NORTHFIELD, Vt. - After a quarter-century leading one of the most successful and respected rugby programs in New England, Bob Weggler has announced his retirement as head coach of the Norwich University men's rugby program, effective June 1, 2026.  The ongoing spring 7s season will mark his final campaign on the sidelines for the Cadets.

Weggler closes an extraordinary coaching chapter at Norwich that began in the fall of 2001 and helped elevate the Cadets into a perennial regional and national contender across both 15s and 7s competition.  Over 25 seasons in Northfield, he transformed Norwich men's rugby into a model of sustained excellence, competitive toughness, and player-driven culture, building a program whose reach has extended far beyond New England and onto the national and international stage.

"Fast forward to spring of 2026, fifty years in the sport and 25 years here, I will be finishing my chapter at Norwich University," Weggler said.  "I am so grateful for the 25 years spent here at the Wick."

A longtime fixture in collegiate rugby, Weggler brought decades of experience to Norwich and leaves with more than 41 years of collegiate coaching service overall.  Prior to arriving in Northfield, he coached at Cornell University, Amherst College, and Colby College, where he guided the Mules to back-to-back national Final Four appearances in 1999 and 2000.

His coaching roots stretch back even further. Weggler noted that his first try at coaching came in the spring of 1976, when he helped Cornell Women RFC get started at age 19.  Two years later, at just 21 years old, he served as the head coach of the Cornell women's side and led the team to a 6-1 record.

Before arriving in Northfield, Weggler had already experienced five national Final Fours in 15s rugby, three as a player with Old Blue RFC in 1980, 1981, and 1986, and two as head coach at Colby College in 1999 and 2000.  Since coming to Norwich, he has been part of 10 more Final Fours as a head coach or rugby administrator, bringing his overall total to 15 national Final Fours across his lifetime in the sport.

At Norwich, his résumé became even more distinguished.  Under Weggler's leadership, the Cadets qualified for 16 national tournaments across 15s and 7s, including multiple Sweet 16, Elite 8, and Final Four appearances.  Norwich posted third-place national finishes in 2016, 2017, 2021, and 2024, along with a fourth-place result in 2019, as Weggler established the Cadets as one of the premier Division II rugby programs in the country.

Since Norwich joined National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) in 2021, the Cadets reached four straight Sweet 16s and four straight Elite 8s, advancing to the national Final Four in both 2021 and 2024.  His 15s teams also captured five straight conference championships during one of the most dominant stretches in program history, while the Cadets added three consecutive 7s league titles under his watch.

Between 2016 and 2019, Norwich compiled a 41-8 record in 15s and won a program-record 21 consecutive conference matches, setting a standard for consistency that became synonymous with Weggler's tenure.  His teams were known not only for their physicality and execution, but also for their resilience, brotherhood, and commitment to representing Norwich with integrity.

"I consider it a privilege to have been able to work with Bob Weggler during my first four years in this role," said Director of Athletics Ed Hockenbury.  "He is an incredible human being, who made Norwich University and our Athletic Department better in countless ways.  Bob brought respect and accountability to the men's rugby program years ago, and went on to build it into a consistent winner that represented our University with distinction on a national level.  He did this while also providing unwavering support to our women's rugby team, unifying the two programs in a way that helped galvanize tremendous, and equitable, alumni support for Norwich Rugby."

"In our department, Bob's voice has been a powerful source of positivity in challenging times, inspiration and advice to colleagues, and an infectious love of Norwich to student-athletes and staff," Hockenbury continued.  "His impact beyond coaching included a constant willingness to help with various duties, including creating and managing the Senior Athletic Awards Luncheon, showing how much Bob cares for all athletes and coaches, and helping to significantly elevate the quality of the student-athlete experience. Bob's energy, enthusiasm, sense of humor, and passion for what he did have been felt across this campus, by everyone he has worked with for 25 years.  His legacy at Norwich is unparalleled: an outstanding and highly competitive coach, wise and generous colleague, role model of integrity and sportsmanship, and leader under whose guidance many young men learned, grew, and thrived, both while at Norwich and after graduation.  Bob will be missed dearly, but we are happy he will have more time with his family, and we wish him well in this next chapter of his life."

"Norwich Rugby is a name brand rugby program in collegiate rugby," Weggler said.  "The culture and competitiveness is strong thanks to all the efforts of the student-athletes."

That culture, he said, has always been about more than the final score.

"The value of integrity, taking ownership, being accountable, and having no excuses," Weggler said, reflecting on the qualities he has always hoped his players would carry with them after their time at Norwich.

Weggler's influence reached well beyond the matchday result. He helped create opportunities and traditions that became central to the identity of Norwich rugby.  He directs the annual Chris Munn 7s Tournament each spring, an event that both celebrates high-level rugby and honors the life and legacy of Norwich alum Chris Munn '81 while raising awareness for ALS. During Homecoming each fall, Weggler has also overseen the presentation of the Chris Munn Scholarship, helping tie the current program to generations of Cadet ruggers who came before them.

