Dan DiCenzo is in his 16th season and 11th as head coach in 2025, having led the Cardinals to the team's first-ever outright NESCAC Championship in 2024. The Cardinals are 56-23 (.709 win percentage), have won three consecutive and five outright Little 3 titles, and have sported with a winning record every season in the 10 years under his tenure as head coach.
DiCenzo and his staff became the first in team history to earn NESCAC Coaching Staff of the Year honors after completing the best modern season in the history of Wesleyan football in 2024, culminating in the team's first-ever outright NESCAC Championship. DiCenzo also earned New England Division II/III Coach of the Year honors as recognized by the New England Football Writers Association, becoming the first Wesleyan coach to receive the honor. The Cardinals navigated the always-challenging NESCAC slate, with a vast majority of the wins coming down to the fourth quarter. Opening the year with a 43-7 drubbing of Middlebury on the road, that win marked the Panthers' biggest home loss in over 40 years. Wesleyan then held Tufts without a touchdown in a 20-9 triumph under the lights at home. After suffering their first defeat of the season to Bates in Week 3, the Cardinals rebounded with six straight wins to end the year. That six-game win streak started with 19 unanswered fourth quarter points to defeat Hamilton on the road 19-7. Edwards returned a fumble 88 yards for a game-winning, walk-off overtime touchdown in a 23-17 win over Colby in Week 5. The Cardinals held off Bowdoin for a 17-14 road win before scoring 31 unanswered to defeat Amherst 31-14 in a game that Wesleyan trailed 14-0 in the first quarter. With a third straight Little 3 title on the line, the Cardinals drove over 90 yards down the field with less than two minutes to play in regulation, as Luke LaSaracina '25 hauled in a game-deciding touchdown with six seconds left as Wesleyan defeated Williams 25-24 in an epic clash to claim three straight Little Three Championships for the first time since 1946-48. Then in the season finale, Wesleyan's defense held Trinity scoreless in the second half, while the offense converted two lengthy fourth downs in pivotal moments in the fourth quarter, to defeat Trinity 27-17 in what was the de-facto NESCAC Championship game in Hartford.
The Cardinals continued to rattle off winning seasons in 2022 and 2023, finishing 6-3 in each campaign to give Wesleyan a winning record in 11 straight campaigns dating back to 2012. Wesleyan triumphed over rivals Amherst (34-7 at home) and Williams (30-22 on the road) in 2023, securing back-to-back Little Three titles for the first time since 1969-70. Wesley Abraham ’25 became the first defensive back in team history, and first defensive player since 1994, to earn All-American honors. In the 2022 campaign, eight Cardinals earned All-NESCAC honors including Nick Helbig '23, who was named NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season.
After a canceled season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, DiCenzo's squad returned to action in 2021 and put together another winning season, finishing with a 6-3 record. Wesleyan started the year with a perfect 6-0 record for the first time since 2013, the sixth victory in that win streak being a significant 24-0 win over Middlebury, marking the first time the Cardinals have held the Panthers scoreless in a game since 1975. Wesleyan saw eight players named All-NESCAC including the 2021 NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year Nick Helbig. The Cardinals' eight All-NESCAC selections were third-most in the league while Helbig became just the second Cardinal in team history to earn NESCAC DPOY honors.
The Cardinals went 8-1 in 2019. They won the Little Three Championship for the second time in four years and the third time in the last seven seasons. Wesleyan beat Amherst on the road in double overtime then beat Williams in another overtime thriller at home to clinch the Little Three Championship. The Cardinals finished off their season with a 28-20 win on the road in Hartford over Trinity. The senior class finished with a record of 25-10. Wesleyan put 13 players on the All-NESCAC Team and freshman Nick Helbig was named the NESCAC Defensive Rookie of the Year in the Conference. Senior Ben Thaw and junior Bryce Jenkins earned D3 Football All-East Team and Thaw made the Division II/III All-New England Writers Team.
In 2018, the Cardinals finished 5-4, including a 21-14 win over the Ephs. Wesleyan was a force up front defensively, leading the NESCAC in sacks with 29, while also posting a conference-best three defensive touchdowns. Six players earned All-NESCAC honors, including defensive lineman Taj Gooden who entered the 2019 campaign as a D3football.com Preseason All-American. The Cardinals boasted one of the league’s top defenses a year ago as they ranked fourth in both scoring (17.7 points/game) and total defense (267.4 yards/game). Offensively, Wesleyan averaged 23.8 points per game and 312.3 yards per contest.
In 2017, the Cardinals broke 18 program records as they finished the campaign with a 6-3 mark. Offensively, Wesleyan ranked second in the conference in total yards per game (417.8) and passing yards per game (303.0), while averaging 26.7 points to rank fourth-best. On the defensive side of the ball, the Cardinals ranked second in scoring, allowing just 16.1 points per game, and finished third in total yards (305.1) and passing yards (186.1) per game. Wesleyan concluded the season with nine All-Conference honorees, which was highlighted by wide receiver Mike Breuler ’18 being named the NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year. Breuler also earned the Joe Zabilski Award as New England’s top offensive player in Division II/III by The Gridiron Club of Greater Boston and was named a D3football.com All-America Honorable Mention.
In 2016, DiCenzo guided Wesleyan to its 14th Little Three title with a 20-0 shutout win over Amherst and a decisive 59-14 victory against Williams. The Cardinals boasted a well-balanced attack en route to a 6-2 record. Garnering 13 All-NESCAC selections, Wesleyan was primarily led by its stingy defense. The unit finished first in the league in four major defensive categories while ranking fourth in the country in total defense (220.6 yds/game), seventh in scoring (13.1 pts/game), and 12th in both rushing (77.6) and passing (143.0) yards allowed. Additionally, Wesleyan finished second in all of Division III in first downs allowed (94), third in third-down conversion (23.9%), and fourth in red zone defense (47.6%).
On the offensive side of the ball, the 2016 Cardinals finished fourth in the country in kickoff returns (25.3 yds/game) and eighth in time of possession (34:23), while placing in the top three in the NESCAC in several categories; second in passing (237.8 yds/game), first downs (20.0/game) and third-down conversion (39%), and third in total offense (416 yds/game), scoring (31.5 pts/game), rushing (178.3 yds/game) and punt returns (10.7 yds/game).
In 2015, DiCenzo’s first season as head coach, the Cardinals posted a 5-3 record behind a well-balanced attack that finished third in the NESCAC in both total offense (384.0 yds/game) and total defense (302.9 yds/game).
Prior to the 2015 campaign, DiCenzo served five seasons as associate head coach and defensive coordinator. In 2014, his defensive squad led NCAA Division III in fewest yards allowed (220.8 yds/ game) en route to a 7-1 season. The 124 yards per game the Cardinals permitted through the air were tops in the NESCAC, while the 96.8 rushing yards yielded per outing was second in the conference. On the other side of the ball, Wesleyan led the NESCAC with 224 points scored, an average of 28.0 per game. In 2013 and 2014, Wesleyan totaled 32 All-Conference players and two players of the year.
DiCenzo is a 2001 graduate of Williams College where he excelled in football and wrestling. He coached at Williams for six seasons, including three as the head wrestling coach. Earning All-NESCAC football honors as well as All-New England honors on the mats as an undergraduate, DiCenzo served as a team captain of both sports and received the Purple Key Award in 2000-01 as the top male athlete at the college. Before returning to Williams for the 2004 football campaign, DiCenzo had coaching stints at both Trinity College and
Brown University.
Dan resides in Madison, Conn. with his wife, Rachel, and their three sons, Doug, Devon and Dylan.
