Florida Atlantic University’s head football coach Zach Kittley officially unveiled his coaching staff for the 2025-26 season on Monday, as the program seeks to build a competitive squad following Kittley’s December 2024 appointment. The announcement was made via the team’s official Instagram page.
In a press release, Kittley expressed his excitement about the new additions to his coaching team. “I am thrilled to welcome Antonio and Brandon to the FAU family,” Kittley said. “Antonio was born and raised in Boca Raton and brings an impressive coaching resume back to his hometown Owls. Brandon also possesses a strong track record of developing talent for the next level. I’m fired up to get started with them and the rest of our talented staff.”
Since his hiring, Kittley has been focused on assembling a skilled coaching staff and roster to help guide the Owls toward a successful season. His 2025 offensive staff features three notable new hires:
DJ McCarthy: Returning to FAU for the third time, McCarthy takes over as the Owls’ wide receivers coach. With 16 years of experience, including a stint in the Canadian Football League (CFL), McCarthy has coached 11 NFL receivers, including K.J. Stroud, formerly of the New York Jets.
Stephen Hamby: A former colleague of Kittley’s at Texas Tech and Western Kentucky, Hamby has been named offensive line coach. He previously coached at Texas Tech, where he helped guide an offense that averaged 34.2 points and 461.4 yards per game in 2024.
Jujuan Dulaney: Dulaney joins FAU as tight ends coach after coaching positions at UTEP and Austin Peay. Dulaney has a strong background in offensive line coaching, having contributed to successful recruiting classes and developing top-ranked players at the University of Texas.
The defensive staff has also undergone a significant overhaul, with six new additions:
Brett Dewhurst: Appointed defensive coordinator, Dewhurst joins FAU from Coastal Carolina, where he coached five defenders to All-Sun Belt honors. Dewhurst has also held coaching positions at Mississippi State and Texas State.
Aaron Schwanz: Schwanz, who coached at Georgia Southern and served as a defensive analyst at Washington and LSU, takes on the role of inside linebackers, corners, and edges coach. He was part of LSU’s national championship defense in 2019.
Devin Santana: Santana, hired as defensive tackles coach, has coached at the University of Miami and UT Martin. He was instrumental in developing NFL Draft pick Colby Wooden during his time at Auburn.
Brandon Lacy: Appointed rush and ends coach in January 2025, Lacy brings 22 years of experience from schools like Western Michigan, Southern Miss, and Richmond. His previous teams were known for their strong defensive lines.
Antonio Fenelus: As cornerbacks coach, Fenelus arrives from Illinois, where he worked as defensive backs coach. A former standout player at Wisconsin, Fenelus also has experience coaching at LSU and East Central University.
Tyler Schovanec: Joining as special teams coordinator, Schovanec returns to FAU after two stints at Texas Tech, where he helped lead the Red Raiders to national recognition in special teams categories. He has also coached at Houston Christian and Case Western.
With these new coaching hires, Kittley and his staff are working toward strengthening both the talent and the coaching framework at FAU, aiming to propel the program to greater success in the coming seasons.
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