Mars Hill to add flag football, Switzer named head coach

MARS HILL, N.C. – The Mars Hill University Athletic Department has announced the addition of women's flag football for the 2025-26 season and announced the first head coach in program history, Max Switzer.

Switzer serves as the Vice President of the Coaches Association at the NJCAA level, a position he's held since 2023. For the past two seasons, he served as the head flag football coach of Hesston College in Hesston, Kansas. Prior to joining Hesston College, he returned to Tabor College in 2021 as the wide receivers coach. He was the running backs coach in 2020.

Director of Athletics Rick Baker stated, "We are very excited about adding Women's Flag Football at Mars Hill. Coach Switzer's knowledge and love for the sport along with the success he has enjoyed makes him the perfect fit to build our program."

Hesston was the national runner-up for NJCAA Flag Football in 2023 and 2024. They won the KJCAA Conference Championship the past two years.

Switzer was the general manager and head coach of the Wichita Wildfire, a women's tackle football team, from March of 2021 to July, 2022.

He has held several other coaching positions at the high school level, including head ninth grade girl's basketball coach for four years at USD-Newton, football coach at Newton High School from 2016-2020, and track and field coach at Chisholm Middle School from 2016-2019.

Switzer graduated from Tabor College in 2015 with a Bachelor's in Coaching.

"I am honored to have this opportunity at Mars Hill University," Switzer said. "Helping to grow the sport that I love in a welcoming and caring place is exciting!"

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Per the Conference Carolinas release regarding their addition of flag football:

"Women's flag football is expected to be considered by the NCAA as an emerging sport in the next year.

The average roster size is around 25 players that will play 7-on-7. A contest will consist of four 12-minute quarters on a field that is 80x40 yards. The offense has four downs to cross each 20-yard line for a first down with an option to punt at third down. If unsuccessful, teams surrender possession to their opponent.

Teams score six points for a touchdown and can gain an extra one or two points for a set play from the five- or 10-yard lines. Players will wear tightly fixed flag belts with sockets and two pop flags on either side of their hips.

The NFL is a huge supporter of the growth of flag football. Numerous NFL facilities and stadiums have been utilized for competitions and clinics while several players have attended and engaged with athletes to grow the sport.  Across the country this past year, more than 700,000 youth took part in NFL FLAG leagues, with nearly 500,000 of those athletes being female, and 11 states have now sanctioned girls flag football as championship sports, thanks to the work of the NFL and RCX Sports, the official operator of NFL FLAG."