Wofford announced Thursday afternoon the resignation of Josh Conklin as head football coach. He will be replaced on an interim basis by first year assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Shawn Watson.
Conklin was in his fifth season as the Terriers head coach. He took the team to the FCS Playoffs each of his first two seasons and was the Southern Conference Coach of the Year in 2019. But he was not able to sustain that success and he leaves the program on a 15-game losing streak.
Here’s the full release from Wofford:
Wofford College head football coach Josh Conklin announced on Thursday, Oct. 6, his resignation. Effective immediately, he will no longer lead the program.
In his first two seasons at the helm, the Terriers won back-to-back Southern Conference Championships and reached the NCAA FCS Playoffs in 2018 and 2019. At the conclusion of the 2019 season, he was named Southern Conference Coach of the Year by the media. He posted an overall record of 19-27 at Wofford.
“We appreciate the time and work that Josh has put into this program over the past five years, which included a pair of Southern Conference Championships,” said Richard Johnson, director of athletics. “We wish nothing but the best for Josh and his family in the future.”
Prior to Wofford, Conklin spent three seasons as the defensive coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh. He was an assistant coach at Wofford from 2007-09 working with the secondary. Conklin has additional experience at Florida International, Tennessee, The Citadel and South Dakota State University, serving as the defensive coordinator at Pitt, Florida International and The Citadel.
Shawn Watson, the Terriers assistant head coach and offensive coordinator will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Watson has over 35 years of coaching experience, including a stint as head coach at Southern Illinois (1994-96).
Wofford College will contract with a search firm to facilitate the process of hiring a new head coach.
