Now in his sixth season on the Wildcat sideline, Scott Abell was named the Davidson football program’s 28th head coach in January 2018.
 
Since taking the helm, Abell has guided the Cats to a 34-19 record, 28-13 conference mark, five straight winning seasons, two Pioneer Football League championships and three straight FCS Playoff appearances, while twice earning conference Coach of the Year honors. In addition, Abell’s .641 winning percentage is the best in school history, while his wins total is currently fifth all-time.
 
One of just four teams to make the last three FCS Playoffs, Davidson finished the 2022 campaign 8-4 overall and 6-2 in league play, while leading the nation in rushing offense for the third consecutive season. Along with its ground attack, Abell’s squad was once again among the tops in the country in total offense, passing efficiency, scoring offense, total defense and time of possession.
 
The ‘Cats also closed last season with an undefeated record at home running their win streak at Richardson Stadium to 13 straight.  
 
In 2021, Abell led Davidson to its second straight PFL title going 8-3 overall and 7-1 in league play. In addition to their second FCS Playoff appearance in as many seasons, the Wildcats led the nation in rushing offense (348.4 ypg) and 3rd down conversion percentage (54.3%). Abell’s offense also ranked among national leaders in time of possession (2nd), passing efficiency (9th) and total offense (460.4 ypg).
 
Over the course of the 2021 spring (CoVID-19) and fall seasons, Davidson put together an 11-2 mark in conference play.
 

SCOTT ABELL'S COACHING RECORD
Year	School	Overall	Conference
2012	Washington & Lee	8-3	6-1 (1st) | NCAA DIII Playoffs
2013	Washington & Lee	5-5	3-4 (T-4th)
2014	Washington & Lee	2-8	2-5 (T-6th)
2015	Washington & Lee	10-1	7-0 (1st) | NCAA DIII Playoffs
2016	Washington & Lee	6-4	5-2 (T-2nd)
2017	Washington & Lee	8-3	5-1 (1st) | NCAA DIII Playoffs
Washington & Lee (6 Seasons)		39-24	28-13 (ODAC)
2018	Davidson College	6-5	3-5 (6th)
2019	Davidson College	8-4	5-3 (4th)
2021	Davidson College*	4-3	4-1 (1st) | FCS Playoffs
2021	Davidson College**	8-3	7-1 (1st) | FCS Playoffs
2022	Davidson College	8-4	6-2 (T-2nd) | FCS Playoffs
Davidson College (5 Seasons)		34-19	25-12 (PFL)
Total (11 Seasons)		73-43	53-25
*2020 season competed in Spring 2021 due to CoVID | **Fall Season

Abell’s third season at the helm was pushed to the Spring of 2021 due to the CoVID-19 pandemic. It was worth the wait as the Wildcats captured their first conference crown in 52 years, winning the program’s first-ever Pioneer Football League crown and earning Davidson’s first postseason berth in 52 seasons and a trip to the FCS Playoffs.
 
In the unorthodox 2020-21 season, Abell and the ‘Cats faced the most daunting schedule in the modern era, opening at nationally-ranked Elon and facing another Top-25 foe in San Diego, which the Wildcats would knock off in Southern California to snap the Toreros’ FCS record-tying 39-game conference win streak. In addition, it was Davidson’s first-ever win over a ranked opponent away from home.  
 
Coming off the program’s first winning season in over a decade, year two saw the program take another step forward under Abell’s guidance. Along with recording the most FCS wins (6) in a single season, Davidson went 8-4 in 2019, its most successful season in 19 years.
 
In his first season at the helm, Abell led Davidson to its first winning record since 2007, directing the ‘Cats to a 6-5 mark that concluded with a heroic goal-line stand on the final play of the season to secure the successful campaign.
 
Coach Abell helped lead the Wildcat offense to NCAA FCS statistical championships in total offense (561.9) and rushing offense (442.9), while directing the ‘Cats to top-five statistical rankings in third down conversion percentage, offensive red zone and scoring.
 
The 2018 Wildcats snapped a 17-game Pioneer Football League losing streak with a 40-35 road victory at Valparaiso and earned national attention for a 91-61 Thursday night shootout victory over Guilford.
 
Abell’s squad rewrote the NCAA FCS history books with a trip west to PFL power San Diego, steering Davidson to a 789-yard rushing performance, shattering a 30-year record set by Missouri State in 1998 (681). Four Wildcats rushed for over 150 yards including Dugger’s 231-yard output, the fifth-best single game rushing performance in Davidson football’s 117-year history.
 
The Wildcats reset 10 program records including rushing yards in a season (4765), rushing touchdowns (55) and scoring (494 points).
 
Under Abell’s leadership, the ‘Cats have earned 37 all-conference honors with 28 more receiving honorable-mention recognition.
 
Abell joined the Wildcats following a six-year stint as head football coach at Division III Washington & Lee University. While leader of the Generals, Abell posted a 39-24 overall record and won the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championship three times. His conference peers selected him ODAC Coach of the Year on three occasions and he was tabbed the Willy Lanier Virginia State Coach of the Year twice.
 
Abell served as the Washington & Lee offensive coordinator until 2012 when he was elevated to head coach. Under Abell, the Generals were transformed into a national rushing powerhouse, leading the NCAA Division III in rushing three of his final six seasons. His 2015 squad went undefeated in the regular season, the first to do so in program history, and set records in total yards (5,439), rushing offense (4,773) and points scored (417).
 
His head coaching career started uphill in 1997 at Liberty High School, near Lynchburg, Va., where he turned an 0-10 program into district champions in three years. He moved to nearby Amherst High School, which had not brought home a state championship in a dozen years, and led teams to back-to-back state titles.
 
Prior to landing his first head coaching gig, Abell served as an assistant at Altavista, Western Albemarle and Albemarle High School. His duties ranged from offensive coordinator to coaching the quarterbacks, defensive backs and linebackers.
 
Abell graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education from Longwood College in 1992 where he played both football and baseball. A gifted baseball player, Abell was drafted by the Kansas City Royals and spent two years in the minor leagues, hitting a home run in his first at-bat.
 
Abell then turned his attention back to football and teaching, eventually earning his master’s of administration/supervision at Lynchburg in 2007.
 
The Scott Abell File
PERSONAL
Hometown: Crozet, Va.
Family: Wife, Crissie; Son, Porter; Daughter, Emily
Education: B.S., Physical Education and Health - Longwood, '92; MA, Administration/Supervision – Lynchburg, 07
Playing Experience: Longwood, 1988-92

COACHING HONORS
2-Time PFL Coach of the Year
3-Time ODAC Coach of the Year
2-Time Willy Lanier Va State Coach of the Year

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
2012 Old Dominion Athletic Conference
2015 Old Dominion Athletic Conference
2017 Old Dominion Athletic Conference
2021 Pioneer Football League (Spring)
2021 Pioneer Football League (Fall)

COACHING EXPERIENCE
2018-pr. – Davidson (Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)
2008-17 – Washington & Lee (Head Coach, 2012-17; Offensive Coord. 2008-11)
2002-08 – Amherst County High (Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator)
1997-02 – Liberty High (Head Coach)
1996-97 – Altavista High (Offensive Coordinator, QB's, LB's)
1994-96 – Western Albemarle High (QB's and DE's Coach)
1993 – Albemarle High (Assistant)