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December 17, 2007

Rizzi Next URI Football Coach?

The University of Rhode Island will name a new football coach today, and chances are he will be Darren Rizzi, the URI's All-America tight end at the University of Rhode Island in 1991 and 1992 and currently associate head coach at bowl-bound Rutgers.

Four candidates visited the campus last week, and two, Pete Adrian of Norfolk State and Jack Cosgrove of Maine, subsequently withdrew from consideration, leaving Rizzi and Stonehill head coach Robert Talley officially still in the running. When reached today, Talley declined comment. Efforts to reach Rizzi were unsuccessful.

Rizzi, 37, would appear to have the edge because he is an alumnus, has three years of head coaching experience at the University of New Haven and for six years participated in the turn-around of the Rutgers program under head coach Greg Schiano. The Scarlet Knights, 7-5, will wrap up their season against Ball State Jan. 5 at the International Bowl in Toronto. Talley, 39, an all-conference linebacker at Boston University, guided Stonehill to a 5-5 finish in his first season as a head coach. He was a long-time assistant at Dartmouth and also spent three years with the San Francisco 49ers.

Rizzi has coached running backs, linebackers and special teams. Prior to Rutgers he compiled a 15-14 record at Division II New Haven from 1999 to 2001. He started his full-time coaching career in 1993 as tight ends and special teams coach at Colgate, moved to New Haven as an assistant in 1994 and stayed through 1997. He coached at Northeastern in 1998 before returning to New Haven as head coach in 1999. New Haven dropped football after the 2001 season, and Rizzi joined Schiano at Rutgers.

A tough and durable receiver under coach Bob Griffin, Rizzi started at tight end in 1990, 1991 and 1992. He still stands fourth in career receptions with 160 and career receiving yards with 2,426. He caught 74 passes in 1992. In addition to All-America he was All-East and All-New England.

Posted by Mike Szostak  at 4:41 PM to College Sports | Permalink

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