The downfall of Delaware Valley football

Since 2003, Delaware Valley has gone .500 or better in every season, but more than that, they’ve been elite.

The Aggies made the playoffs 12 times in that stretch, playing in a postseason game every year except 2007.

Their run of dominance carried over to Middle Atlantic Conference play as they went six years without a single conference loss.

All of a sudden, Delaware Valley is 2-3 heading into the back half of this year on the heels of (arguably) their worst loss in years.

How did the Aggies fall so far? How have they been dominant for years? What’s left for them to reverse course for the final five games?

Mangus takes over in 2002

From 1986 to 2001, the Delaware Valley program did not have a single winning season, as four coaches entered and left with little success.

The Aggies finally got on the right path in 2002 when G. A. Mangus was hired as the program’s 15th-ever head coach in its 54-year history.

Mangus got the team on the right path the year after, leading them to a 35-12 record in four seasons and back-to-back Division III playoff appearances for the first time in school history.

His career in Doylestown was cut short as he bounced around in the FBS as an assistant coach until 2015.

Clements and Greco continue the tradition

Jim Clements laid the foundation for success at Delaware Valley, boasting a 67-24 record over eight years.

In that stretch, the Aggies had three second-round exits in the playoffs with their worst season being a 5-5 mark in 2007. Clements left the program in 2014, where he still leads Division II Kutztown today.

Duke Greco picked up where Clements left off, leading Delaware Valley to their longstanding conference win streak of 54 games from October 28, 2016, to September 14, 2024.

Under the leadership of Greco, the Aggies made it to the quarterfinals twice before getting bounced out by perennial powers North Central in 2019 and Mount Union in 2022.

A complete 180 in 2025

Mike Isgro was tasked to lead the program in 2024 after Greco left for the Division II West Chester job for the same position.

Delaware Valley’s opener against Hampden-Sydney ended up being the team’s biggest regular-season loss since the one in 2023 against Cortland, both by 29 points.

The road did not get any easier as the Aggies lost back-to-back conference games for the first time since October 26 and November 2 in 2013.

Losing starting quarterback Louie Barrios IV to graduation and running back Jack Fallon to the transfer portal dealt some blows in the offseason, with the offense still in rebuild mode.

Postseason hopes hang in the balance

Making the playoffs at this point is not very likely, but thanks to the MAC’s partnership with the Centennial Conference, the Aggies’ season could still be extended.

The top three teams from the two conferences that did not make the playoffs will face off in the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series on November 22.

Five more conference games for the MAC could have enough shakeup for Delaware Valley to sneak in.

The Aggies face two playoff contenders and three teams near the bottom of the conference to close out the regular season.

Bryan Portney is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email bep5295@psu.edu.