Chuck Hepola has led Evangel football since 2015, guiding the Valor to championship contention. In 2023, Evangel went 11-0 in the regular season — their first undefeated run since 2001 — and reached the postseason for the first time since 2005. Hepola holds a 53-31 record, the second-most wins in program history, and began a team tradition of player baptisms during the bye week.
Under Hepola, Evangel’s defense has become one of the NAIA’s best, with five Defensive Player of the Year honorees and multiple All-Americans. His teams also excel academically, with 98 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes since 2016. Before Evangel, Hepola spent nine seasons in NCAA FCS, earning finalist honors for the AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year award.
