Meet the GMs and Coaches

We at "The league" are committed to have the very best coaches and GM’s in the country. Our Head Coaches and GM’s consist of current NCAA D3 Coaches, Retired D1 and Ivy league Coaches, Former NFL Players, and Elite High school Coaches.

Northern Knights

HC Nico Papas

Mike Foley

Nico Papas

Nico Papas was an All-State high school player in MA, and played his college ball at Columbia (D1AA, Ivy League), where he was a four year varsity player, playing in every game but one of his 40 game career. Nico has been heavily involved in high school football coaching/recruiting since graduation, and has a wide range of experiences related to helping HS football players maximize their potential. He is the director of Premier Football Consulting, and has worked with over 300 Student Athletes who have all gone onto play college football. Nico has also worked for Elite Football Clinics and Private Tutoring as a coach. His knowledge of the recruiting process, and connections to college/prep football coaches will be a valuable asset to any of the players in “The League”

Mike Foley

Former FBS Coach at UConn

OL Coach at Umass

And Head Coach at Colgate

Overall Coach Foley has 38 years of coaching experience at the college level (coaching at the DIII, FCS, FBS levels). Coached at the HS level the last 4 years. Currently, offensive coordinator/line coach at the Brooks School.

Boston Junkyard Dogs

HC Mike Donovan

Sean Brackett

Mike Donovan

Michael Donovan is currently the head coach and Weymouth HS

Michael Donovan spent four years, three seasons, on the Brown coaching staff from 2019-2022 as an Assistant Coach, Defensive Line. Donovan also took over the program’s recruiting coordinator duties prior to the 2021 season.

In his first season at Brown in 2019, Donovan coached defensive tackle Michael Hoecht '20, who finished with 4.5 sacks and earned Second Team All-Ivy honors. Hoecht went on to sign with the Los Angeles Rams and was a member of the team’s Super Bowl LVI win. Brown's 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prior to his arrival on College Hill, Donovan spent two years on James Perry’s staff at Bryant before following Perry to Brown.

During his two seasons at Bryant in 2017 and 2018, Donovan coached three different All-NEC players and oversaw a pass rush that produced two consecutive seasons where a pass rusher broke the school’s record for sacks in a season. During the 2018 season, Donovan coached a defensive line that tied for first in the conference with 30 sacks. Defensive end Tomas Wright broke the school record for sacks with 12.5 in 2018 and earned First Team All-NEC. Under Donovan’s tutelage, Bryant's defensive line saw immediate results in 2017, with two of his players earning All-NEC honors. Donovan's group combined to post 14.5 sacks and 25.5 tackles for a loss in 2017. Also, Donovan coached the national leader in blocked kicks as the Bulldogs blocked eight on the year.

Donovan spent the previous three seasons at Harvard University. In 2016, he guided a secondary that helped Harvard go 7-3 and rank 15th in the nation in total defense. Under Donovan’s watch, three players earned All-Ivy honors.

The Crimson captured consecutive Ivy League titles in 2014 and 2015, coaching a defensive line that helped Harvard lead the nation in scoring defense (12.3 ppg) and rank fourth in rushing defense (86.8 ypg) as part of an undefeated 2014 campaign. Under his watch, Zack Hodges was a co-recipient of the Asa S. Bushnell Cup given to the Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the Ivy League.

A 2011 graduate of Bentley University with a degree in corporate finance and accounting, Donovan earned his master’s degree in taxation from Bentley in 2012. He began his coaching career at Stoughton High School, serving as a defensive line and wide receivers coach in 2009. Donovan also worked as a student coach at Bentley during the spring of 2010.

He and his wife, Kaitlyn, reside in Taunton, Mass.

