Josh Fletcher is in his seventh year at Villanova and has earned two promotions during his time on the coaching staff. He is in his fourth year as the running backs coach and begins his first season with the new responsibility of Special Teams Coordinator in 2025. Fletcher initially came to the Wildcats as an offensive assistant and he worked with the tight ends for three seasons from 2019-21. Â
In addition to his coaching responsibilities Fletcher recruits areas of New York, including sections 1, 2, 7, 9, and 10. Â
Villanova’s running backs have been one of the team’s strengths in recent years, including in 2024 when David Avit was named the CAA Football Offensive Rookie of the Year. Avit ranked third nationally among FCS freshmen with 923 rushing yards and had a team-high 1,098 all-purpose yards on the year. He scored nine rushing touchdowns as a freshman and has been named to the preseason watch list for the Walter Payton Award entering the 2025 campaign. Â
Last year’s success by the Wildcats in the running game was a continuation of the 2023 season when Villanova ranked 10th in the country with an average of 214.5 rushing yards per game and scored at least two rushing touchdowns in nine of 13 contests. Leading running back Jalen Jackson was a second team CAA Football All-Conference selection after amassing 981 yards and nine touchdowns on the year. He ranked third in the country with an average of 7.43 yards per carry and soared to sixth place in school history with 2,548 career rushing yards. Â
The trio of Jackson, DeeWil Barlee and TD Ayo-Durojaiye combined for 2,104 yards and 23 touchdowns during the 2023 season. All three players wound up their careers in the top-20 in school history in rushing yards. Barlee ranked eighth in the record book with 2,308 yards and Ayo-Durojaiye was 20th with 1,605 yards. The troika combined for 56 rushing touchdowns during their careers. Â
From 2019-21 Fletcher coached one of the key contributors to the Villanova offense in tight end Todd Summers whose collegiate career culminated with being named a second team CAA Football All-Conference selection for the 2021 season. Summers ended his collegiate career with 76 career receptions for 901 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 11.9 yards per catch. He played in all 13 games as a sixth-year player in 2021, amassing 288 receiving yards and three touchdowns for a Wildcats team which won a CAA title and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the FCS playoffs. Â
Before he came to the Wildcats, Fletcher spent the 2018 season at Missouri State where he was a special teams and quality control coach. He worked with the kickers and punters for a team that led the Missouri Valley Conference and ranked in the top five in the FCS in net punting and punt return defense. During his time with the Bears, Fletcher was responsible for all special teams scout meetings and scout cards in addition to working with the scout teams during practices. Â
He previously was a defensive assistant at Valdosta State in 2017 and an offensive assistant at Towson for the 2016 season. Fletcher worked with the special teams units during each of those stops and he assisted with coaching the linebackers at Valdosta State when the team ended the 2017 campaign ranked in the top 10 in Division II in fewest first downs allowed and fewest touchdowns allowed. Fletcher also assisted the special teams coordinator with game planning and was charged with breaking down video of opposing offenses and special teams. Â
Fletcher was in charge of defensive scout team meetings at Towson in 2016 and on game days was responsible for charting opposing defenses in addition to assisting with clock management. Towson led the FCS in kickoff returns, ranked 18th nationally in kickoff return defense and was fourth in net punting for the 2016 season. Fletcher additionally recruited areas of Georgia, Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania during his year on the Tigers staff. Â
During the 2014 and 2015 seasons Fletcher was the running backs and tight ends coach at ASA College New York where current Villanova offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Chris Boden was on the staff. Boden was the ASA College offensive coordinator in 2014 and the head coach in 2015. Fletcher assisted with designing the Avengers offensive playbook, formulated weekly game plans and assisted with play calling for the offense. He was also in charge of travel accommodations, film exchange and assisting with student-athlete eligibility. Â
Fletcher graduated from McDaniel College in 2014 with a degree in Exercise Science and a minor in Sports Coaching. He began his coaching career as an undergraduate assistant linebackers coach for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. He assisted with on-campus recruiting as well as running offensive scout team meetings and practices.Â
