BUFFALO, N.Y. – Buffalo State football head coach Lazarus Morgan has announced the first hire of his tenure, bringing Holden Whitehead to the Queen City as the Bengals' Defensive Coordinator for the upcoming 2022 season.
 
"Coach Holden Whitehead is one of the most intelligent young minds in this coaching profession," Morgan said. "We are very excited to have him join our staff; I had the privilege of coaching him for two years and then coaching with him for four years. I am confident in his ability to teach, build relationships, and be a great leader for the young men in our program."
 
Whitehead comes to Buffalo State after beginning his coaching career with the Alfred University Saxons. Whitehead joined the Saxon coaching staff as a graduate linebackers coach in the 2016 season under Morgan, the defensive coordinator at the time. His first year was a special one, as the team won a school-record 12 games, making a foray into the NCAA Division III Quarterfinals and earning the Lambert Cup trophy, which honors the best team in the Eastern Region. Since then, Whitehead quickly moved up the coaching ranks, earning the title as Special Teams Coordinator after the 2016 season, and junior varsity head coach in 2020, while also coaching the defensive line (2018-19) and defensive backs (2020-21) during his tenure.
 
His units have set program records over the past five seasons. Trevor Monk set the school record for points by a kicker (89) in 2016, while Kevin Bragaglia set a pair of records in 2018, longest punt return (92 yards vs. Cortland) and punt return yards per attempt (19.3) in a season. A Saxon has been in the top-3 in either kick or punt return average and/or field goal makes per game in each of the seasons under Whitehead's leadership. Whitehead also guided the development of two-time American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-America linebacker A.J. Licata (2016, 2017) and AFCA All-America safety Raeqwon Greer (2019), and has coached a plethora of student-athletes to Empire 8 All-conference selections during his tenure.
 
"First off, I would like to thank the administration at Buffalo State for making this a wonderful and smooth transition," Whitehead said. "Thank you to my wife and coaches for the guidance and support over the last month. I am excited for the opportunity to lead the Bengal defense; it is a dream come true. The energy here on day one from the staff, and most importantly, the players is outstanding! I cannot express the gratitude I have for Buffalo State and most importantly, Lazarus Morgan for giving me this opportunity. We look forward to building a culture of winning on and off the field for years to come."
 
While a student-athlete at Alfred University, Whitehead played four seasons (2012-15) as a linebacker, earning a starting role as a senior on a team that went 8-3 and won the ECAC Robert M. "Scotty" Whitelaw Bowl against Fitchburg State. He earned a bachelor's degree in psychology in 2016 and a master's degree in counseling in May 2020.