Abell promoted to W&L's head football coach

Former Amherst County High School football coach Scott Abell, who led the Lancers to back-to-back Group AA, Division 4 state championships in 2006 and 2007, was named Wednesday to succeed Frank Miriello as Washington & Lee University’s head coach.

Abell served as offensive coordinator for the past four seasons and assistant head coach this past fall under Miriello, who announced his retirement Tuesday after a 45-year coaching career.

"Scott has a proven track record of success, which has already been demonstrated in his four years on our staff," W&L athletics director Jan Hathorn said. "We have full confidence in Scott’s ability to lead this program into the future."

Abell, who also spent four seasons in Bedford as Liberty High’s head football coach, turning an 0-10 team in 1998 into a Seminole District Champion in 2001, is thrilled about the promotion.

"Words cannot express my excitement for this opportunity," he said. "I am excited about the current state of our program and eager to accept the challenges of taking the team to the next level. The ODAC is one of the toughest and most balanced conferences in the country and I know our team will be ready to fight for the ODAC title each and every year."

Abell, a 1992 graduate of Longwood College who received a master’s degree from Lynchburg College in 2007, helped transform the Generals’ offense into one of the best in Division III.

W&L averaged 302.8 yards and 23.6 points per game in his first season in 2008 and those numbers increased to 23.8 points and 311.2 yards per game in 2009 and 35.3 points and 438.8 yards per game as the Generals won the ODAC title in 2010. That team set records for rushing yards and scoring, producing six of the top 10 team rushing performances in conference history while going 8-3.

This past season, W&L ranked third nationally in total offense (491.8 ypg), fourth in rushing offense (331.8 ypg), sixth in passing efficiency (171.7 rating) and 17th in scoring (38.9 ppg) to go 8-2 and post back-to-back eight-win seasons for the first time in 50 years.