WESTFIELD, Mass. – Lou Conte, Jr. will be the next head coach of the Westfield State University football team, athletics director Richard Lenfest, Jr. announced today.
Conte, who served as head coach at American International College in Springfield, Mass., last season, will take about a 15-minute drive west to lead the Owls program. He becomes the sixth head coach in the history of the Owls' program, taking over on the heels of the retirement of nine-year head coach Pete Kowalski, who spent a total of 27 years as a member of the Owls' coaching staff.
Conte brings a strong resume to the Owls program, having coached at the Division I, II and III levels in his career.
"We're excited to welcome Lou Conte to Westfield State," said Westfield State director of athletics Richard Lenfest, Jr. "Lou brings a wealth of coaching experience to our head coaching position, with experience at the Division I, II and III levels. While he will bring both a fresh set of eyes and some new ideas to our program, as a native of Western Mass. who has coached and recruited in the region he will offer a steady hand to lead Westfield State football through this transition and into the future."
"I have such respect for what's gone on here for the last 30 years," said Conte. "I was a young man, a kid, when coach (Steve) Marino and coach Kowalski were on that sideline. I hope I can continue the job they have started. I can't think about this place without thinking about those two guys. I know they will be supportive and I'm thankful for the opportunity to follow in their footsteps, and I'm grateful for what they have laid in front of me. It's an honor."
"There are some key players on each side of the ball, that do some really good things, that you can tell there is a foundation there to build off of," said Conte about what he's seen from the Owls on film so far. "Coach K did a great job in that they play extremely hard, fly around to the football and finish to the whistle."
"Coach K was moving this thing forwards. There's plenty to build off of. It will be a little bit different then what I have seen on film as far as what we will do. There's a chance to do some really good things."
Before taking the position at Division II AIC last year, he spent seven seasons at The Citadel, an NCAA Division I school in the Southern Conference, where he served as Offensive Coordinator, quarterbacks and fullbacks coach before finishing up with a stint as the interim head coach of the Bulldogs.
In his first two seasons as the offensive coordinator at the Citadel, Conte led an offense that ranked in the top two nationally each year, including leading the country in rushing in 2016. The 348.2 yards per game was the second highest in program history.
A native of Agawam, Mass., Conte played collegiately at Springfield College. He earned his Bachelor of Science in movement and sport studies and a Master's of physical education with a concentration in athletic administration from SC, as well as a graduate certificate in leadership from The Citadel.
"I'm a Western Mass native from Agawam, I grew up watching these games when I was younger," said Conte. "We were good family friends with Coach Marino and Coach Kowalski, and that's 30 years of history between those two guys. To get the chance to follow in their footsteps is a phenomenal opportunity. I think the world of Westfield State and what's going on here, the positive feel you get from the campus, there's all sorts of stuff moving in the right direction here. I'm very excited for the opportunity and very thankful for the opportunity."
Conte has held coaching positions at Lenoir-Rhyne University, Maine Maritime Academy, Springfield College and at the Williston Northampton School in his career.
Working with the running backs and special team units, Conte helped Lenoir-Rhyne win three consecutive South Atlantic Conference championships and reach the NCAA Division II national championship game in 2013. In each of Conte's three seasons, Lenoir-Rhyne finished as one of the top three rushing teams in the nation, setting the all-time NCAA rushing record for one season with 5,563 yards.
Conte will begin his duties at Westfield State on June 17, in preparation for the 2024 season.
Conte takes over the reins of the Westfield State program in the wake after Pete Kowalski formally announced his retirement as head coach of the program to the team on May 21. Kowalski guided the Owls to a 3-7 mark in 2023, and the team enters this season on a modest two-game winning streak.
The Owls expect to return a strong nucleus, highlighted by senior 1000-yard running back Jordan Smith, all-region LB Tyler Cooley, and all-conference players in K Cooper Harvey, DT Cade Nelson, and CB Zachary Allen, and also return senior QB Gabriel Fernandez to trigger the offense.
"I would say I'm demanding, I suppose," said Conte when asked about his coaching style. "We're going to move. We're going to get as much out of our two hours (of practice) as we can. It will be organized, it will be fast. It will take a minute to learn it, but we're going to give effort and we're going to play hard. That's my expectation and how we're going to approach every day."
While Conte officially begins his duties at Westfield on June 17, he had a message for the recruiting class that "I am still wowed by the campus. I had been down south for about 15 years, so I hadn't been here in a while. The progress this campus has made, the location, the majors, the education that you will leave with, the facilities, this is a phenomenal place. If any players are still looking for a place to call home, I'll be happy to show you around ours because there is a lot here, and I'm excited to recruit to it."
The Owls will kick off the 2024 season on Friday, Sept. 6, at 7:00 p.m. with a non-conference game against Anna Maria College.