COLLEGE COACHING TIMELINE:

Season School/ Team Title

2011-2012 Harvard Offensive Coaching Assistant / Assistant Football Operations Coordinator

2013 Delaware Defensive Quality Control Coach

2014-2016 Harvard Assistant Coach, Defensive Line (2014) / Assistant Coach, Defensive Backs (2015-2016)

2017-2018 Bryant Assistant Coach, Defensive Line

2019-2022 Brown Assistant Coach, Defensive Line (2019-2022.) / Recruiting Coordinator (2021-2022.)

Sean Brackett

Head Football Coach Waltham High School

Mass Pirates OC/QB Coach

8 year Professional QB

All Ivy League selection and 4 year starting QB at Columbia University

Named to Columbia's All Time Team

2018 Arena MVP

Southwest Cobras

HC Neil Mcgrath

Chris Robertson

Neil Mcgrath

Neil McGrath coached 17 seasons on the Brown coaching staff, the first 16 years as Defensive Line Coach, and last named the Bears' Linebackers Coach. McGrath had developed the defensive front line to where it is consistently among the best in the Ivy League.

McGrath helped two-time first team All-Ivy and All-New England defensive end Richard Jarvis '17.5 into one of the nation's top players. Jarvis was a finalist for the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year and a participant in the 2018 Senior Bowl.

In 2013, McGrath's defensive line was led by first team All-Ivy tackle Michael Yules, a first team Academic All-American. His 2010 defensive line featured Clayton McGrath '12, who led the Ivy League in tackles for a loss and ranked third in sacks, while earning All-Ivy honors, and All-Ivy tackle Jeremy Raducha, who ranked fifth in the Ivy League in tackles for a loss.

His 2008 defensive line helped the Bears allow just 77.1 yards per game, fourth best in the nation, and first in the Ivy League. First team All-Ivy tackle David Howard and two-time second team All-Ivy defensive end James Develin helped the Bears to their second Ivy Championship in the last four years.

McGrath also helped develop Howard into a seventh round NFL draft choice of the Tennessee Titans.

His 2005 Ivy Championship defensive line was led by All-American and All-Ivy defensive tackle Pat Curran with 10 tackles for a loss and four quarterback sacks as the Bears amassed 68 tackles for a loss and 28 sacks as a team. In 2004, he built a formidable group that helped lead the Ivy League in sacks, including the Ivy League leader in tackles for a loss, defensive end James Frazier.

McGrath came to Brown from the University of Massachusetts, where he was the defensive coordinator for the Minutemen under Head Coach Mark Whipple for two years. His defense at UMass ranked first in total defense in the Atlantic 10 during the 1999 season.

Prior to coaching at Massachusetts, McGrath worked at the University of Maine, where he spent five seasons (1995-1999) as defensive coordinator. He was instrumental in the drastic turnaround of Maine’s defensive fortunes, as the Black Bears improved from 11th in the league in total defense in 1995 to fourth in McGrath’s second season. In 1997, Maine led the Atlantic 10 in turnover margin (+12), including 19 interceptions. The Black Bear defense also held opponents to a league-low 29 percent on fourth-down conversions during the 1997 season. In 1998, Maine led the league in sacks.

Prior to his time at Maine, McGrath spent 11 years as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Boston University. He began as a part-time assistant in 1984, coaching outside linebackers and assisting with special teams. McGrath became a full-time assistant for the Terriers in 1988 and coached the defensive line, then added the responsibility of special teams coordinator in 1990. He also spent three seasons as Boston University’s recruiting coordinator, and coached linebackers for one year (1992). The Terriers advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs three times while McGrath was at Boston University, including his last two seasons in 1993 and 1994.

McGrath is a 1981 graduate of Boston University where he received a bachelor’s degree in education. McGrath earned four letters as a member of the Terrier football team, where he played with Bears’ defensive coordinator Mike Kelleher. He earned first team All-Yankee Conference honors at linebacker during his senior season in 1980, after leading Boston University to a record of 9-2 and the conference title. The Terriers posted an overall mark of 26-14-1 during McGrath’s four years on the team, winning a pair of Yankee Conference championships.

