University of Delaware Athletics
Football
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- football-office@udel.edu
- Phone:
- 302-831-2949
The reigning CAA Football Coach of the Year, Danny Rocco, enters his fifth season as the head coach of the University of Delaware football program.
Delaware Director of Athletics and Recreation Services Chrissi Rawak announced on Dec. 14, 2016, that Rocco, who enjoyed outstanding success at NCAA Division I FCS members Liberty University and University of Richmond, had been selected to lead the Blue Hens as its 23rd head football coach and sixth head coach since 1940.
A 30-plus year veteran, including the last 15 as a head coach at the NCAA Division I FCS level, Rocco has found nothing but success. Rocco has seven conference championships, five NCAA FCS Playoff appearances, and three 10-win seasons under his belt. In his first four seasons at Delaware, winning the CAA Championship and CAA Coach of the Year honors in 2020-21.
Rocco has guided Delaware back to the FCS Playoffs in two of the last three seasons, including a national semifinal appearance in 2020-21. The Blue Hens rattled off a 5-0 league mark to win the CAA Championship, hosted their first FCS Playoff game since 2010, and finished the season ranked No. 5 in the FCS.
Delaware posted record-setting numbers on both sides of the ball, including running back Dejoun Lee being named the CAA Offensive Player of the Year and a Walter Payton Award finalist. The defensive unit ranked third nationally in scoring defense and fourth in total defense.
Rocco became a finalist for both the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year award and the AFCA Coach of the Year, winning AFCA Region 1 Coach of the Year honors.
Under his tutelage in 2018, the Blue Hens returned to the FCS Playoffs for the first time since 2010 after a 7-5 mark, including two wins over opponents ranked in the top-10. The team finished inside the top-25, ranking No. 23 in the AFCA Coaches' Poll and No. 24 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. In his first two seasons with the Blue Hens, Rocco led Delaware to back-to-back seven-win seasons, a feat that hadn’t happened in Newark in seven years.
In his 15 seasons as a head coach, Rocco has posted just one losing season and owns a career record of 116-59 (.662).
“I'm thrilled that Danny Rocco will be the new head coach for the Fightin' Blue Hens,” said UD President Dennis Assanis. “Like all of us at UD, Danny is committed to excellence in everything he does. He brings significant coaching experience at both the collegiate and professional levels. Most importantly, Danny is dedicated to the success of our student-athletes, both on the field and in the classroom. We know he will build a powerful team of players and coaches and take UD Football into a strong and winning future.”
“We welcome Coach Rocco and his family to our Blue Hen Football family,” said Rawak. “This is an exciting day for the University of Delaware, our football program, our student-athletes, and everyone who loves and supports Blue Hen football. During our search, we wanted to find someone who had demonstrated outstanding success not only on the field but in building young men as leaders, citizens, and achievers. In Coach Rocco, we found the perfect fit and someone who is committed to excellence in every area. We are excited to see the direction he takes us under his leadership. His impact will be felt immediately.”
In the 2016 FCS Playoffs, the No. 12 ranked Spiders defeated No. 17 North Carolina A&T 39-10 in the opening round and rallied to down No. 8 North Dakota 27-24 on the road in the second round before falling at No. 3 Eastern Washington in the quarterfinals.
“It is with great enthusiasm that I accept the head football coaching position at the University of Delaware,” said Rocco. “I am very excited to take on this challenge, recognizing that I have full and total support from President Assanis and AD Chrissi Rawak. I have always had an appreciation for the history and tradition of Delaware Football and I am highly motivated to return Delaware to its winning ways and a position of national prominence.”
A native of Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, and a 1984 graduate of Wake Forest University, Rocco inherited a program that has won six national championships, finished as national runner-up five times, made 20 NCAA playoff appearances, and captured 16 conference championships. In just a short time, he turned it into 21 NCAA playoff appearances.
Rocco transformed the Spiders back into a national power during his five-year tenure. He inherited a team that went 3-8 in 2011 and led the 2012 squad to a five-win turnaround with an 8-3 overall record and a share of the CAA title.
