SAVANNAH, Ga. – SCAD Director of Athletics Amanda Haverstick is excited to announce the hiring of Cristian Orth as the first Flag Football Head Coach as the Bees look to field a team for the 2026-27 academic year.
 
"I was impressed with Cristian from our very first conversation," states Director of Athletics Haverstick.  "His passion for the game and vision around building this inaugural program were exciting to discuss.  With the addition of this sport to the 2028 Olympics, we are thrilled to begin recruiting for the 26/27 academic year. It is a great time to add women's flag football, a sport that is exploding across the US and abroad.  Cristian brings great energy and enthusiasm to this role, and I look forward to seeing his program on campus next fall."
 
Orth has a proven record of player development, recruitment success, and program building, which he will bring to SCAD, making an impact immediately.
 
Orth is the founder of Light Snack LLC, delivering sports performance training programs for athletes across multiple sports, supervising interns in athletic training and software development, and facilitating Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals for collegiate athletes.
 
Prior to SCAD, Orth served as the defensive line coach, recruiting coordinator, strength and conditioning coach, and assistant head coach for girl's flag football at Jupiter High School. During his time at Jupiter, Orth was a finalist for the 2024 ESPN Assistant Coach of the Year Award (Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast), a member of the 2023 Coaching Staff of the Year, and led Jupiter High School to its most wins in school history; his team also had the highest team grade point average in Florida for the past two years.
 
As the defensive line coach, recruiting coordinator, and strength and conditioning coach, Orth transformed the defensive line's performance and increased production, achieving a 276% increase in tackles per season, a 634% increase in tackles for loss (TFLs) per season, and a 683% increase in sacks per season over three seasons.
 
At the conclusion of the 2024 season, his defensive line was ranked number one in Palm Beach County for tackles, TFLs, and sacks. Orth was selected as the defensive line coach for the Palm Beach County All-Star game, the only non-head coach in attendance. He helped his players secure positions at all levels, including FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III, and NAIA.
 
As the Assistant Head Coach for girl's flag football, Orth oversaw team operations, directed the JV team to a 19-0 record in 2024, and 2025, only allowing 1.2 points per game, and assisted in becoming the 56^th nationally ranked team in the nation, while developing a stand-out athlete who earned Second team All-State, First Team All-County and All-Star Game honors.
 
"I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve as the Head Women's Flag Football Coach at SCAD," states Orth. "From the moment I arrived in Savannah, it was clear how deeply this university invests in its student-athletes, and I'm excited to build this program from the ground up. Representing SCAD and building a flag football team in the historic city of Savannah is something I'm truly honored to take on, and my goal is to bring the best athletes here while helping elevate the sport on an international stage. I want to thank Director of Athletics Amanda Haverstick for entrusting me with this vision, and I also want to express my gratitude to everyone at Jupiter for shaping me into the coach I am today. I'm ready to get to work and build something special here at SCAD."
 
With the addition of flag football for the 2026-27 season, the Bees will join Brewton-Parker, Florida Memorial, Keiser, Life, Point, Reinhardt, St. Thomas, Thomas, Warner, and Webber International in the Sun Conference.
 
As one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States, the International Federation of American Football states that "2.4 million children under the age of 17 are participating in organized flag football in the U.S." Seventeen states have officially sanctioned girls' flag football as a high school varsity sport, including Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Alabama. An additional 17 states are conducting pilot test seasons.
 
The NAIA's National Administrative Council (NAC) Executive Committee has approved women's flag football as an invitational sport for the 2025-26 season. Women's flag football launched as an emerging sport in the NAIA in 2021. The upcoming season will feature 35 programs competing in the NAIA, and beginning in the Spring, the postseason will shift to a qualification-based invitational tournament.