A resident of Longmeadow, Mass., he and his wife, Kim, have three children, Clayton, a member of the Brown Class of 2012, Sam, a member of the Brown Class of 2012, and Hannah. Both boys played football at Brown and are members of the collegiate coaching ranks, Clay at Brown as its defensive line coach, and Sam at Duke.

All-Ivy Players Coached by McGrath

2003 Jesse Hawkins (First Team DE)
2004 James Frazier (Second Team DE)
2005 Pat Curran (First Team DT), James Frazier (Second Team DE)
2007 Kai Brown (Second Team DE), James Develin (Second Team DE)
2008 David Howard (First Team DT), James Develin (Second Team DE)
2009 David Howard (First Team DT); James Develin (First Team DE); Nate Lovett (Second Team P)
2010 Jeremy Raducha (Second Team DT); Clayton McGrath (Honorable Mention DE)
2011 Kyle Rettig (First Team DT); Clayton McGrath (Second Team DE)
2012 Ross Walthall (Second Team DL); Michael Yules (Second Team DE)
2013 Michael Yules (First Team DT); John Bumpus (Second Team DE)
2014 Zack Sparber (Second Team DT); Chad Berry (Honorable Mention DE)
2015 Richard Jarvis (Honorable Mention DE)
2016 Richard Jarvis (First Team DE)
2017 Richard Jarvis (First Team DE; Finalist for Defensive Player of the Year)

Chris Robertson

In the spring of 2010, Chris Robertson returned to WPI and was named head football coach after serving as an assistant at WPI from 1999-2006 and as the Head Football Coach at Salve Regina from 2006-2009.

Now in his 13th season coaching for the Engineers, Robertson has taken Engineer Football to places it has never been. With three post-season appearances (2015/2017/2019) and two post-season victories (2017/2019) Robertson is the only head football coach in WPI history to win a post-season game. Additionally, Robertson’s 2019 team was the first and only 10-win team in over 130 years of varsity football at WPI.

Before the cancellation of the 2020 season, Robertson led the 2019 Engineers squad to a 10-1 record (6-1 NEWMAC), a share of the NEWMAC regular season crown, and a victory over Western Connecticut in the New England Bowl Series. The season before that, the Crimson and Gray went 6-4, posting three shutouts and limiting opponents to single-digit points in two other contests. The offense also shined, racking up 319.1 yards and 24.8 points per game. WPI dealt NEWMAC champion MIT its only conference loss, a 13-6 result on Homecoming.

2017 was also magical year for Robertson and his Engineers. The Crimson and Gray finished the season 9-2 with a seven-game winning streak and a New England Bowl trophy. The nine wins tied the 1992 team that went to the NCAA tournament for the most wins in a single season and the bowl triumph was the first postseason win in the 128 years of WPI Football.

WPI enjoyed success in the newly formed NEWMAC, placing second in the league’s first season of sponsoring football and having kicker Spencer Herrington named the conference’s Special Team Player of the Year in both 2017 and 2018.

Postseason accolades under Robertson have become a staple to the Engineers dozens of players have earned all-conference and all-region honors. Sam Casey was named Defensive Player of the Year in the NEWMAC in 2019 and Sean McAllen was named Offensive Player of the NEWMAC in the same year. Spencer Herrington took home 2017 NEWMAC Special Teams Athlete of the Year while Ernie Mello and Brian Murtagh were named D3football.com All-Americas and Lou Duh, Aaron Champagne, Ehab Hamdan and Will Pope earned CoSIDA Academic All-America accolades.

A defensive coach by trade, Robertson’s squads at both WPI and Salve Regina have drawn national recognition. In 2009, his Salve Regina team allowed the nation’s fewest yards passing per game only to see his WPI Engineers turn the trick in 2010 in his first year back as Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator.

The 1996 graduate of the University of Albany was a three-year starter and captain of the football team. While playing for the Great Danes, the Deposit, NY native was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American. The mathematics major also received his master’s degree in educational psychology from Albany.