Appalachian State Football head coach Dowell Loggains announced Wednesday the hiring of Kevin Higgins, a former college head coach and NFL assistant, as the team’s new Chief of Staff and Pass Game Specialist.
Higgins brings 48 years of coaching experience, including head coaching stints at Lehigh (1994-2000) and The Citadel (2005-13). He also spent time in the NFL with the Detroit Lions (2001-04) and most recently worked at Wake Forest, serving as associate head coach and wide receivers coach (2014-22) before transitioning to general manager (2023-24).
“We’re excited to welcome Kevin and his wife, Kay, to the App Family,” Loggains said. “Kevin’s experience as a college head coach and an NFL assistant, along with his deep recruiting ties in the Carolinas, will be a tremendous asset to our program.”
During his tenure at Wake Forest, Higgins helped the Demon Deacons achieve seven consecutive bowl appearances from 2016-22, securing five victories. In 2021, Wake ranked as high as No. 9 nationally and finished with an 11-3 record, capped by a Gator Bowl win.
“I am extremely excited for the opportunity to coach at Appalachian State,” Higgins said. “Coach Loggains has assembled an outstanding staff, and I look forward to helping build a championship team.”
Higgins played a key role in Wake Forest’s offensive success, as the program was the only ACC team to average at least 30 points per game each year from 2017-22. Several of his wide receivers—A.T. Perry, Greg Dortch, Jaquarii Roberson, Sage Surratt, Kendall Hinton, and Scotty Washington—went on to play in the NFL.
A four-time conference Coach of the Year, Higgins won the Patriot League’s top coaching honor three times (1995, 1998, 2000) at Lehigh and was named SoCon Coach of the Year in 2012 while at The Citadel. That season, his team pulled off back-to-back upsets over No. 3 Georgia Southern and No. 8 Appalachian State.
Higgins also spent four years with the Detroit Lions, first as quarterbacks coach (2001-03) and later as wide receivers coach (2004), helping the team improve each season.
His coaching career began at the high school level before moving to the college ranks, where he worked at Gettysburg, Richmond, and Lehigh before becoming a head coach.
Higgins, a 1977 graduate of West Chester University, played free safety and was named the team’s most valuable defensive back in his senior season. He later earned a master’s degree in physical education from East Stroudsburg in 1981.
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