Connor Steffens
Jan. 21, 2026
In October, Thiel Athletics announced the exciting addition of women’s flag football as a brand-new sport on campus. The team will begin play in Spring 2026, and join PAC rivals Allegheny, Bethany, Chatham, Franciscan, and St. Vincent in offering the sport. They immediately got to work and hired current football linebackers coach Jon Bevier as the program’s inaugural head coach. Bevier brings 8 years of experience from the high school level in Michigan, as well as experience as an assistant defensive backs coach and defensive quality control coach at Division 1 Central Michigan University for one season. After a coaching change with the Chippewas, he accepted an offer to join Sam Bauman’s staff with the Tomcats. “I applied around and Thiel was one of the very few places that gave me an interview,” Bevier said. “I’m very thankful for it as I helped propel me into this position.”
Flag football has been voted as an emerging sport for women by all but one NCAA school at the latest NCAA Convention, making it one of the hottest sports right now in the United States. Bevier mentioned how the sport is bigger in other countries, and just now getting into the U.S., especially with the sport’s inclusion in the 2028 Summer Olympics. He will bring along a volunteer assistant, Torre Bogan. “I’m extremely thankful for Coach Bogan,” said Bevier. “He’s going to be a huge asset to this program. I think that we’re going to work very well together.” Coach Bevier hopes to put together a roster of at least 20 players for the first full season in 2027, and he’s on his way with four women from other athletic programs, and two more high school recruits from the Class of 2026.
Bevier will be building this program from the ground up and is very focused on getting the word around and creating a winner at the Division 3 level. “I’m really in this for the long-term development of the athlete,” he added. “That’s what Coach Bogan and I’s job is to do, is to figure out how to get us to win. Setting expectations realistically to that, I think is important. But at the same time, I know how Coach Bogan is, I know how I am. At some point, we will be competing for a national championship.” Bevier hopes his competitive spirit that he brings from the world of tackle football will translate to the competitiveness of women’s flag football, noting that the new sport is just as competitive as the more traditional option. With his grit and determination,
Coach Jon Bevier will look to create a winner as Thiel looks to stay ahead of the curve in college athletics.
Image of Thiel College Coach Jon Bevier. Photo taken by Dante Parente.
