Doug Socha
{{short description|American football coach}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Doug Socha
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| current_title = Head coach
| current_team = Lenoir–Rhyne
| current_conference = SAC
| current_record = 10–3
| contract =
| birth_date = {{Circa|{{Birth based on age as of date|41|2016|8|26}}}}
| birth_place = North Tonawanda, New York, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = California State University, Northridge (1999)
| player_years1 = 1993–1994
| player_team1 = Los Angeles Valley
| player_years2 = 1995–1996
| player_team2 = Mesa State
| player_positions = Defensive back
| coach_years1 = 1997
| coach_team1 = Grand Junction HS (CO) (DB)
| coach_years2 = 1998–1999
| coach_team2 = College of the Canyons (DB)
| coach_years3 = 2000
| coach_years4 = 2001–2005
| coach_team4 = Buffalo (WR)
| coach_years5 = 2006–2009
| coach_team5 = American Heritage (FL) (OC)
| coach_years6 = 2010–2011
| coach_team6 = American Heritage (FL)
| coach_years7 = 2012–2015
| coach_team7 = Oxbridge Academy (FL)
| coach_years8 = 2016
| coach_team8 = Buffalo Bills (OA)
| coach_years9 = 2017–2023
| coach_team9 = Keiser
| coach_years10 = 2024–present
| coach_team10 = Lenoir–Rhyne
| overall_record = 64–18 (college)
51–12 (high school)
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record = 1–1 (NCAA D-II playoffs)
11–5 (NAIA playoffs)
| championships = 1 NAIA (2023)
2 TSC (2022–2023)
3 MSC Sun Division (2019–2021)
1 Florida Class 3A (2011)
| awards =
| coaching_records =
}}
Doug Socha (born {{Circa|1975}}) is an American football coach. He is the head football coach for Lenoir–Rhyne University, a position he has held since 2024. Socha led the Keiser Seahawks to back-to-back NAIA Football National Championship title games in 2022 and 2023: winning in 2023.
Playing career and education
Socha played college football for Los Angeles Valley College and Mesa State as a defensive back.{{Cite news |last=Garcia |first=Irene |date=September 25, 1994 |title=Valley Takes Break From Tradition in 20-0 WSC Victory Over Glendale |pages=76 |work=The Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-valley-takes-break/137044694/ |access-date=December 18, 2023}}{{Cite news |last=Arnold |first=Patti |date=October 29, 1995 |title=Mavs stampede Highlands, break losing streak |pages=36 |work=The Daily Sentinel |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-sentinel-mavs-stampede-highlan/137044751/ |access-date=December 18, 2023}} In 1999, he graduated from California State University, Northridge.{{Cite web |title=Doug Socha - Head Football Coach - No. 3 Football Coaches |url=https://kuseahawks.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/doug-socha/897 |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=Keiser University Athletics |language=en}}
Coaching career
In 1997, Socha was an assistant football coach for Grand Junction High School.{{Cite web |last=Webmaster |date=2017-01-19 |title=Keiser University Announces Football Coach |url=https://www.keiseruniversity.edu/keiser-university-announces-football-coach-2/ |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=Keiser University |language=en-US}} From 1998 to 1999 Socha was the defensive backs coach for the College of the Canyons. In 2000, Socha joined Buffalo as a graduate assistant before becoming the team's wide receivers coach from 2001 to 2005.{{Cite web |date=2016-09-03 |title=Buffalo Bills Add Doug Socha as Offensive Assistant |url=https://buffalowdown.com/2016/09/03/buffalo-bills-doug-socha/ |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=BuffaLowDown |language=en-US}}
Socha spent four years—2006 to 2009—as the offensive coordinator for American Heritage School in Delray Beach, Florida, before being promoted to head football coach in 2010.{{cite news |last1=Porter |first1=Matt |last2=Greer |first2=Jeff |title=Heritage football coach resigns |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114585680/the-palm-beach-post/ |newspaper=The Palm Beach Post |location=West Palm Beach, Florida |date=June 26, 2012 |page=2C |access-date=December 13, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }} In August 2012, Socha was hired as the inaugural head football coach for Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida.{{cite news |last=Greer |first=Jeff |title=Socha chosen as first football coach |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114585616/the-palm-beach-post/ |newspaper=The Palm Beach Post |location=West Palm Beach, Florida |date=August 23, 2012 |page=3C |access-date=December 13, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}{{Cite web |last=Luciano |first=Joseph |title=Veteran coach to take helm of Oxbridge's first football program |url=https://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/story/news/2012/09/24/veteran-coach-to-take-helm/9638896007/ |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=Palm Beach Daily News |language=en-US}} He held that position until 2015 when his contract with the school expired.{{Cite web |last=Wagner |first=Jodie |title=Football: Coach Doug Socha, athletic director Craig Sponsky let go |url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/sports/high-school/2016/05/27/football-coach-doug-socha-athletic/7214922007/ |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=The Palm Beach Post |language=en-US}}
