Jerry Schmitt is the head football coach at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and enters the 2026 season as the longest-tenured coach in program history. The 2026 campaign is his 22nd season as Duquesne's head coach and his 33rd year on the Dukes' sideline overall. The source credits him with 135 victories, making him the winningest active coach in the Football Championship Subdivision and Duquesne's all-time leader in wins.
Schmitt's tenure has been defined by sustained success across multiple conference eras. Duquesne has won 10 conference championships under his direction, including seven in the Northeast Conference and three in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League, and has reached the FCS playoffs three times. His teams have produced 17 winning seasons in 21 years as head coach, and he earned his 150th career victory in Duquesne's 35-0 win over West Virginia Wesleyan in the 2024 home opener. With the 2024 season, he also moved past Dan McCann as the longest-serving head coach in school history, and he entered 2026 as the longest-tenured head coach in the FCS.
