On Sunday, Ithaca College Athletics announced that the Bombers head coach Michael Toerper will depart from the program to accept The John B. and Ann M. Rogers '45 Defensive Coordinator of Cornell Football.
This announcement comes only days after longstanding Red defensive coordinator Jared Backus quietly left his role after 13 seasons with the program.
In four seasons at the helm of Ithaca College’s football program, Toerper held an overall record of 35 wins and 10 losses. His most notable achievements with the program were his back-to-back Liberty League Championships in 2022 and 2023.
"I am incredibly grateful for my time at Ithaca College and for the opportunity to lead this program," Toerper said to Ithaca College Athletics in a press release. “Showing up to work every day to do our very [best] to develop these excitable young men has been a privilege.”
Toerper and head coach Dan Swanstrom share a long and intertwined history on the sideline together, dating back multiple decades.
Toerper and Swanstrom first shared the sideline in 2010 at Johns Hopkins University. Toerper served as wide receiver coach under Swanstrom, who was the team's offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. The two coaches worked together for three seasons before Swanstrom left for a coaching position at the University of Pennsylvania.
In 2017, when Swanstrom was appointed to his first head coaching position at Ithaca College, he hired Toerper as his defensive coordinator. Toerper served in this coaching position under Swanstrom for two seasons.
When Swanstrom chose to leave Ithaca College’s program in 2022, Toerper was selected as his replacement at the head coaching position.
Throughout his tenure at Ithaca College both as defensive coordinator and head coach, Toerper’s defensive squads never gave up more than 20 points per game in any season. In the most recent 2025 season, Toerper’s Bombers gave up a mere 14.90 points per game, compared to the Red’s allowance of 26.00 points per game.
The timing of the new, but familiar, hire gives Toerper time before the 2026 season to scout and determine what his defense will look like in the new year. While the Red defense has been a point of concern for seasons of the past, the personnel change shows dedication to bolstering the defensive line.
“The seven seasons we've spent here [have] created some of the fondest memories that my family and I will ever experience,” Toerper said about his time at Ithaca College in a press release from Ithaca College Athletics. “I deeply appreciate all the effort and sacrifice from everyone who has helped this program accomplish great things together.”
Matthew Leonard is a member of the Class of 2028 in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He is the assistant sports editor of the 143rd Editorial Board. He can be reached at mleonard@cornellsun.com.
