After a brief timeout to work on a family business venture, Mark Powell is back in the game.
And NCAA Division II program New Haven could be on the verge of one of the most fascinating hires at any level of college football in this 2024-25 cycle.
Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell FootballScoop that Powell is set to take the reins as New Haven's defensive coordinator.
At one time college football's youngest defensive coordinator during his 2019 stint at FCS program Austin Peay, a year in which the Govs set the program record with 11 wins and had the No. 12 overall defense in the nation, Powell also worked in the SEC under Bob Shoop at Mississippi State.
At Austin Peay, Powell made the transition from the Will Healy to Scotty Walden eras, coaching on defense and also serving an additional role as special teams coordinator under Walden.
Powell, defensive coordinator at Fordham when the Rams had a breakthrough, nine-win 2022 season, served as defensive coordinator the past two years at Darien High School (Connecticut) while he worked in a new, private business venture, a source explained to FootballScoop.
He's also worked at Marshall, Yale, Villanova and his alma mater, Lafayette College, as well as NCAA D3 program Christopher Newport University in Virginia.
New Haven advanced to the NCAA DII Playoffs last fall, where the Chargers lost in the opening round to Slippery Rock.