Mark Melnitsky begins the 19th season as an assistant coach for the Bantams in 2024 and will serve as offensive coordinator for the 14th year. Melnitsky mentored Trinity’s tight ends and wide receivers as a graduate assistant in 1998 and 1999 and coached the Bantam offensive line since his return to Trinity in 2006.
Last season, Melnitsky’s offense set new program records for pass attempts (322), pass completions (205), passing yards (2,776), passing touchdowns (33), passing yards per game (308.4), receptions per game (22.8), total offensive yards (4,337), offensive yards per game (481.9), points scored (399), and touchdowns scored (51). In the NESCAC, the Bantams led the conference in points per game (44.1), total offense and offensive efficiency (166.7). Quarterback Spencer Fetter set the program records for career passing yards (7,481) and passing touchdowns (80), while wide receiver Sean Clapp set single-season marks for receiving yards (1,169) and receiving touchdowns (14). Five Bantams earned NESCAC All-Conference selections, while Fetter was named co-Offensive Player of the Year, the sixth player in program history to be recognized with the award. Fetter and Clapp received New England Football Writers (NEFW) All-New England Team honors as well.
Since taking over the reigns as offensive coordinator, the Bantams have earned four All-American selections (Austin Baiardi, Chris Simmons, Joe Magardino, Matt Porter), 15 D3football.com All-Region selections, 15 NEFW All-New England Team selections, two NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year selections (Spencer Fetter, Max Chipouras), six NESCAC Rookie of the Year selections, and 65 NESCAC All-Conference selections.
The Bantams offense has led the NESCAC conference in scoring (seven times), touchdowns (six times), rushing touchdowns (six times), rushing offense (four times), passing offense (three times), and passing touchdowns (three times) since 2012.
In 2012, The Bantams led the league and ranked seventh nationally in rushing, averaging 281 yards per game, while topping the league with 465 yards in total offense per game (2nd-most in College history), 35.1 ppg, and a 152.8 pass efficiency. In 2016, Trinity paced the league with 38 total touchdowns and ranked No. 6 nationally in the red zone with a 91.4% conversion rate, while pacing the league in both scoring defense (10.6 ppg, 7th in nation) and scoring offense (34.6 ppg) and turnover margin (+1.50, 6th in nation) in 2017. Trinity topped the NESCAC in rushing (228 ypg), total offense (464.3 yards, 3rd-most in College history), scoring (36.0 ppg), and passing yards (2,120), while setting a new college record at 6.49 yards per play in 2018. The Bantams paced the league with 44 total touchdowns while earning 22 of those from the running game that year as well. The Trinity offense led the league in touchdowns (39), passing yards per completion (18.7) and in pass efficiency (177.3) in 2019, and in pass efficiency (175.1) and total offense (286.6) in 2021.
Since 2021, the Trinity offensive line has led the NESCAC in sacks allowed for three straight seasons, including a league-low four sacks allowed in 2023, the sixth-best mark in the country. The Bantam offensive line led the nation in sacks allowed (two) in 2006.
Melnitsky was previously the offensive line coach at Fordham University in 2004 and 2005, and served as both the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Widener University in 2003 and Ursinus College in 2001 and 2002. Prior to Ursinus, Melnitsky served as an offensive line coach at the University of Pennsylvania in 2000. He earned his bachelor’s degree in government from Hamilton College in 1997, where he was a four-year letterwinner at inside linebacker and captain as a senior, and added a master’s degree in American Studies from Trinity in 2009. Melnitsky is also an associate professor in the Trinity athletic department. He has two daughters, Charlotte and Julia, and resides in Avon.
