Amidst change, Carty said it's still business as usual for Delaware football

NEWARK — In some ways, the Delaware football program has one foot in two different leagues right now.

Of course, in other ways, the Blue Hens aren’t in any conference at all.

But, at the end of the day, Delaware coach Ryan Carty says the motivation for his players is pretty simple.

The Hens are going to try to win as many games as they can this fall.

“Addressing it is not as hard as we make it out to be sometimes,” said Carty. “It’s easy enough to see something as a change as something that needs to be talked about a lot..

“But, when you’re in the day-to-day, we’re making sure that we win each day. We’re making sure that our workouts are great and that we have 100 percent effort. Those things haven’t really changed for us.”

Carty talked about Delaware’s unusual situation as part of Coastal Athletic Association Football Media Day today.

The Hens will still play their scheduled slate of conference games this season. But they aren’t eligible for the CAA title or the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs.

That’s because Delaware is adding scholarships as it moves up to the FBS level and joins Conference USA. The Hens will start playing in C-USA in 2025 but won’t be full-fledged members of the league until the following season.

While those moves change Delaware’s preparation for the future, Carty said everything else is business as usual.

“The beauty of playing football and coaching football is that you’re pretty much not happy unless you win them all,” he said. “That’s our goal, to go 1-0 reach week.”

For what it’s worth, the Hens were picked to finish fifth in the 16-team CAA preseason poll. They did receive three of the 16 first-place votes.

Delaware opens the season on Aug. 29 by hosting CAA newcomer Bryant.
Whatever is at stake this season, senior cornerback Tyron Herring said he and his teammates are competitors by nature.

“I think it’s getting guys who want to win, no matter whether there’s a championship, whether there’s not,” he said. “I think it makes it easier just to go out and compete because you already have that inherent drive to want to win.”

Carty’s entire history college football experience has been at the FCS level.

Along with playing and coaching at Delaware, he’s been an assistant coach at both New Hampshire and Sam Houston State. He says he’s enjoyed it.

“I have a great passion for and love for what has gotten us to this point,” said Carty. “And I think that’s part of the tradition of what has propelled us to our next spot as well.

“It’s how great of a conference we’ve had the opportunity to play in — from the Atlantic 10 to the CAA. We’re excited about that next phase.

“But, to be honest, it (the move up) is far from our mind right now. . .... The players and the coaches right now, we are focused on this and making sure this is the best ‘24 season that we can have — that can help propel us into the next phase.”