THOMASVILLE, Ga. – It's a new day for Thomas University Football as they take the field for their fourth season in 2026.
The Night Hawks will take the field with a new head coach this season, as Dan Pippin takes over the helm. Bringing in 30+ years of coaching experience from high school, collegiate, and international levels, Pippin already has a goal in mind for this season.
"The primary goal is very easy," Pippin said. "We will build a very strong foundation which will allow us to be successful for years to come."
But that is only the goal for this season; in the long-term, Pippin is already putting in place the seeds to build a culture at TU.
"I think culture is something that takes time and the right people to build," Pippin said. "We are going to be a blue-collar football team who does things right on and more importantly off the field."
As far as the team has bought into the new culture, Pippin's been pleased with the results from a team, recruitment, and coaching perspective.
"I have been extremely happy with how the team has bought into what we are doing, but we are still very early in the process," Pippin said. "We have started building a very strong foundation with every conversation we have had with each player, each recruit and their families. The coaches who we have been able to bring on support this culture with every interaction they have as well."
As the new culture takes shape, Pippin knows that success on the field will come with time.
"Success is a process that takes time, but we have already started the change," Pippin said.
The Night Hawks will begin their season against a pair of NCAA Division II opponents, taking Carson-Newman on the road before returning for their home opener against Erskine College.
From there, the Night Hawks will conclude their non-conference schedule at home against Campbellsville and NAIA newcomer Andrew College.
Thomas opens conference play against Keiser and Southeastern, before travelling to play Ave Maria and Florida Memorial; they'll then return home to face St. Thomas before traveling on more time to play against Warner.
Finally, they will end their schedule with Senior Day against Webber International on Nov. 14.
While the schedule is tough, Pippin is not focused on the games as much as making sure the team is prepared and ready to play at their best.
"Any good Head Coach is only going to worry about making sure their team is as prepared as they can be every single day," Pippin said. "Who we play, when we play or where we play has absolutely no meaning in the building of our team right now. Our goal is to be the best we can be every single day."
The Night Hawks open the season against Carson-Newman on Thursday, Sept. 3.
