Waynesburg hires Frazier grad, former Cal assistant Wilson as football coach
Waynesburg University was looking for an ace recruiter with a track record of success and a name known across the region as its next football coach.
The Yellow Jackets found that guy.
Frazier High School graduate Larry Wilson, most recently the offensive coordinator for Clarion and a member of both John Luckhardt’s and Gary Dunn’s coaching trees at Penn West California, was hired Tuesday as the new head coach at Waynesburg.
Wilson, 50, succeeds Dr. Cornelius Coleman, who was dismissed in November after four seasons.
The Yellow Jackets’ last winning season was 2014 and last PAC championship was 2012.
Waynesburg finished 4-6 in three of Coleman’s four seasons, including 2025.
Wilson is the second Frazier graduate to land an area head coaching position in a little more than a week. Chad Salisbury was hired by West Liberty last week. Salisbury had been California’s offensive coordinator. He too coached under Luckhardt and Dunn.
“His ability to recruit and recruit the area is something our program has desperately needed for some time,” said Tim Fusina, Waynesburg’s athletic director. “When you can get somebody who has run successful offenses for the past 20 years at the (NCAA) Division II level, we must go after that guy. Larry set himself apart in the interview process. We’re happy to have him on board.”
Wilson made an immediate impact at Clarion in 2025. The Golden Eagles enjoyed their first winning season (6-5) since 2015 and its explosive offense was one of the main reasons for that success.
Under Wilson’s leadership, Clarion led the PSAC and ranked 20th in Division II in total offense per game (433.3 yards). The Golden Eagles also finished third in the conference and 25th in the country in points per game (34.7), as well as second in the PSAC in passing yards per game (273.9) and second in touchdowns (51).
Wilson held multiple positions in a 16-year assistant coaching career with the Vulcans. He was special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach from 2005 to 2015. He became offensive coordinator in 2013.
Cal was 146-42 overall with seven trips to the NCAA Division II playoffs with Wilson as a staff member.
Wilson also assisted the athletic department in developing fundraising initiatives, garnering corporate sponsorships and organizing camps for not just football, but for all Cal athletic programs.
“I’ve learned through all the veteran coaches I was blessed to be around throughout all the years,” Wilson said. “I have been looking for more of an opportunity than a job and having that experience only helped that. I’m ready to get started, using all the resources that I have, all the knowledge that I’ve gained and learned.
“I’m really excited to get out and start recruiting guys it’s going to take to get Waynesburg moving in the right direction. I’m looking for guys who love football, who believe in higher education, believe in becoming men, and running that process at an outstanding university.”
One of Waynesburg’s issues has been competing with the Presidents’ Athletic Conference’s top teams: Washington & Jefferson, Grove City, Case Western Reserve and Westminster, both on the field and in financial commitment to the program.
“Understanding that landscape of the PAC and the competitiveness and, obviously, financial situations for student-athletes are all important,” Wilson said. “That was part of the process with the search committee. I wanted to be aligned with that when we go out for potential student-athletes who we believe in and who fit the mold we’re looking for. We’re looking to being as competitive as we can to attract those students and families. Attracting the right kids, being aligned and getting in situations to earn a great degree from Waynesburg, and to be affordable and be competitive within the PAC is essential.”
Wilson began his football coaching career as the head man at Frazier where he worked with the middle school, junior high school, junior varsity and varsity teams. He also worked within the Frazier district as a substitute teacher in science and physical education.
“I have deep roots that have led to building a strong network of contacts in Western Pennsylvania,” Wilson said. “I feel like those roots are going to afford me a real opportunity to bring in the types of coaches and players that I am looking for. “I have guys that I’ve coached in the past that are current high school coaches. Those relationships are genuine, and I can’t wait to get out to those high school campuses and others to begin the process of bringing guys we believe in to campus.”
When asked about retaining members of Coleman’s staff who were not dismissed – a group that includes Phil Hamilton and Russ Moore, among others, Wilson said: “I’m more than willing to talk to the guys who are left because obviously they’re committed to Waynesburg. They love Waynesburg. They’ve been working hard for Waynesburg. But I do have to be strong enough to make sure that there’s total alignment within our resources to make sure that I have the exact right guys to build this and get it moving in the right direction.”