He went on to lead Richmond to a five-year record of 43-22 that included three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including a berth in the semifinals in 2015 and a trip to the quarterfinals in his final season.
He was named the Touchdown Club of Richmond Coach of the Year in both 2012 and 2015 and was a finalist for the FCS Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year award both of those seasons.
During his 15 seasons as a head coach (five at Richmond, six at Liberty, four at Delaware), he has been a National Coach of the Year Finalist six times and has won seven conference championships and five conference Coach of the Year honors.
He has coached 183 all-conference honorees and 40 student-athletes who garnered All-American honors, 10 of which were Blue Hens including NFL talents Bilal Nichols, Nasir Adderley, and Troy Reeder.
Sixteen different players under Rocco's tutelage have gone on to earn NFL contracts and his teams have finished in the final FCS Top 25 poll in nine of the past 13 seasons, including finishing No. 3 in 2015 and No. 5 in 2020-21.
During his time with the Spiders, Richmond defeated 14 nationally-ranked opponents, including a victory over then-No.3 James Madison during the 2015 season when ESPN's College GameDay was in Harrisonburg, Va.
Rocco became only the third man in Colonial Athletic Association Football (formerly Yankee Conference and Atlantic 10 Conference) history to serve as head coach at two different institutions. Jim Reid coached at former CAA member Massachusetts in 1986-91 before moving on to serve as head coach at Richmond in 1995-2003. Current University of Arizona defensive coordinator Don Brown was head coach at Northeastern in 2000-03 before moving over to UMass in 2004-08.
At Liberty, Rocco made an immediate impact, taking over a program that had gone 1-10 in 2005 and building the Flames into a Big South Conference power. He led his first team to a 6-5 record, the largest turnaround of any FCS program that season, and guided the squad to Big South Conference Championships four times in six seasons.
He posted an overall record of 47-20 (26-5 in league play) and was named Big South Coach of the Year four times. He would go on to be named a finalist for the national Eddie Robinson Award and Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award in each of the final three seasons in Lynchburg. Liberty finished the last four years ranked inside the Top 25 in both major FCS polls.
Before becoming a head coach, Rocco spent 23 seasons at the NCAA Division I Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and National Football League levels.
Before he arrived at Liberty, Rocco spent five seasons at the University of Virginia. He was a part of four consecutive bowl appearances for the Cavaliers, including back-to-back Continental Tire Bowl victories in 2002 and 2003. During his time in Charlottesville, UVA piled up 37 wins with Rocco serving as the associate head coach and linebackers coach under Al Groh.
In addition to his coaching duties with the Cavaliers, he also served as the recruiting coordinator during his first two years in Charlottesville. His 2002 recruiting class was ranked in the top-10 in the nation by many of the major recruiting services, including a fifth-place ranking by ESPN.
Before UVA, Rocco spent the 2000 season alongside Groh as an assistant linebacker and special teams coach with the New York Jets. Before joining the Jets, he was the linebackers coach at Maryland during the 1998 and 1999 campaigns.
Before his time in College Park, Rocco spent four seasons at the University of Texas, where the Longhorns captured three straight conference titles, including winning the inaugural Big 12 Championship in 1996 and earning three consecutive trips to bowl games (Sun Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl).
Before Tom Coughlin was a Super Bowl winning coach with the New York Giants, he was Rocco's mentor at Boston College for two seasons. As a defensive assistant, Rocco was a part of the revitalization of the Eagles, returning the program to the national stage as participants in the 1992 Hall of Fame Bowl and the 1993 Carquest Bowl.
Rocco also spent the 1987 season as the linebackers coach at Colorado under Bill McCartney and three seasons as the linebackers coach at Tulsa.
The start of Rocco's coaching career came at his alma mater, Wake Forest, where he spent three seasons in total, two as a graduate assistant and one as the defensive line coach during the 1986 season.
