EU Football’s Head Coach Is Just Getting Started

It would be easy to look at Elmhurst University Football’s 2025 season and assume the Bluejays have a long way to go before being competitive again.

But that may also be why the most interesting part of EU’s upcoming season could be overlooked. The Bluejays finished an abysmal 1-9 overall and 0-9 in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) play last season, under Mike Heffernan’s first season as head coach.

That record is difficult to just brush aside, especially in a conference that includes perennial contender North Central College. However, judging EU’s 2026 season strictly through the view of last year’s record could underestimate what a second year under Heffernan — and a revamped coaching staff — might do.

First, let’s address that Heffernan technically isn’t a “new” coach anymore. He was hired as the Bluejays’ head coach in February 2025 after being the head coach for six seasons at St. Scholastica, returning to the school where he played football.

That distinction matters.

A first-year coach is often trying to install a culture, learn his roster, and figure out what his players can do. By year two, the excuses get thinner, but so can the uncertainty that revolves around running a program. Heffernan now has more experience with the CCIW schedule, understands the strengths and weaknesses of his roster, and has had more time to establish what his expectations are. And EU has continued changing the pieces around him.

The Bluejays added Jacob Dopsovic as offensive line coach after he worked as an offensive coordinator and an offensive line coach at Siena Heights University. They also brought in Michael Passarella as defensive coordinator and Jon Bolme to oversee the special teams and linebackers. Passarella has experience with seven seasons as DePaul College Prep’s head coach and four seasons as an NFL scouting analyst with the Cleveland Browns. Bolme has also previously worked at the College of St. Scholastica.

These moves combined could be a lot more important than just the headline “new coach.” A coaching transition is one thing. An entire coaching program taking shape is another. The difficult part is doing it consistently.

EU’s 2026 football schedule begins Sept. 5 at Langhorst Field against Illinois College, followed by Rockford University and Carroll University before hosting Augustana College for their homecoming game. Later, the Bluejays will face the defending CCIW champions North Central College, then finish the season against Millikin University, Wheaton College, and North Park University.

It’s not going to be an easy road for EU this season, but this season is about trying to become more competitive in games, even when they lose. If the Bluejays can turn close games into wins, eliminate the stretches where the offense goes silent, and show improvement defensively under a new coordinator, then the team could make a much larger jump than their previous 1-9 record suggests.

The bottom line is pretty simple: Don’t judge EU’s 2026 football season by the fact that they have a new coach, judge it by the results of when that new coach gets a second chance to lead his team.