Head Coach
Dan DiCenzo | Head Football Coach
Dan DiCenzo returns to the Wesleyan sidelines for his 14th season and ninth as head coach in 2023. The Cardinals are 42-19 (.689 win percentage), have won three outright Little 3 titles, and have finished with a winning record every season in the eight years under his tenure.
The Cardinals continued to rattle off winning seasons in 2022, finishing 6-3 to give Wesleyan a winning record in 10 straight campaigns dating back to 2012. Eight Cardinals were named All-NESCAC including Nick Helbig '23 who earned a second straight NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year award. Wesleyan was victorious over Amherst (13-7 OT on the road) in a dramatic contest and Williams (35-21 at home) to secure a third Little 3 title with DiCenzo at the helm.
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.