Peter Rossomando

Peter Rossomando
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamLamar
ConferenceSLC
Record6–5
Biographical details
Born (1972-04-07) April 7, 1972 (age 52)
Staten Island, New York, U.S.
Playing career
1990–1993Boston University
Position(s)Offensive/defensive lineman
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1994–1996New Haven (OL)
1997–1998New Haven (DL/ST)
1999Northeastern (OL)
2000Cortland (OC/OL)
2001–2004Albany (OL)
2005–2007Albany (AHC/OC)
2008–2013New Haven
2014–2018Central Connecticut
2019Rutgers (OL)
2020Vanderbilt (OL)
2021–2022Charlotte (OL)
2022Charlotte (interim HC)
2023–presentLamar
Head coaching record
Overall73–54
Tournaments1–2 (NCAA D-II playoffs)
0–1 (NCAA D-I playoffs)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
3 NE-10 (2010–2012)
1 NEC (2017)
Awards
Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year (2012)

Peter Rossomando (born April 7, 1972) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the eleventh head coach at NCAA Division I FCS member Lamar University, named on December 10, 2022.[1] He served as the interim head coach at University of North Carolina at Charlotte for the final four games of the 2022 football season. He had been the 49ers' offensive line coach for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He was previously the offensive line coach for Vanderbilt University during the 2020 football season. Rossomando served as the head football coach at the University of New Haven from 2008 to 2013 and Central Connecticut State University from 2014 to 2018. In 2012, he was awarded the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award for NCAA Division II as head coach of the New Haven Chargers.

Early life

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Rossomando grew up in Staten Island, New York, one of the five boroughs of New York City. He attended and played football for Port Richmond High School. He was primarily a defensive lineman, though he also played center, long-snapper, and kicked field goals. In 1989, his senior year, the New York Daily News named him to their "All-City football team."[2]

College career

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Rossomando attended Boston University on an athletic scholarship. Rossomando played on defense his first three years, moving over to offensive line as a senior.[3] He considered a career in physical therapy, but instead went into coaching upon graduating.[4]

Coaching career

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Early years

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Rossomando began his coaching career at the University of New Haven under new head coach Tony Sparano, who had been offensive coordinator at Boston during Rossomando's playing career. Both men spent five years at New Haven and developed a close relationship.[5][3] Sparano resigned in February 1999 to join the staff of the "new" Cleveland Browns; a month later, Rossomando left to become offensive line coach at Northeastern University under long-time head coach Barry Gallup.[6]

Gallup resigned from Northeastern in May 2000 to become an assistant athletic director at Boston College.[7] New head coach Don Brown did not retain Rossomando, who joined the staff at the State University of New York College at Cortland under head coach Dan MacNeill, then just a few years into a twenty-two year tenure.[8] After one season at Cortland, the University at Albany hired Rossomando as its offensive line coach. Rossomando spent the next seven seasons at Albany as part of Bob Ford's staff. In 2005, he was promoted to offensive coordinator and associate head coach.[9]

New Haven, where Rossomando had coached from 1994–1998 with Tony Sparano, had discontinued football after the 2003 season. The school resumed the program at the end of 2007 and hired Rossomando as its new head coach. It was Rossomando's first head coaching job.[9] The nascent team played four scrimmages in 2008 while Rossomando and the New Haven athletic staff rebuilt the program. The team began competing as a member of the Northeast-10 Conference in 2009.[10] In five years at New Haven, Rossomando's teams won the conference three times and posted an overall record of 42–13. He was awarded the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award for NCAA Division II for the 2012 season.

Central Connecticut State

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After the 2013 season, Central Connecticut State University hired Rossomando as their head coach, replacing Jeff McInerney.[11]

During his tenure at CCSU, Rossomando compiled a record of 23–34. The 2017 team won the Northeast Conference and appeared in the FCS playoffs, the first such appearance for CCSU.