As a player, Rocco's collegiate career began at Penn State, where he earned two varsity letters and competed in the 1979 Liberty Bowl and the 1980 Fiesta Bowl before transferring to Wake Forest. While in Winston-Salem, he was a two-year starter and senior captain for Groh.
He was no stranger to coaching after growing up in a football family. His father, Frank Rocco, Sr., served as an assistant coach at Penn State before joining the Liberty staff in 2000. Frank Rocco, Jr., also joined the Flames staff in 2000 as a wide receivers and quarterbacks coach and received a promotion to offensive coordinator before his departure in 2003. Frank, and his brother, Dave, are both currently coaching at the high school level in Virginia.
In January of 2016, Rocco was elected to the American Football Coaches Association Board of Trustees.
Rocco is married to the former Julie Mills and they are the parents of two children, David and Amy. David currently serves as the offensive coordinator at Western Illinois University.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT DANNY ROCCO
University of Delaware President Dr. Dennis Assanis
“I'm thrilled that Danny Rocco will be the new head coach for the Fightin' Blue Hens. Like all of us at UD, Danny is committed to excellence in everything he does. He brings significant coaching experience at both the collegiate and professional level. Most importantly, Danny is dedicated to the success of our student-athletes, both on the field and in the classroom. We know he will build a powerful team of players and coaches and take UD Football into a strong and winning future.”
University of Delaware Director of Athletics and Recreation Services Chrissi Rawak
“We welcome Coach Rocco and his family to our Blue Hen Football family. This is an exciting day for the University of Delaware, our football program, our student-athletes, and everyone who loves and supports Blue Hen football. During our search we wanted to find someone who had demonstrated outstanding success not only on the field but in building young men as leaders, citizens, and achievers. In Coach Rocco we found the perfect fit and someone who is committed to excellence in every area. We are excited to see the direction he takes us under his leadership. His impact will be felt immediately.”
UD Athletics Hall of Famer; Former NFL Most Valuable Player; and current CBS TV NFL Analyst Rich Gannon
“I am excited for the future of Delaware Football as AD Chrissi Rawak has hired a winner in Danny Rocco. Coach Rocco is a man of great character and integrity and he will bring tremendous leadership and toughness to our program. As an assistant, he was fortunate to work under some of the best coaches in the business, coaches like Bill McCartney, Al Groh, and Tom Coughlin. As a head coach, he took over a Liberty team that went 1-10 the year before he arrived and he quickly turned them into a winner in the Big South Conference. He did the same at Richmond, qualifying for the FCS playoffs in each of the last three seasons. I am convinced that Coach Rocco will continue to build on the great tradition and legacy of Delaware Football!”
UD Athletics Hall of Famer; Former NFL Quarterback Scott Brunner
“Danny Rocco is a proven leader and Delaware is lucky to have someone with his pedigree, character, and passion to be our next head coach. I had the opportunity to meet Coach Rocco and came away extremely impressed with his vision of the current state of college football and his understanding of how to build a winning program. He will recruit the best athletes and coaches, he will prepare them meticulously, and he will inspire all around him to maximize their ability. I can assure everyone that Danny Rocco has earned the utmost respect from some of the most renowned professionals at the highest levels of football. I would like to welcome Coach Rocco, his wife, Julie, and children, Amy and David to the Delaware family. Go Hens.”
Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner Joe D'Antonio
“I have thoroughly enjoyed working with and getting to know Coach Rocco. He is a very good football coach, but an even better person. I wish Danny nothing but the best as he transitions into his new role at Delaware, and I look forward to continuing to work with him to grow the CAA Football brand.”
Former New York Giants Head Coach and Super Bowl Champion Tom Coughlin
“When he was with me at Boston College, he was an outstanding young football coach, and he had his blinders on from Day One: Family, Religion and Football. He has great people skills, and as a result, has always been an outstanding recruiter and football coach, and the players enjoy playing for him.”
