Bill Kavanaugh has been the head football coach at UMass Dartmouth for 17 of the program’s 19 varsity seasons. In those 17 seasons, Kavanaugh’s teams have compiled a 104-64 won-loss record(.619 winning percentage), including UMass Dartmouth’s first outright New England Football Conference title in 2002 with a perfect 11-0 regular season record. The Corsairs have won five games in each of the past two seasons. In 2003, UMass Dartmouth was 9-2 overall and earned their first post-season victory, a 21-7 win over Worcester State in the 2003 ECAC Northeast Championship Bowl. The Corsairs have finished with a .500 or better record in 14 of the 17 seasons since Kavanaugh succeeded Paul Harrison after the 1989 season.
In 2002, Kavanaugh was chosen NEFC Coach of the Year for the third time. He also earned Boston Gridiron Club and New England Football Writers Coach of the Year honors.Kavanaugh was NEFC Coach of the Year in 1991 and again in 1994, when he led the Corsairs to their first post season appearance in the ECAC North-West playoff game.Since that season, UMass Dartmouth has been among the top teams in the NEFC, and several times has been ranked among the top teams in Division III in the region. Under Kavanaugh’s guidance, UMass Dartmouth was ranked in the top ten of the final ECAC New England Division III football coaches poll in both 1997 and 1998, and again in 2001 and 2002. The Corsairs shared the NEFC title in 1994, and had three consecutive 8-2 seasons from 1996 through 1998.
UMass Dartmouth has put together offensive and defensive units which have been nationally ranked in NCAA Division III in recent years and has had several players earn both NEFC All-Star and Player of the Year honors in addition to garnering regional and national honors. Players on Kavanaugh's teams have twice been named NEFC Offensive Player of the Year, and have earned an NEFC Defensive Player of the Year Award as well.
Prior to taking over the Corsairs’ football program in 1990, Kavanaugh was an assistant football coach at Dartmouth High School for 17 years.He has also served as head spring track coach at Dartmouth High School, where he is English Department Chairman.Kavanaugh was an NEFC All-League selection in 1971 when he played at Stonehill College.
