How Lehigh Football Is Building a Winning Tradition for Future Seasons
As I sit here watching another Lehigh football practice, I can't help but reflect on how this program is quietly building something special. You can feel it in the air - that intangible sense of momentum that separates good programs from great ones. What Coach Cone and his staff are creating here isn't just about winning games this season; they're laying the foundation for a sustainable winning tradition that could carry this program for years to come.
I remember talking with Coach Cone about their approach to team building, and he shared something that really stuck with me. He mentioned that international experience they arranged through the Inspire camp leading into the New Zealand game. "The fact that he did the whole Inspire camp and into the New Zealand game, we thought that was good enough for his immersion into the team," Cone explained. "We wanted to create chemistry with the team, and still be part of it, and let his teammates know that he's still a part of it." This wasn't just about playing football overseas - it was about forcing players out of their comfort zones, creating shared experiences that would bond them together in ways that ordinary practices never could. I've seen teams try these bonding exercises before, but what impressed me about Lehigh's approach was how intentional it was. They weren't just throwing players together and hoping chemistry would develop; they were engineering it through carefully planned experiences.
The numbers back up what I'm seeing on the field. Last season, Lehigh improved their win total by 3 games compared to the previous year, finishing 7-4 overall. More impressively, their defense improved from allowing 32.1 points per game to just 24.3 - that's nearly a touchdown difference per contest. But statistics only tell part of the story. What really excites me is watching how these players interact off the field. I've noticed they spend more time together voluntarily - whether it's film study sessions they organize themselves or just grabbing meals together. That kind of organic leadership development is something you can't coach, but you can certainly create environments where it's more likely to flourish.
From my perspective, having covered college football for over fifteen years, what separates programs that have brief moments of success from those that build lasting traditions comes down to culture. And culture isn't built through slogans or team meetings - it's built through shared experiences and intentional relationship-building. Lehigh seems to understand this better than most programs at their level. They're not just recruiting talented athletes; they're recruiting young men who fit their culture and then doubling down on developing that culture through experiences like the New Zealand trip.
I particularly admire how they're balancing short-term competitiveness with long-term development. They're not sacrificing future seasons for immediate wins, but they're also not using "rebuilding" as an excuse for poor performance. It's a delicate balance that many programs struggle to find, but Lehigh appears to be navigating it beautifully. Their recruiting classes have improved steadily over the past three years, with their average recruit rating increasing by 8.7% according to the metrics I track.
What really convinces me that this is sustainable, though, is seeing how the program handles adversity. Last season, when they lost their starting quarterback to injury in week 4, the team didn't miss a beat. The backup stepped in and actually improved their offensive production by 12 yards per game. That doesn't happen by accident - it happens because every player in the program feels invested and prepared. It happens because of the kind of team chemistry Coach Cone was talking about, where players know they're all part of something bigger than themselves.
Looking ahead, I'm more optimistic about Lehigh football than I've been in years. They've got 18 returning starters next season, including what I believe could be the best offensive line in their conference. More importantly, they've established an identity and a culture that players believe in. The foundation they're building today isn't just for next season or the season after - it's for the next decade of Lehigh football. And if they continue on this path, focusing on the right things the way they have been, I wouldn't be surprised to see them competing for conference championships sooner rather than later. The pieces are there, the culture is developing, and the trajectory is pointing upward. That's how winning traditions are born.