THE DANNY ROCCO FILE
Daniel Christopher "Danny" Rocco ("rock-oh")
Born: July 16, 1960
Hometown: Huntingdon, Pa.
Playing Career: Penn State, 1979-81; Wake Forest, 1982-83
Degree: Wake Forest '84 (Speech Communication & Rhetoric)
Family: Wife, Julie; Son, David; Daughter, Amy
DANNY ROCCO COACHING CAREER YEAR-BY-YEAR
1984-85 - Graduate Assistant/Defense, Wake Forest University
1986 - Defensive Line, Wake Forest
1987 - Assistant Linebackers, University of Colorado
1988-90 - Outside Linebackers, University of Tulsa
1991-93 - Defensive Line, Boston College
1994-96 - Outside Linebackers, University of Texas
1997 - Defensive Ends/Special Teams Coordinator, Texas
1998-99 - Outside Linebackers/Assistant Special Teams, University of Maryland
2000 - Assistant Linebackers/Special Teams, New York Jets (NFL)
2001-02 - Assistant Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator/Linebackers, University of Virginia
2003-05 - Associate Head Coach/Linebackers, Virginia
2006-11 - Head Coach, Liberty University
2012-16 - Head Coach, University of Richmond
2017-Present - Head Coach, University of Delaware
| Danny Rocco Year-By-Year Head Coaching Career | ||||
| Year | School | Record | Conference | Highlights |
| 2006 | Liberty | 6-5 | 2-2 Big South (3rd) | Big South Coach of the Year |
| 2007 | Liberty | 8-3 | 4-0 (1st) | Big South Champions Big South Coach of the Year |
| 2008 | Liberty | 10-2 | 5-0 (1st) | Big South Champions Big South Coach of the Year National Coach of the Year Finalist #15/14 Final Ranking |
| 2009 | Liberty | 8-3 | 5-1 (1st) | Big South Champions Big South Coach of the Year National Coach of the Year Finalist #21/22 Final Ranking |
| 2010 | Liberty | 8-3 | 5-1 (1st) | Big South Champions National Coach of the Year Finalist #15/17 Final Ranking |
| 2011 | Liberty | 7-4 | 5-1 (2nd) | #25/25 Final Ranking |
| 2012 | Richmond | 8-3 | 6-2 CAA (T-1st) | CAA Champions TD Club of Richmond Coach of the Year National Coach of the Year Finalist #18/18 Final Ranking |
| 2013 | Richmond | 6-6 | 4-4 (5th) | |
| 2014 | Richmond | 9-5 | 5-3 (3rd) | NCAA FCS Second Round #16/16 Final Ranking |
| 2015 | Richmond | 10-4 | 6-2 (T-1st) | NCAA FCS Semifinals CAA Champions TD Club of Richmond Coach of the Year National Coach of the Year Finalist #3/4 Final Ranking |
| 2016 | Richmond | 10-4 | 5-3 (2nd) | NCAA FCS Quarterfinals #8 Final Ranking |
| 2017 | Delaware | 7-4 | 5-3 (5th) | First year at UD |
| 2018 | Delaware | 7-5 | 5-3 (3rd) | NCAA FCS Playoffs #23 (Coaches)/#24 (STATS) Final Ranking |
| 2019 | Delaware | 5-7 | 3-5 (9th) | - |
| 2020-21 | Delaware | 7-1 | 4-0 (1st) | NCAA FCS Semifinals CAA Champions CAA Coach of the Year AFCA National Coach of the Year Finalist #4 Final Ranking |
| Liberty | 6 Seasons | 47-20 (.701) | 26-5 (.839) | 4 Big South Championships |
| Richmond | 5 Seasons | 43-22 (.661) | 26-14 (.650) |
3 NCAA Tournament Appearances |
| Delaware | 4 Seasons | 26-17 (.605) | 17-13 (.567) | 2 NCAA Tournament Appearances 1 CAA Championship |
| Career | 15 Seasons | 116-59 (.662) | 69-32 (.683) | |
