Schreiner Director of Athletics Bill Raleigh was unsure of the response he would receive when the Mountaineers posted the head coach position on the NCAA Market website last week. Turns out, interest has been pretty high.

“It’s only been open for a week, and I guess I’ve received around 70 (applications),” Raleigh said. “There are some really good candidates. We want to move fairly quickly. We’re ambitious.”

How ambitious? Raleigh hopes to have the leader of the program on campus before the end of the school year. Whoever is selected will immediately face challenges, considering Schreiner will sign its first recruiting class and play a junior varsity schedule in 2025. The Mountaineers hope to have the coaching staff in place before the end of 2024, with some hires expected after next season concludes in November.

Fortunately for Schreiner, Raleigh has experience starting a football program when he was head basketball coach and assistant athletic director at Southwestern in 2013. The two-time Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year during his 14 seasons at the helm of the Pirates, Raleigh understands the demands of building a program.

After hiring a head coach, building the facilities necessary on campus is the top priority. Schreiner has long-range plans to build an on-campus stadium in 10 years unless a generous donation is made to construct the facility. The Mountaineers will play their home games at Antler Stadium in the meantime.

“We’re building a weight room, and we’re going to build some locker rooms. We have some infrastructure we need on campus that is our first priority, like building a field house,” Raleigh said. “One thing I’ve learned is you have to get people to the table, ask those tough questions, and figure out a path that works. We must make sure everything is done right.”

Raleigh expects the program to be funded on par with other teams in the SCAC.

“We’re not going to be the most funded team. We’re a small school, but we won’t be on the bottom end of the spectrum either. We’re committed to making sure we do this as efficiently and properly as possible,” Raleigh said. “We’ve received a lot of traction from the community, and we have a great relationship with (Kerrville ISD). We’re very excited about bringing college football to the community.”