The Holy Cross football program is going to be problem for its opponents for years to come.

On Tuesday morning, Holy Cross announced head coach Bob Chesney would be sticking around through the 2026 season with a new five-year contract extension after three-peating as Patriot League champions and winning the program’s first playoff game in history in 2021.

“I could not be happier with this process and the opportunity to reaffirm the College’s commitment to excellence for Holy Cross Athletics,” Athletic Director Kit Hughes said in a statement. “Under Coach Chesney’s leadership, our Crusader student-athletes have achieved new heights in the classroom, community, and field of competition. I am excited to support him in our shared vision for the future and continue to build upon the tremendous foundation already in place.”

As you would expect, Chesney’s phone rang this offseason with offers from various schools, presumably at both the FBS and FCS level. With a 92-44 career record, what Chesney has done everywhere he’s been is something any program would want to emulate. Unfortunately for those other programs, the fact Chesney has so much experience in the area and most importantly has a winning formula in place in Worcester made the decision to stay an easy one.

“There’s always conversations that happen,” Chesney said. “I think it happens along the same lines with our position groups and our coordinators and I think it should be. I think we talk about it at the end of every year in our exit meetings, I want that phone to ring for everybody. That means we’re doing a good job. We’ve all been part of staffs where the phone never rings. Unfortunately, if that’s the case and nobody wants your coaches, there’s a chance your players don’t even want your coaches. That’s, for me, I want our guys to be wanted. I want us to be successful and I want I want us to be able to – if we stick around – to have growth, have a plan over the next bunch of years of how everybody’s position here could get better for everyone and how we could continue to build this out the right way.”

When pushed on the particular phone calls he may have received, Chesney acknowledged it’s always special when another team wants you, but he saw no reason to leave now when things look so bright for the Crusaders.

“Yeah, many times (the phone rang) and hopefully it will continue, too,” he said of those inquiries from other programs. “My thing is, any time you’re looking at something else or something your name comes up in, I think the natural reaction for a lot of recruits, a lot of coaches and for a lot of people is to get excited about being wanted and they quickly start thinking the grass is way greener on the other side. When I look around here, look around these facilities, look at our player development, look at this education, look at our alums, look at everything comes with Holy Cross. This is the full package when it’s said and done. Now, we have a chance to look at our coaching staff and our futures being in the same light and that was not the case in the past bunch of years.”

Chesney isn’t just returning to push for winning seasons and playoff berths, national contention is now very much in the conversation on a daily basis in meetings, workouts and recruiting visits.

“We were on the lower end of the spectrum when it came to the league and probably the country,” he added. “I think now we have a chance to rightsize this and put people in a position where we’re a lot more like our competitors.”

It seems as if the Holy Cross football resurgence has only just begun and the guy leading the way is looking to take it to the next level in 2022.

“We’ve had some success recently, but I really do believe we’re just getting started,” said Chesney. “It was a season of many firsts, but that’s not where this thing ends. You don’t become the first to ever doing something and just stop, that’s not how this works.”