Curt Fitzpatrick is excited for the start of the 2025 season and ready for the challenges of a 12-game schedule.

After months of hard work and preparation, and teaching a new system and hammering a new message into the minds of everyone in a Raiders uniform, Curt Fitzpatrick is set to make his debut as the head coach of Colgate Football.

Thus, when Colgate opens the season with a home game against No. 22 Monmouth on Friday, it marks the next step in a journey that began when Fitzpatrick was hired in December.

Fitzpatrick said he’s ready for everything that a 12-game season will throw at him. That includes the lessons that come from watching his student-athletes in action against an opponent.

“I certainly feel excited, but also, like the start of any football season, there’s this long journey ahead,” Fitzpatrick said. “There are some good butterflies because I am eager to see our team play, especially early in the season, when nobody knows what they have until you go out there and play.”

Fitzpatrick was handed the keys to the program with hopes that he could continue the success he’s experienced throughout his coaching career. 

He arrived at Colgate after four seasons as the head coach of Division III Cortland. In that span, the team went 45-5, winning a national championship in 2023. That same year, Fitzpatrick was named the Division III National Coach of the Year.

In addition, Cortland’s offense broke four school records during its 2023 title run. The team averaged a whopping 46.2 points and 509.2 offensive yards per game. For the season, the team finished with 4,265 passing yards and 3,373 rushing yards.

Fitzpatrick, a native of Fulton, N.Y., led Cortland to the playoffs in each of his four seasons. His teams never finished with more than two losses in each season while he was at the helm.

Prior to Cortland, he spent seven seasons as head coach at Morrisville State. He led the Mustangs to four winning seasons, three postseason appearances and a conference championship. He was also named the 2014 East Regional Coach of the Year, which came after Morrisville won its first league title since joining NCAA Division III.

At Colgate, Fitzpatrick joins a program that’s eager to rebound after a few tough seasons. After a preseason poll placed Colgate to finish seventh out of eight teams, the Raiders want to show they’re better than what their peers have predicted. 

Fitzpatrick said he reminded his team about Lehigh’s success in 2024, when the Mountain Hawks were picked to finish second to last and went on to win the league and record a victory in the NCAA Tournament. 

Curt Fitzpatrick has spent months teaching a new system while working closely with the quarterbacks.

“Preseason rankings are what other people think of you,” he said. “What really matters is what we think of ourselves and how hard we work to get better every day.”

One area where Fitzpatrick will play a big role is with his quarterbacks. Serving as the program’s quarterback coach, he will guide a five-man group led by senior Zach Osborne and junior Jake Stearney. The other quarterbacks on the roster are sophomore Aleks Sitkowski and first-years Jackson Kilburg and Grant Kinnee.

Fitzpatrick said the offense has made tremendous strides since spring ball in learning a new system and the terminology that comes with it. He said Osborne and Stearney bring plenty of experience. 

“They are very mature with how they prepare for practice and the way they think about the game,” he said. “They have been a pleasure to coach. Both guys will play early in the season, maybe even against Monmouth. And that’s a good thing. We have multiple players who are prepared to play at quarterback and play well.”

Since his first day on the job, one of the many things Fitzpatrick has focused on is improving the culture and mindset of the team. He has done it by introducing a phrase called, “input focus.” 

“It means, controlling what we can control,” Fitzpatrick said. “To reach the top of the mountain, you don’t stare at the summit. You focus on the next step. Knowing that you focus on here and now, eventually you will reach the top.

“I’m going to focus on my attitude, my effort, and our collective approach to today’s practice,” he said. “The better the inputs, the better the outputs. When you have a big game, you don’t want to wish away the days in between to get to game day because you have to make today count so you can play your best when game day comes.”

Fitzpatrick said his staff repeats the message often — so much that it might become annoying among his players. But he believes in what he’s teaching.

“Building a culture based around inputs with college-age kids is an ever-evolving thing,” he said.

When the Raiders take the field on Friday, a crucial part of winning the game will be the turnover margin, Fitzpatrick said.

“If we turn the ball over three or four times and don’t force any ourselves, the outcome probably won’t be what we wanted,” he said. “We need to play disciplined football and protect the football and make sure we are forcing some takeaways.” 

Fitzpatrick said the new staff has brought hope and optimism to his program.

“The team is ready to go,” Fitzpatrick said. “They would play today if they could. I’m excited for our fans, our students, and our faculty to see the new energy in our program. I think we are going to be a fun team to watch.”

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