For the first time in 19 seasons, there will be a new head coach of Wayne State Football.

Paul Winters had been the head coach of the program since 2004 before stepping down at the end of last season. In his final 2 years in charge, the Warriors compiled a disappointing record of 3-18.

The new man at the helm will be former Michigan star running back Tyrone Wheatley.

The former NFL player has a lot of experience coaching at the highest levels. He was the running backs coach for Syracuse, Michigan, the Buffalo Bills, the Jacksonville Jaguars and most recently with the Denver Broncos last season. 

Wheatley was also the head coach at Morgan State from 2019-2021 where he compiled a record of 5-18 over two seasons. 

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Wheatley's first big decision at Wayne State will come when he announces the starting quarterback for the fall. 

Although last year’s starter Josh Kulka is still with the program, the completely new coaching staff might not hand him the keys right away until they can see him compete first hand. Last season Kulka threw for 1,544 yards and three touchdowns. 

The two other quarterbacks competing for the job are last year's backup Cole Canter and Sacred Heart transfer Jayden Waddle. 

It’s worth noting that even if Waddle doesn’t start, he is still likely to be used a fair amount in this offense. In his first three years at Sacred Heart Waddle was a wide receiver before switching positions, so it won't be surprising to see him get reps at either the wide receiver position or the quarterback during wildcat plays.

Wayne State Football Starts The Season At Slippery Rock

In Week 1, the team will travel to Pennsylvania to face Slippery Rock.

This will be a tough first test for Wheatley and his Warriors.

Slippery Rock is looking to build on their success that saw the team make it all the way to the second round of the FCS playoffs in 2022. 

Wayne State will have another arduous matchup on the road in the final game of the season when they take on two-time defending national champions Ferris State. 

The game will take place on Nov. 11. In the final game of the regular season. 

Wayne State Football Schedule 2023

• Sept. 2: at Slippery Rock, 6 p.m. ET
• Sept. 9: Missouri S&T, 1 p.m. ET
• Sept. 16: at Indianapolis, 6 p.m. ET
• Sept. 23: Truman State, 1 p.m. ET
• Sept. 30: Concordia-Ann Arbor, 6 p.m. ET
• Oct. 7: Michigan Tech, 1 p.m. ET
• Oct. 14: Davenport, 6 p.m. ET
• Oct. 21: at Saginaw Valley State, 2 p.m. ET
• Oct. 28: at Northern Michigan, 1 p.m. ET
• Nov. 4: Grand Valley State, 1 p.m. ET
• Nov. 11: at Ferris State, 1 p.m. ET

How To Watch Wayne State Football In 2023? 

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