his unwavering dedication to Moravian student-athletes, which goes back more than twenty years when he joined the football coaching staff after completing a stellar career playing defense for the Greyhounds," said Bryon Grigsby, president of Moravian University. "Jeff and his family will always be part of the Greyhound family, and I wish him nothing but the best at his next coaching stop."
Pukszyn took over the head coach position on July 1, 2011 after ten years as assistant head coach. In his time leading the program, Pukszyn coached one All-American, 52 All-Centennial Conference players and a Centennial Conference Rookie of the Year. In 2015, Pukszyn guided the Hounds to an 8-2 regular season and an 8-3 overall mark, just the fifth eight-win season in school history. The squad also played in the postseason with a berth in the inaugural Centennial Conference-Middle Atlantic Conference Bowl Series.
"I speak for the entire Moravian Athletic Department in wishing Jeff all the best as he moves on to the next phase in his career," commented Director of Athletics/Head Women's Basketball Coach Mary Beth Spirk. "A true Hound, player, coach and Hall of Famer, we are grateful for his service on the football field, in mentoring countless young men, as well as a valued colleague in the office. We wish him and his family well as he moves into his next chapter."
Pukszyn joined the Moravian staff as a part-time coach in 1997 after a three-year playing career that saw him named to the All-Middle Atlantic Conference First Team in 1994 and 1996. He was a two-time captain, and Pukszyn was selected to the Moravian Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019 for his playing career. Pukszyn became a full-time member of the coaching staff in 1999 as defensive coordinator and added the titles of assistant head coach in 2001 and special teams coordinator in 2007. He was a part of 286 games for Moravian since 1994.
"I want to thank everyone at Moravian University for all of the opportunities I've been given over the last 29 years," Pukszyn stated. "From accepting me as a transfer student and giving me a chance to play football for Scot Dapp, to my first coaching job and ultimately to leading our Greyhound football family for the last 12 years. We've had a great run, and as I always say, we're all part of this brotherhood as Moravian football players. I will always be a part of that and look forward to being involved as an alum and following the program from afar.
"I've been fortunate to have built special relationships with the Moravian community, fellow coaches and many student-athletes," continued Pukszyn. "However, with my family's blessing, I've decided that this is the time to step away from the program and focus on my wife and three children who have supported me throughout this journey. I couldn't have spent the last 12 years as the head coach at my alma mater without them."
A national search for a new head football coach will begin immediately as the Greyhounds transition from an associate member of the Centennial Conference to the Landmark Conference in the fall of 2023.
