UNH's Ricky Santos will be introduced Tuesday as the new head coach of the Ivy League's University of Pennsylvania. (File photo)

DURHAM – University of New Hampshire Director of Athletics Allison Rich announced Saturday that Rick Santos has resigned as head football coach to accept the same position at the University of Pennsylvania.

Associate head coach and defensive coordinator Scott James has been named interim head coach, and UNH will launch a national search for the next program leader, Rich said.

“I’m thankful for Rick’s leadership and service to UNH, and our student-athletes, coaches, and staff,” Rich said. “Rick’s mentorship and commitment have been impactful in shaping UNH football as a nationally prominent program and elevating the student-athlete experience. As one of the best players to wear a UNH jersey, he is also a Wildcat for Life. I wish him and his family the best.

“I am confident in Scott’s leadership as he guides our program through this transition. UNH football has an outstanding tradition of excellence that will continue long into the future,” Rich added.

James is in his second stint at UNH, completing his seventh season with the Wildcats. He helped UNH to five NCAA playoff trips from 2013-17 as the safeties coach before returning to the program in 2024 after six seasons as the defensive coordinator at Holy Cross, where he coached multiple All-Americans and contributed to four league championships.

Santos, a 2008 UNH alum and a 2016 UNH Hall of Fame inductee, became the 20th head coach of the UNH football program Dec. 7, 2021, and over four seasons, guided the Wildcats to a 31-19 overall record (.620 win percentage), including a 23-9 mark in CAA Football (.719). The ‘Cats were nationally ranked during all four years of his tenure with NCAA playoff appearances in 2022, 2024 and 2025.

Santos will be formally introduced to the Penn community on Tuesday at a press conference beginning at 1 p.m.

I want to express my deepest gratitude to the University of New Hampshire, a place that has truly been home to me in every sense of the word,” Santos said in a release issued by UPenn. “From my time as a student-athlete, to serving as an assistant coach, and ultimately having the honor of leading the program as head coach, UNH has shaped me both professionally and personally. I will forever be grateful to the Wildcat family–our players, staff, alumni, and supporters–for the unwavering support, trust, and belief they showed in me and my family. The relationships built and the memories created in Durham will always hold a special place in my heart.”

Penn finished third in the Ivy League at 4-3, and went 6-4 overall this past season.

“We are thrilled to welcome a high-energy, dynamic leader in Rick Santos as the next head coach of Penn Football,” Alanna Wren, the T. Gibbs Kane, Jr. W’69 Director of Athletics and Recreation said. “He is a proven winner, taking New Hampshire to multiple NCAA FCS Playoff appearances, and is considered one of the best players in FCS history as a former Walter Payton Award winner. I am confident Rick will have Penn competing for Ivy League championships and postseason appearances in the near future.”

“I am incredibly excited and humbled by the opportunity to lead the football program at the University of Pennsylvania,” Santos said. “Penn represents excellence at the highest level–academically, athletically, and institutionally–and I am grateful for the trust placed in me to steward such a proud and prestigious program. The chance to work with outstanding student-athletes at a world-class institution, while competing for championships and developing leaders for life, is truly special. I cannot wait to begin this next chapter and fully embrace the Penn football community.”

(Pennsylvania athletics communications contributed to this report.)