In 2016, Socha coached for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL) as an offensive analyst.{{Cite web |last=Dusenbury |first=Wells |date=August 26, 2016 |title=Former Oxbridge coach Doug Socha takes coaching position with Buffalo Bills |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2016/08/26/former-oxbridge-coach-doug-socha-takes-coaching-position-with-buffalo-bills/ |access-date=December 18, 2023 |website=Sun Sentinel}}
in 2017, Socha was hired as the first head football coach for Keiser.{{Cite web |last=Lichtenstein |first=Adam |title=Doug Socha welcomes challenge of building Keiser football program |url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/sports/college/2017/01/19/doug-socha-welcomes-challenge-building/7776779007/ |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=The Palm Beach Post |language=en-US}}
In the team's first varsity season in 2018, Socha led the team to a 6–4 record and third in the Mid-South Conference's (MSC) Sun Division.{{Cite web |title=2018 No. 3 Football Schedule |url=https://kuseahawks.com/sports/football/schedule/2018 |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=Keiser University Athletics |language=en}} From 2019 to 2021 he led the team to three-consecutive nine-win seasons and three-consecutive Sun Division championships. In 2019, the team went 9–1, made their first-ever appearance in the NAIA playoffs, and received a final ranking of nine in the NAIA poll.{{Cite web |title=PHOTOS: Best of Keiser football from 2019 |url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/picture-gallery/sports/college/football/2020/01/07/photos-best-of-keiser-football/66317013007/ |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=The Palm Beach Post |language=en-US}} The following season, in 2020, he led the team to another 9–1 record including a trip to the NAIA semifinal and a final ranking of four. Despite the season being shortened to six weeks due to COVID-19,{{Cite web |last=Peterman |first=Alex |title=Keiser University football prepares for shortened football season amid "new normal" |url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/sports/college/football/2020/08/28/keiser-seahawks-football-preparing-2020-season-despite-coronavirus-obstacles/5662252002/ |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=The Palm Beach Post |language=en-US}} Socha's Seahawks had not lost a conference game since his first season. In 2021, the team went 9–3 and made it to the quarterfinal in the playoffs.{{Cite web |title=2021 No. 3 Football Schedule |url=https://kuseahawks.com/sports/football/schedule/2021 |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=Keiser University Athletics |language=en}} Prior to the 2022 season, Keiser announced that it was transitioning conferences and would now compete in the Sun Conference (TSC). In their first season, he led the team to a 9–4 record and a perfect 6–0 record in the conference. The team made their deepest playoff push in school history as they made it to the 2022 NAIA Football National Championship. They ultimately lost to Northwestern (IA) 35–25.{{Cite web |last=LaLiberte |first=Jeff |date=2023-12-17 |title=Keiser University Seahawks Battle Northwestern Red Raiders for NAIA Football Championship |url=https://www.keiseruniversity.edu/keiser-university-seahawks-battle-northwestern-red-raiders-for-naia-football-championship/ |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=Keiser University |language=en-US}} The following year the team bounced back and finished with a program-best 12–2 record with their two losses coming against NCAA Division II teams.{{Cite web |title=2023 No. 3 Football Schedule |url=https://kuseahawks.com/sports/football/schedule/2023 |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=Keiser University Athletics |language=en}} The team once again won TSC and made their second-straight NAIA Championship appearance. This time, they won and defeated Northwestern (IA) 31–21.{{Cite web |last=McCreery |first=Suzi |date=2023-12-18 |title=Keiser University Claims NAIA Football National Championship |url=https://www.keiseruniversity.edu/keiser-university-claims-naia-football-national-championship/ |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=Keiser University |language=en-US}} After the season, Socha resigned and ended his tenure with a 54–15 record overall and five division or conference championships in six total seasons.
