Stony Brook names Billy Cosh as new football coach
New Stony Brook football coach Billy Cosh, shown here during his time as Richmond offensive coordinator. Credit: Richmond Athletics
Stony Brook’s search for a coach to turn its football program around has concluded with the selection of Billy Cosh, who spent last season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Western Michigan, which plays at the FBS level in the Mid-American Conference.
Cosh, 31, will be introduced at an 11 a.m. news conference on campus Thursday. This is his first head coaching position.
He replaces Chuck Priore, who guided Stony Brook to five appearances in the FCS playoffs, but none since 2018. The Seawolves were 0-10 this past season and 2-19 over the past two.
“Billy is an innovative coach who will bring energy, intensity and a specific plan for building a championship-level program at Stony Brook,” athletic director Shawn Heilbron said in a statement. “More importantly, he genuinely cares about creating a positive environment for our student-athletes.”
“During the interview process, it was evident Billy is a dynamic leader and innovative coach who cares deeply about student-athletes contributing on the field as well as in the classroom and in the Stony Brook community,” Stony Brook president Maurie McInnis said in the statement. “Today marks the beginning of an exciting chapter in Stony Brook’s football history.”
Prior to taking the position at Western Michigan for the 2023 season, Cosh was the offensive coordinator for the FCS program at Richmond, which plays in the Coastal Athletic Association with Stony Brook, and, before that, held the same title at VMI. At each stop, the offensive units he directed had top conference performers.
“Being a FCS coach over the years, I have always admired Stony Brook from afar,” Cosh said in a statement. “I know we will develop these young men the right way and play a brand of football that will return us to the top in a great league in the CAA. I am ready to get to work and build the trust that is needed to have success.”
Cosh spent his final two seasons of college eligibility playing for Houston and worked as a grad assistant at Indiana prior to his move to VMI.
Cosh is from a football family. His father, Chris, was a linebacker at Virginia Tech and has spent the past 25 years as an assistant coach for a number of programs. His brother J.J. played at Navy and now is in the scouting department of the Chicago Bears.