Football | 9/15/2026 12:05:00 PM

Oberlin, Ohio – Oberlin College Head Football Coach John Pont has named Zach Opsal as the Director of Recruiting and Alumni Engagement. 

"Adding Zach to our staff is an important step forward for Oberlin Football. He has spent his career building relationships, evaluating scholar-athletes, organizing recruiting efforts, and working alongside coaches and support staffs at a high level. His experience at Northwestern, Purdue, Northern Illinois, and throughout college football gives him a strong understanding of what a successful recruiting operation looks like, while his work outside of coaching has only strengthened his ability to communicate, connect with people, and manage relationships," Pont adds. "Zach will bring tremendous organization and energy to our recruiting efforts, and we're equally excited about the role he will play in strengthening the connection between our current program and the alumni who have helped build Oberlin Football."

Bringing over 15 years of experience to Oberlin, Opsal has coached at multiple levels of football, including the FBS, NAIA, and high school prep level, before transitioning to sales roles at TeachTapes and Riddell this past year. Prior to his positions in sales, Opsal was the Special Teams Coordinator at Loyola Academy. Before that, he was the Special Teams Analyst at Northwestern from 2016 to 2025, during which the Wildcats were the Big Ten West Champions in 2018 and 2020. During his tenure in Illinois, Opsal guided four All-Big Ten Selections and a 2026 NFL Combine Invite. Opsal has also held coaching roles at Purdue, Ave Maria, and Northern Illinois. 

Opsal earned a Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences Communication - Business from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2011. Opsal was a long snapper for two years before transitioning to a student assistant role where the Badgers were the Sports Bowl Champions in 2009 and the Big Ten Conference Champions in 2010. Opsal went on to complete his Master's in Sport Management from Northern Illinois in 2013, serving as a graduate assistant for two years where the Huskies won back-to-back Mid-American Conference Championship titles. 

"I'm very excited to join the Oberlin College Football staff. Looking forward to working alongside Coach Point and the rest of the staff and working with our scholar-athletes!" Opsal continues. 

Opsal and the Yeomen return to action on Saturday, September 19, when they host Wabash for their One Love and Morgan's Message Game. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m.

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