Will Wagner
Will Wagner is an American football coach and former player. He is the special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach for Henderson State University, a position he has held since 2023. He served as the head football coach at the Angelo State University from 2011 until he was fired during the 2018 season. Wagner was hired as the seventh head football coach at Angelo State University on December 23, 2010. Prior to coming to Angelo State, he served as the defensive backs coach and assistant head coach at Northwest Missouri State University.
 Wagner at a press conference | |
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Special teams coordinator / cornerbacks coach |
| Team | Henderson State |
| Conference | GAC |
| Playing career | |
| 1992–1995 | Hardin–Simmons |
| Position(s) | Defensive back |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1996–1997 | Hardin–Simmons (GA) |
| 1998–1999 | Northwest Missouri (GA) |
| 2000–2006 | Northwest Missouri (DB) |
| 2007–2010 | Northwest Missouri (AHC) |
| 2011–2018 | Angelo State |
| 2019 | Abilene Christian (DA) |
| 2020–2022 | West Texas A&M (ST/LB/DB) |
| 2023–present | Henderson State (ST/CB) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 48–41 |
| Tournaments | 1–1 (NCAA D-II playoffs) |
High school and college
Wagner grew up in Odessa, Texas. He attended Permian High School, where as a defensive back and wide receiver he helped lead his team to win the state championship in 1991, his senior year. He went on to attend Hardin–Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, where he was a four-year starter, set the school record for interceptions in a season, set an American Southwest Conference record for career picks and earned All-American honors.
Coaching career
After graduating with a degree in exercise science in 1996, Wagner stayed at Hardin–Simmons University and served as a graduate assistant for the 1997 season. Wagner then transferred to Northwest Missouri State to serve as a graduate assistant for Mel Tjeerdsma. He served as a graduate assistant for two years before being hired on as a defensive back coach in 2000. He was promoted to assistant head coach in 2006. While at Northwest Missouri coach Wagner helped oversee an incredibly successful team that had 15 consecutive winning seasons, 11 NCAA DII playoff appearances, 7 NCAA Division II National Championship Game appearances and 3 NCAA Division II National Championships during his tenure.
After the fall 2010 football season, Angelo State University fired previous head coach Dale Carr. After a national search, Wagner was named one of four finalists for the head coach position. On December 23, 2010, ASU athletic director Kathleen Brasfield announced the hiring of Wagner as the 6th head coach of the ASU Rams.
Family
Wagner is married to Andrea Wagner. They have two sons and a daughter, Brooks, Brayden, and Blair.
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | AFCA# | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angelo State Rams (Lone Star Conference) (2011–2018) | |||||||||
| 2011 | Angelo State | 5–6 | 2–6 | T–6th | |||||
| 2012 | Angelo State | 5–6 | 4–4 | T–5th | |||||
| 2013 | Angelo State | 5–6 | 2–4 | T–5th | |||||
| 2014 | Angelo State | 9–3 | 5–2 | T–2nd | L NCAA Division II Second Round | 20 | |||
| 2015 | Angelo State | 7–4 | 3–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 2016 | Angelo State | 5–6 | 4–5 | 7th | |||||
| 2017 | Angelo State | 6–5 | 4–4 | T–4th | |||||
| 2018 | Angelo State | 6–5 | 4–4 | T–4th | |||||
| Angelo State: | 48–41 | 28–32 | |||||||
| Total: | 48–41 | ||||||||