Brian Bubna has been named MIT's head football coach. Bubna has been a member of the MIT football coaching staff since the 2010 season and has served as the program's defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator since 2012.
He replaces Chad Martinovich, who was named head coach at the University of Rochester in January.
"Our new coach will be only the third coach in the history of the football program here at MIT," said MIT athletic director Julie Soriero. "Although Brian was an internal candidate, I believed we needed to conduct a thorough search to find the person who could best keep the program on a successful trajectory. We interviewed a number of very qualified coaches and through this process, Brian emerged as the leading candidate because of his understanding of MIT, our program and our student-athletes. He is well-prepared to take on the leadership role as the head coach and move our program forward."
Bubna is a familiar face in the MIT community as he has been a member of the Engineers staff in a variety of roles. After working for two seasons as the team's linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator, Bubna transitioned into the role of defensive coordinator and served in that capacity from April 2012 through the 2017 season.
"I would like to thank Julie Soriero and the members of the search committee for bestowing this honor upon me," said Bubna. "I would also like to thank everyone who supported me during the process, including my family, my DAPER (Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation) coworkers and our outstanding alumni base. It is extremely humbling to be chosen as the next head coach of the MIT football program. I am very excited for the opportunity to lead so many talented student athletes. I am dedicated to carrying on the high standards of our football program, the department of athletics and MIT as a whole."
In 2017, the Engineers finished with a 7-3 overall record and a 5-2 mark in the first season of NEWMAC play. Defensively, Bubna's unit allowed just 16.3 points per game and a league-low 121.1 passing yards per contest. The Engineer defense was second in the conference in interceptions with 17 and led the NEWMAC in fumble recoveries with 12. In addition, MIT's defense had three NEWMAC all-conference honorees, including a pair of First Team selections.
During his tenure, the Engineers recorded three consecutive winning seasons for the first time in program history that was capped by a 10-1 mark in 2014 as the Engineers won the NEFC championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA playoffs.
In the summer of 2017, Bubna founded the Cardinal and Gray Football Clinic, which was hosted at MIT and brought a number of high-level recruits to the MIT campus in July.
In addition to his role as an assistant football coach since his arrival, he has also worked as the department's varsity equipment manager throughout his tenure. He is certified by the American Equipment Managers Association and was also the 2015 MIT Infinite Mile Award Winner.
As a player, Bubna was a four-year member of the Hobart football program and a three-year letter winner for the Statesmen. During his career, the Statesmen posted an overall record of 29-11 as she was also a 2002-03 Statesman Scholar nominee.
Bubna graduated from Hobart with a bachelor's degrees in media and society in 2004, and earned a masters of sport leadership degree from Northeastern in 2016.