Tyler Hopperton enters his 10th season as Head Football Coach and his 15th year on the Mount St. Joseph University football staff in 2026. In addition to leading the program, he serves as Special Teams Coordinator and assists with the defensive backs. Under his leadership, the Lions have posted an impressive 65–25 overall record, including a 52–10 mark in HCAC play. His tenure has produced consistent success, highlighted by conference championships in 2018, 2022, 2023, and 2024, with NCAA playoff appearances in 2022, 2023, and 2024. In 2025, the Lions earned their fourth straight postseason appearance, competing in the Extra Points Bowl in Canton, Ohio as part of the Opendorse Bowl Series. Hopperton has also been named HCAC Coach of the Year in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Reflecting on his journey, Coach Hopperton shared, “It’s an honor to serve as the Head Football Coach at Mount St. Joseph University. The Mount is a special place for my family, and leading this program is truly a privilege. Our ongoing success is built upon a legacy of hard work and dedication established over the past 34 years. We aim to make The Mount Family proud every day.”
Throughout his tenure, Hopperton’s leadership has produced sustained individual and team excellence in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. The Lions have earned 145 All-Conference honors, including 79 First-Team selections, while also claiming numerous prestigious awards, such as four Offensive Players of the Year, two Special Teams Players of the Year, two Defensive Players of the Year, one Newcomer of the Year, and the 2019–2020 HCAC Male Athlete of the Year. The program has also achieved national recognition with two D3Football All-Americans, two AFCA All-Americans, and one AP Second-Team All-American. In addition, 63 Lions have been named HCAC Players of the Week, and the team has broken or tied more than 84 MSJ team and individual records over the past eight seasons. Off the field, Hopperton’s players have excelled academically, with 116 Academic All-Conference selections, three CSC Academic All-District honorees, and a CoSIDA Second-Team Academic All-American in 2022.
As Special Teams Coordinator and position coach, Hopperton has played a key role in the sustained success of Mount St. Joseph’s special teams units. His coaching achievements include two HCAC Special Teams Players of the Year, a USA All-American kicker, an NCAA statistical champion in punt return average, and six first-team All-Conference kickers and punters. He has also developed eight All-Conference punt and kick returners. In 2025, Coach Hopperton mentored multiple freshman standouts, including punter Connor Yeager, who earned First-Team All-HCAC honors after averaging 41.2 yards per punt with a long of 65 yards; kicker Max Spencer, who earned HCAC honorable mention after finishing a perfect 3-for-3 on field goal attempts with a long of 45 yards; and return specialist Joey Thamann, who was named First-Team All-HCAC after averaging 25 yards per return with a long of 78 yards. During his tenure coaching linebackers, Hopperton’s players earned seven All-Conference honors, and as defensive backs coach, 16 players received All-Conference recognition, including a D3football Second-Team All-Region selection and a 2023 D3football Fourth-Team All-American cornerback. In 2024, he oversaw the tight end group, highlighted by senior Gary Powell earning first-team All-HCAC honors.
Coach Hopperton’s journey at MSJ began as a standout player, culminating in his graduation in 2012. As a student-athlete, he earned accolades including team captaincy, First-Team HCAC All-Conference honors, and All-Ohio recognition. Off the field, Hopperton was equally impressive, earning three-time HCAC All-Academic honors and being named a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete in 2012. He also served as President of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) from 2011-2012, represented MSJ at the NCAA Convention in 2012, and participated in the Diversity and Gender Issues Workshop. In addition, he was a Resident Assistant from 2010-2012 and earned membership in the Alpha Chi National College Honor Society, Sigma Beta Delta, and Chi Alpha Sigma. Hopperton graduated Magna Cum Laude from MSJ.
Tyler Hopperton resides in Northern Kentucky with his wife, Abbie, and their children, Emorie and Graham.
