ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany football program and newly appointed head coach Tom Perkovich have announced the hiring of Mike Wiand as the team's offensive coordinator, Matthew Scott as the team's defensive coordinator, and Keith Larson as the team's special teams coordinator.
 
"We are incredibly excited to bring Mike, Matthew, and Keith into the Great Dane family," said Perkovich. "All three bring a wealth of experience, a proven track record of developing student-athletes, and a deep understanding of what it takes to consistently win in college football. Their leadership will be instrumental as we enter this next chapter of UAlbany football."
 
Mike Wiand joins the Great Danes after a highly successful tenure at Susquehanna University, where he served most recently as the program's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. During his tenure at Susquehanna, Wiand was a key architect of an offense that propelled the River Hawks to four consecutive conference championships from 2022 to 2025.
 
Initially joining the Susquehanna program in 2018 as a running backs coach, Wiand's rapid ascent through the coaching ranks saw him take on multiple responsibilities before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2024. Throughout his tenure, he played a vital role in transforming the River Hawks into a perennial powerhouse, contributing to a staff that earned Coaching Staff of the Year honors and led the team to multiple conference championships and NCAA Playoff appearances. Additionally, under Wiand's guidance, Susquehanna produced multiple All-American and All-Conference performers including two-time Landmark Conference Offensive Player of the Year Josh Ehrlich.  
 
Matthew Scott brings over 15 years of coaching experience to UAlbany, having most recently served as the head coach at PennWest Edinboro. In his first season leading the Fighting Scots in 2025, Scott led the program to its first seven-win season since 2018 and secured a share of the PSAC West Division title for the first time since 2005, earning himself the PSAC West Coach of the Year honors.
 
Scott is no stranger to the Capital Region, having previously served as the special teams coordinator and position coach for cornerbacks and outside linebackers at UAlbany from 2010 to 2014. During his initial stint with the Great Danes, he helped guide the team to two Northeast Conference Championships (2011, 2012) and an appearance in the FCS Playoffs.
 
During his tenure as defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at the University of New Haven (2017–2024), Scott led one of the most dominant defensive units in NCAA Division II, securing three Northeast-10 (NE-10) Conference Championships and five NCAA Playoff appearances. A graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania with an MBA from the University of New Haven, Scott's background also includes elite professional development as a participant in the 2011 Bill Walsh Minority Fellowship with the Buffalo Bills.
 
Rounding out the coordinator positions is Keith Larson, who returns to the Capital Region as the Great Danes' special teams coordinator. Larson brings a high-level pedigree of specialist development, having most recently served as a special teams analyst at Texas A&M (2024–2025) and Duke University (2022–2023). During his tenure at Texas A&M, he was a key part of the staff that led the No. 7 ranked Aggies to their first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff this past season.
 
Larson is well-acquainted with football in the Northeast, having previously served as the special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach at Bucknell University (2019–2021) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy (2016–2018). At RPI, he helped lead the Engineers to two Liberty League titles and back-to-back NCAA Division III playoff appearances, including a historic run to the quarterfinals in 2018. A former three-year letterwinner and special teams captain at Valparaiso University, Larson also holds a master's degree in Sports Administration from Robert Morris University (now Roosevelt University).
 
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