Keiser football: Doug Socha leaves for Lenoir-Rhyne University, Myles Russ replaces him

WEST PALM BEACH — Doug Socha started a football program from scratch at Keiser University and won a national championship in his sixth season.

Now, after a highly successful high school and college career in Palm Beach County, Socha is taking another step up the coaching ladder. He's leaving Keiser, an NAIA program, to take the head coaching job at Lenoir-Rhyne University, an NCAA Division II school in Hickory, N.C.

Keiser moved quickly to replace Socha, promoting Myles Russ, who has served on Socha's staff since the program was launched in 2017. In recent years, Russ has been assistant head coach, running backs coach and recruiting coordinator.

When Socha and Russ met with the team early Monday morning, the new coach said he was heartened by the welcome he received.

"They clapped it up for me, then they brought it all in and gave me a big hug," Russ said. "I was real emotional."

When Socha took over at Keiser, he had a roster of mostly freshmen and sophomores who spent their first fall on campus practicing, without playing games. The Seahawks finished with a winning record (6-4) in 2018, then advanced to the NAIA playoffs the next five seasons.

After losing in the 2022 championship game to Northwestern College of Iowa, the Seahawks won a rematch with the Red Raiders 31-21 to capture the title on Dec. 18 in Durham, N.C.

Socha earned Coach of the Year honors for Seahawks' success

Socha compiled a 55-15 record at Keiser (33-3 in conference play). He was named NAIA Coach of the Year in 2023 and was the Sun Conference's Coach of the Year four times in six seasons.

Socha has "a remarkable track record of winning and a deep understanding of what it takes to build a championship program," said Dr. Fred Whitt, Lenoir-Rhyne's president. "Beyond Doug's impressive record on the field, it's his commitment to developing well-rounded individuals that truly sets him apart. His focus on academic achievement, personal growth and community engagement perfectly aligns with LR's core values."

Before taking the Keiser job, Socha was head coach at American Heritage-Delray and Oxbridge Academy, where he also started a football program from scratch. He won a state title at American Heritage in 2011 and reached the state title game with Oxbridge in 2016.

At Lenoir-Rhyne, he takes over a highly successful program that finished 13-2 and reached the semifinals of the Division II playoffs in 2023. The opening was created when Mike Jacobs, who posted a 32-9 record in four seasons, left to take the head coaching job at Mercer University, an FCS program in Macon, Ga.   

"My family and I are thrilled to join the LR family and the Hickory community," Socha said in a news release from his new school. "I would like to thank President Whitt, Vice President for Athletics Kim Pate and the screening committee for showing me how truly special Lenoir-Rhyne is from its academic excellence, strong alumni and championship expectations."

Longtime Palm Beach County high school coach Jack Daniels, who has led powerhouse programs at Dwyer and Cardinal Newman, wished his former colleague the best.

"I have known Coach Socha for 20-plus years from his time recruiting South Florida (as an assistant at the University of Buffalo) in the early 2000s and then competing with him in the high school ranks," Daniels said. "Watching what he has done at both the high school level and building Keiser into a national champion has been awesome to watch. Great hire!"

Russ first-time head coach after being an assistant at Robert Morris, Keiser

Hoping to build on the program's momentum, Kris Swogger, Keiser's director of athletics, turned to Socha's trusted right hand. Russ, 34, is a head coach for the first time after four seasons as running backs coach at Robert Morris University, his alma mater, and six with the Seahawks.

"Not only is Coach Russ a Day One guy, but he embodies all the qualities that the program was built on – hard work, good character, family, trust, and he is a proven winner," Swogger said. "I still view us as a young program with a lot of things to achieve, and I look forward to the future of the program under Coach Russ' leadership."

Russ built the Seahawks' running game into one of the NAIA's best. In 2023, they set school records for rushing yardage (3,169) and rushing touchdowns (47). With starting quarterback Bryce Veasley sidelined for the championship game with a wrist injury, Keiser passed only 15 times, rolling up 373 yards on the ground.

Russ said his first order of business is to meet individually with every player on the roster – more than 100 in all.

"I'm relationship driven," he said. "The guys know me, but I want to set the tone. I want them to know the plan and the vision I have for the team."

With Socha expected to take some of his assistants with him, Russ will have to rebuild the coaching staff. He'll need to maintain the recruiting roots he's helped cultivate in Palm Beach County and surrounding counties. And he'll be tasked with keeping a program in the upper echelon of the NAIA.

More: Keiser football mom, breast cancer survivor honorary captain for home game vs. St. Thomas

Russ thanked Socha, his mentor, for preparing him for this moment.

"I give so much credit to him," Russ said. "He put me in a lot of positions of making decisions for the team. He made me think outside the box, made me uncomfortable. I've always been able to get along with people, but sometimes you have to make tough decisions."

As for the expectations, Russ said simply: "We're going to have a chip on our shoulder. We want to show the world that it can still be done, that we can still play at a high level."

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Assistant Myles Russ replacing Doug Socha as Keiser head football coach