In 2024, Socha was hired as the head football coach for Lenoir–Rhyne, an NCAA Division II program.{{Cite web |date=2024-01-29 |title=Doug Socha Named Lenoir-Rhyne Football Head Coach |url=https://lrbears.com/news/2024/1/29/doug-socha-named-lenoir-rhyne-football-head-coach.aspx |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=Lenoir-Rhyne University Athletics |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Lusk |first=Eric |date=2024-02-06 |title=Lenoir-Rhyne football worked quickly to land new coach Doug Socha - NCFootballNews |url=https://ncfootballnews.com/lenoir-rhyne-football-worked-quickly-to-land-new-coach/ |access-date=2024-05-15 |language=en-US}}
Head coaching record
=College=
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = both | poll1 = AFCA | poll2 = D2/NAIA }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Keiser Seahawks
| conf = Mid-South Conference
| startyear = 2018
| endyear = 2021
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2018
| name = Keiser
| overall = 6–4
| conference = 4–2
| confstanding = 3rd (Sun)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking =
| ranking2 =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = division
| year = 2019
| name = Keiser
| overall = 9–1
| conference = 6–0
| confstanding = 1st (Sun)
| bowlname = NAIA First Round
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = 9
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = division
| year = 2020
| name = Keiser
| overall = 9–1
| conference = 5–0
| confstanding = 1st (Sun)
| bowlname = NAIA Semifinal
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = 4
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = division
| year = 2021
| name = Keiser
| overall = 9–3
| conference = 5–1
| confstanding = 1st (Sun)
| bowlname = NAIA Quarterfinal
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = 11
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Keiser Seahawks
| conf = Sun Conference
| startyear = 2022
| endyear = 2023
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 2022
| name = Keiser
| overall = 9–4
| conference = 6–0
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname = NAIA Championship
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking =
| ranking2 =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = national
| year = 2023
| name = Keiser
| overall = 12–2
| conference = 7–0
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname = NAIA Championship
| bowloutcome = W
| bcsbowl =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = 3
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Keiser
| overall = 54–15
| confrecord = 33–3
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Lenoir–Rhyne Bears
| conf = South Atlantic Conference
| startyear = 2024
| endyear =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2024
| name = Lenoir–Rhyne
| overall = 10–3
| conference = 7–2
| confstanding = T–2nd (Piedmont)
| bowlname = NCAA Division II Second Round
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = 16
| ranking2 = 21
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Lenoir–Rhyne
| overall = 10–3
| confrecord = 7–2
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
| overall = 64–18
| bowls = no
| poll = no
| polltype =
}}
=High school=
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = American Heritage Stallions
| conf =
| startyear = 2010
| endyear = 2011
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 2010
| name = American Heritage
| overall = 10–4
| conference = 4–0
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 2011
| name = American Heritage
| overall = 12–2
| conference = 5–0
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = American Heritage
| overall = 22–6
| confrecord = 9–0
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Oxbridge Academy ThunderWolves
| conf =
| startyear = 2012
| endyear = 2015
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2012
| name = Oxbridge Academy
| overall = 0–1
| conference = 0–0
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 2013
| name = Oxbridge Academy
| overall = 10–2
| conference = 4–0
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 2014
| name = Oxbridge Academy
| overall = 10–1
| conference = 8–0
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 2015
| name = Oxbridge Academy
| overall = 9–3
| conference = 2–0
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Oxbridge Academy
| overall = 29–7
| confrecord = 14–0
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
| overall = 51–12
| bowls = no
| poll = no
| polltype =
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://lrbears.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/doug-socha/929 Lenoir–Rhyne profile]
- [https://kuseahawks.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/doug-socha/718 Keiser profile]
{{South Atlantic Conference football coach navbox}}
{{Navboxes
|list =
{{Lenoir–Rhyne Bears football coach navbox}}
{{2023 Keiser Seahawks football navbox}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Socha, Doug}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:American football defensive backs
Category:Buffalo Bills coaches
Category:Buffalo Bulls football coaches
Category:College of the Canyons Cougars football coaches
Category:Colorado Mesa Mavericks football players
Category:Keiser Seahawks football coaches
Category:Los Angeles Valley Monarchs football players
Category:High school football coaches in Colorado
Category:High school football coaches in Florida
Category:California State University, Northridge alumni
Category:People from North Tonawanda, New York