His leadership also helped produce one of the most meaningful facility upgrades in recent program history. During the COVID-19 pandemic in fall 2020, Weggler and Norwich's rugby alumni group, the Scrum Alums, launched a fundraising effort that led to the construction of a new rugby clubhouse.  In September 2021, Norwich celebrated the program's 50th anniversary and officially dedicated the new facility, a lasting symbol of the culture and alumni support Weggler helped cultivate.

Weggler also pointed to the restoration of the Dog River Pitch after the flood of 2023 as one of the enduring projects of his later years at Norwich.

"As founding director of the annual Chris Munn 7s Invitational, I have raised awareness for ALS since 2014," Weggler said.  "My lasting legacy will be the many hours spent managing the restoration of the Dog River Pitch, destroyed by the flood of 2023."

Internationally, Weggler ensured that Norwich men's rugby experienced the game in its broadest sense.  His teams traveled extensively abroad, competing in Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland, Montreal, Ottawa, and Bermuda.  Most recently, the Cadets reached the final of the 2025 Ariel Re Bermuda International 7s after wins over Harvard and Maryland, before falling to Bermuda's national side in the title match.

"American rugby culture is not as well established as rugby throughout the world," Weggler said.  "In some countries, like Wales, South Africa, and parts of France, it's a religion."

That broader exposure, he noted, has long been an important part of the development of Norwich student-athletes, both on and off the pitch.

Weggler also played a major role in the development of nationally recognized players during his time at Norwich.  Among the All-Americans coached under his watch were Keegan Frick, Tom St. Pierre, Nathan Rolling, Leo Clayburgh, Artur Martinez, Rashawn Fraser, Marius Edwards, and Jeff Pappalardo. Since the launch of NCR's Collegiate All-Star Weekend, Norwich has also seen multiple Cadets selected to the showcase each year.

"Bob Weggler has led the Norwich men's rugby program to a level that was only a dream when he was hired in 2001," said Dave Whaley '76, a former Norwich rugby player and mentor of the program, who helped lead the search that resulted in Weggler's hire.  "His ability to recruit, retain, and develop players enabled Norwich to successfully compete against schools many times its size, while ensuring they played with integrity and sportsmanship, representing the Norwich guiding values."

"The success of his teams at the national level has brought recognition of the University across the country," Whaley added.  "Bob is looked upon by his players, their families, and his fellow coaches as a teacher and a mentor.  His impact upon the rugby program and the University cannot be easily measured; he has contributed both on and off the field, in and out of the office, and on and off the campus, working hard to make those around him better."

Before becoming one of the most accomplished coaches in Norwich rugby history, Weggler's own playing career laid the foundation for a lifetime in the sport. He first began playing rugby in 1973 at age 16 with Old Blue in New York.  At Cornell, he competed on the first side for four years and helped capture the Upstate Rugby Union title as a freshman.  He later played in three national Final Four Division I Club Championships with Old Blue and continued competing at a high level after college, including a year playing in Wales with Abergavenny First XV.

His impact on rugby has also extended into innovation.  At age 23, Weggler invented the Scrumijer, the first scrum sled made in the United States, an invention that would go on to be used by rugby programs across North America and remains one of his unique contributions to the sport.

In addition to his coaching accomplishments, Weggler has long been a valued educator, mentor, and presence within the wider Norwich community.  A longtime math teacher by profession, he has served on the Norwich Academic Committee, mentored students in the Norwich Leader Development Program, and held leadership roles within regional rugby organizations, including the New England Collegiate Rugby Conference and the Vermont Youth Rugby Association.  In recognition of his service and impact, he was presented with Norwich University's Honorary Alumnus Award during Homecoming 2025.

"I am most proud of my role as a mentor to hundreds of student-athletes as well as young coaches," Weggler said.  "My greatest accomplishment has been creating and maintaining a team culture that fosters the Norwich values of honor, integrity, and personal responsibility, both on and off the pitch."

When asked what has meant the most to him personally, Weggler pointed first to the people who shaped his 25 years at Norwich.

"I have stayed in this long because I am motivated and inspired by mentoring young student-athletes," Weggler said.  "Many thanks to the school administration, Coach Tony Mariano, Coach Ed Hockenbury, all my coaching colleagues and professors throughout the years, and most importantly to all the student-athletes over the past 25 years.  They have been a pleasure to coach, lead, and mentor."

He also made a point to thank those who helped launch and sustain his Norwich chapter.

"Thanks to Tony Mariano and Dave Whaley for hiring me 25 years ago, and thanks to all the assistants and guest coaches, particularly Coach Betzler and Coach Cornbill," Weggler said.  "Most importantly I would like to thank my wife Diana of 45 years. It is not easy to be a college coach's wife all these years.  I am so grateful for her love."

Weggler's final season will continue this spring as Norwich carries on with its 2026 7s campaign.  Later this weekend, the Cadets will host the annual Chris Munn 7s Tournament on Saturday, April 4, in what will be one of the final home events of Weggler's storied tenure.

A retirement dinner in honor of Coach Weggler will be held on Saturday, May 30, at Norwich University.  Details and reservation information will be available soon.

A national search for Norwich's next head men's rugby coach will begin immediately.