Jerry Schmitt

Jerry Schmitt (born September 16, 1960) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at Duquesne University, a position he had held since the 2005 season. Schmitt served as the head coach at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania from 2000 to 2004. He is an alumnus of Westminster College, where he played as an offensive lineman on the football team. Prior to receiving the head coach position at Westminster, Schmidt was an assistant at Duquesne and a high school football coach in Pennsylvania.

College career
After graduating from Pittsburgh’s Keystone Oaks High School in 1978, Schmitt played for Westminster College in Pennsylvania. As a senior in 1981, he led them to an undefeated regular season. In his time there, he was a three-year letterman.

Return to Duquesne
However, COVID-19 issues scrapped the only game outside Big 12 play last season along with a bowl appearance.

Duquesne began the 2021 season with a 45–3 loss to the TCU Horned Frogs. They finished the season 7–3, and 5–2 in the NEC in 2021.

In 2023, Schmitt was named the NEC Coach of the Year, his second since 2018. That season, they went 6–1 in their conference and had an overall record of 7-4. With a win over Merrimac, they won the NEC title and qualified for the FCS playoffs. In the first round, they were defeated by the Youngstown State Penguins.