Mark Powell, a former assistant coach at Austin Peay, was named defensive coordinator at Fordham University in January of 2022.
 
Powell arrives at Rose Hill after three years on the Austin Peay staff. After joining the Govs as a defensive coordinator in 2019, Powell moved to special teams coordinator for the spring 2021 season while remaining the team’s linebackers coach.
 
In his three seasons at Austin Peay, Powell coached seven All-OVC honorees, including two-time Consensus First Team All-American Kordell Jackson. 
 
In Powell’s first season on the Austin Peay sideline, the Governors ranked 12th among all FCS programs in total defense, permitting just 307.5 yards per game. Austin Peay was particularly adept at shutting down the running game, ranking eighth nationally while allowing only 104.1 yards per game.
 
Prior to joining the Governors’ staff, Powell was a graduate assistant at Mississippi State where he worked with the defensive unit for a squad that appeared in the Outback Bowl. The Bulldogs’ defense was the only defense in the country to finish in the top ten of all four major defensive categories, ranking first in total defense (263.1 yards per game), second in scoring defense (13.2 points per game), second in rushing defense (95.0 yards per game) and seventh in pass defense (168.0 yards per game).
 
Powell has Patriot League experience, beginning his career as a student assistant coach at Lafayette after an injury ended his playing career. He went on to serve on the coaching staffs at Yale and Villanova. The next season, Powell moved to Christopher Newport in 2017 where he was the Captains defensive line and special teams coach.
 
A 2014 Lafayette graduate with a degree in history, Powell also earned a master’s degree in workforce education leadership at Mississippi State in 2021. 
 
Powell is married to the former Stephanie Mooney.