Martins Ferry native and former Purple Rider football standout Zac Bruney enters his seventh season and eighth year overall as head coach at Wheeling University in 2025. Over his first seven seasons at the helm, Bruney has led the Cardinals to a combined 36-30 record, including an 23-29 record in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play.
The Cardinals pushed their run of .500 or better finishes to three straight seasons in 2024, with the team finishing 6-5 overall and 5-4 in MEC play. The Cardinals fell one game shy of tying the single-season win record behind what was a balanced attack. The defense was allowing just over 28 PPG while the offense matched that with just over 33 PPG of their own. After winning their conference opener, the Cardinals went on a late season push that put them over the .500 mark. It was a week seven win over West Virginia State that turned the tide and got the Cardinals going. They went 5-1 down their final six-game stretch, capping off the year with a 40-16 win over West Liberty that made sure they eclipsed the .500 mark on the season.
The Cardinals would be rewarded with eight All-MEC honorees during the season, including three different players earning forst team honors. Each of the Cardinal's eight All-MEC players earned Second Team or higher, marking the most first and second team honorees in program history. Linebacker Jack Parry, Defensive Back Justin McIlwain, and Wide Receiver Tre Holloway each earned first team honors for their work during the 2024 season. Bruney also helped coach senior running back Steven Mitchell to Second Team All-MEC, the first award of his career, after rushing just short of 1,000 yards.
During the 2023 season, the Cardinals would continue their run of .500 or better seasons, finishing 5-5 overall and 4-5 in MEC play. It marked the fourth consecutive season that the Cardinals finished .500 or better, and saw the program finish .500 or better for the fourth time in five seasons. The team set the new single-game points record when they took down West Virginia Wesleyan 58-3 during their homecoming match. The team was off to a 3-2 start to the season in the early going and added a big win over West Virginia State on senior day in week 10.
For their efforts, eight Cardinals earned All-MEC honors, including Second Team All-MEC honors from Peter Schmitt, Tre Holloway, and Caleb Grant. IT was also a big year for alumni of the program with former Cardinals Sy Alli, Jayvon Johnson, Zay Lewis, Xavier Thomas, and Aaron Finch all inking professional contracts. The team also had a representative in the FAF Senior Bowl for the third straight season. Bruney helped coach the first D2CCA All-Region and All-American in program history when Aaron Davis led NCAA DII with 25 pass breakups during the season.
The Fall of 2022 was the best season yet for Wheeling Football under Bruney, as the Cardinals finished 6th in the conference at 7-4 overall and 6-4 in MEC play. His team set the single-season win record for the program while several individual and team records were broken throughout the year. The Cardinals were in the top three of the conference up until the final three weeks of the regular season.
The Cardinals had nine All-MEC award winners by year's end, including a program best eight players on either the first or second team. Rich White III earned the program's second Don Hansen DII All-American Award and the program also saw its first two professional contract signed as Brandon Munoz and former Cardinal Aaron Finch signed with the Jacksonville Sharks of the National Arena League.
During the Fall of 2021, and COVID-shortened 2021 spring season, Bruney's team made great strides. The fall of 21 they finished 5-6, (5-5) good for 5th in the MEC and 2-2 in that previous Spring, competing for the MEC North Division Championship against Notre Dame College. The Cardinals picked up 2 City Championship victories over West Liberty in the Spring and Fall Seasons (42-19, & 26-20).
He helped lead a group that included five All-MEC Postseason award winners in the Fall of 2021, and helped the program to the 2
nd straight .500 conference record in 3 seasons of conference play.
In the first 4 seasons in program history, Bruney has gone a combined 16-18 over those 4 seasons as Head Football Coach as the team heads into its 4
th season in the MEC.
In the initial season of 2018, the Cardinals played an independent driven schedule, and finished with a perfect record of 8-0 with a roster comprised of almost exclusively Freshmen.
Bruney’s Cardinals broke through for the program’s historic first Mountain East win in a 27-20 victory at Concord during the 2019 campaign.
In total, 27 Players have received All Mountain East Honors in the first 3 seasons in the league, and also the program's First All-American, Cornerback Richard White III (Don Hansen Football Gazette 2nd Team All American, 2021). In the fall of 2021, 29 Members of the football squad received All Academic All-Conference awards (3.7-4.0)
At a press conference on July 17, 2017, Bruney was officially named the first head football coach in school history. After a full year of recruiting, the Cardinal football team began play in 2018 before embarking on its first season as members of the Mountain East Conference in 2019.
Bruney returned to the Ohio Valley following a four-year stint as an assistant coach at Ohio Dominican from 2013-16, including two seasons as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. The Panthers amassed a 36-10 record during his time in Columbus, captured the 2013 GLIAC Championship, won the 2014 GLIAC South Championship and were an NCAA Division II Regional finalist, finishing #4 in the country in the final AFCA Poll.
Bruney started his coaching career at his alma mater, Mount Union, before becoming a graduate assistant coach with the University of Toledo, where he worked with both Quarterbacks and Wide Receivers.
Bruney returned to Mount Union in 2009 to become the Purple Raiders offensive coordinator. From 2009-2012, the program racked up a 43-3 record, captured three OAC championships and made three appearances in the NCAA Division III Stagg Bowl (national championship game).
Bruney is a 2004 graduate of the University of Mount Union and was a quarterback for legendary Head Coach Larry Kehres. Bruney was a member of the Purple Raider teams that captured the 2001 and 2002 NCAA Division III National Championships. Mount Union also appeared in the 2003 Stagg Bowl and were National Semifinalists in 2004. Bruney wrapped up his career with a 27-1 record as starting quarterback, an All-American in 2004, and was also a finalist for the Gagliardi Award, which is awarded to the most outstanding player in Division III.
Bruney comes from a family with a storied football legacy. His father, Dave Bruney, had been the head coach at Martins Ferry High School from 1979 to 2018, and is a member of the Ohio High School Football Coaches' Association Hall of Fame. His late uncle, Fred Bruney, played at The Ohio State University in the 1950s and went onto a successful career as a player and coach in the NFL.
Bruney and his wife Amber (married in 2013) have three children: Quinn (5), Decker (5), and Zara (3)
| 2018 |
(8-0) |
Independent Season |
| 2019 |
(1-10, 1-9) |
First Season as a Member of the MEC |
| 2020 |
(2-2, 2-2) |
CoVid Shortened Spring Season, City Champs, MEC North Division Runner Up |
| 2021 |
(5-6, 5-5) |
2nd Full Season in Division II/MEC, City Champs, 5th in MEC |
| 2022 |
(7-4, 6-4) |
City Champs, 6th in MEC |
| 2023 |
(5-5, 4-5) |
|
| 2024 |
(6-5, 5-4) |
City Champs, T-5th in MEC |
| Totals |
(36-30, 23-29) |
3X City Champs |
