Justin Carrigan has been the face of UTPB football since 2015, the only coach in program history.
Whether out in the community building support for the Falcons or prowling the sideline on Saturday afternoons and evenings, he has 100 percent bled Orange and Black.
Hired to build a competitive program from the ground up, Carrigan jumped in with both feet, bringing in talented assistant coaches shared the same passion for the job ahead.
It needed to be a labor of love during the first 18 months as Carrigan and his staff were working with limited resources and scholarships.
The Falcons won their first two games in the inaugural season (2016), but struggled the rest of the way, a pattern that would repeat itself the next two seasons.
Through it all, Carrigan was at the forefront, speaking to boosters, fans and the media about the future of the program and how excited he was to be given the opportunity to lead the team.
Things got better in 2019, with four victories and two in conference play.
The breakthrough came in the Spring of 2021, when many other programs were sidelined or decided not to play because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Falcons played, and played well, finishing with a 5-0 mark capped by a two-point conversion in overtime to defeat Midwestern State for the first time in program history.
UTPB matched that win total the past two seasons and became more of a force in conference play, going 7-9 during the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Three of the conference losses in 2022 were by a combined five points, with the Falcons leading late in all of them.
Losses that proved that UTPB was on the cusp, yet took their toll on everyone involved.
Still, though all the growing pains, bus trips, recruiting efforts and long nights at the office during the season, Carrigan exuded the confidence needed at the top of the program.
He built the foundation.
Now it’s time for someone else to build the house.
Carrigan was named Deputy Athletic Director on Tuesday, moving from the sideline to administration and will have a direct role in promoting and elevating every program the Falcons field.
Todd Dooley, the schools Vice President for Athletics, announced that a nationwide search will begin for the next head coach and there will be plenty of resumes landing on his desk.
UTPB no longer is the homecoming game other schools’ schedules.
The Falcons have state-of-the-art facilities that draw some of the top talent from around the Permian Basin, the state and the country.
The next coach won’t have to worry about Carrigan looking over his shoulder, either.
He’ll be the one in front, still leading.
>> Follow Lee Scheide on Twitter at @OALeeScheide