Return to assistant coaching

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Rossomando resigned following the 2018 season to become the offensive line coach at Rutgers under Chris Ash.[12] Rossomando succeeded A. J. Blazek, who had resigned to take the same job at North Dakota State.[13] Rutgers fired Ash midway through the 2019 season; Rossomando departed at the end of the season to become the offensive line coach at Vanderbilt.[14]

Rossomando's hiring was part of a larger reshuffling of assistants at Vanderbilt under seventh-year head coach Derek Mason that included new offensive coordinator Todd Fitch and new defensive coordinator Ted Roof.[14] Vanderbilt fired Mason at the tail end of a COVID-19-shortened season in which the team ultimately went 0–9. New head coach Clark Lea did not retain Rossomando, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte hired Rossomando as its offensive line coach on March 3, 2021.[15]

Charlotte

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Charlotte head coach Will Healy was heading into his third season. Offensive line coach Lee Grimes had departed after the 2020 season to take the same position at Kansas under Les Miles.[16] Rossomando inherited an offensive line with consistency issues that allowed too many sacks of quarterback Chris Reynolds in 2020.[17] Amid injuries, the quality of line play improved during 2021 as Charlotte managed a 5–7 record.[18]

Interim head coaching

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Charlotte fired Healy on October 23, 2022, after a 1–7 start, and Rossomando took over as interim head coach.[19] As the interim head coach, he led the 49ers to two wins and two losses including a 56–23 over bowl eligible Rice.[20]

Lamar

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On December 10, 2023, Lamar announced that they had hired Rossomando as their next head coach following the departure of Blane Morgan.[21][22] He brought in former Sam Houston offensive coordinator John Perry,[23] and he reunited with his former defensive coordinator with Central Connecticut, Drew Christ who had spent the previous two seasons as a defensive assistant and special teams analyst with Boston College.[24]

Head coaching record

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Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
New Haven Chargers (Northeast-10 Conference) (2009–2013)
2009 New Haven 5–5 4–4 T–5th
2010 New Haven 8–2 6–2 T–1st
2011 New Haven 11–2 8–0 1st L NCAA Division II Quarterfinal
2012 New Haven 10–1 8–0 1st L NCAA Division II Second Round
2013 New Haven 8–3 7–2 3rd
New Haven: 42–13 33–8
Central Connecticut Blue Devils (Northeast Conference) (2014–2018)
2014 Central Connecticut 3–9 1–5 T–6th
2015 Central Connecticut 4–7 3–3 T–3rd
2016 Central Connecticut 2–9 1–5 T–5th
2017 Central Connecticut 8–4 6–0 1st L NCAA Division I First Round
2018 Central Connecticut 6–5 4–2 3rd
Central Connecticut: 23–34 15–15
Charlotte 49ers (Conference USA) (2022)
2022 Charlotte 2–2[a] 2–2 T–9th
Charlotte: 2–2 2–2
Lamar Cardinals (Southland Conference) (2023–present)
2023 Lamar 6–5 5–2 3rd
2024 Lamar 0–0 0–0
Lamar: 6–5 5–2
Total: 73–54
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

Personal life

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Rossomando is married to his wife, Jessica, and they have three children, Reese, Gianna and Nicholas.[25] His brother Nick also played football at Port Richmond High School and was a firefighter on Staten Island. He died in the September 11 attacks.[26] Rossomando stood as godfather to Andrew Sparano, son of Tony Sparano.[5]

Notes

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  1. ^ Rossomandno replaced Will Healy with four games remaining.

References

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  1. ^ Matt Faye (December 10, 2022). "Lamar University hires new football coach". Beaumont Enterprise. Hearst. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  2. ^ Bruno, Diane; Travers, Bill (December 10, 1989). "Taranto perfect leader for city". New York Daily News. p. 86. Retrieved November 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b Anthony, Mike (July 27, 2018). "Mike Anthony: Tony Sparano The Finger-Snapping Musical Mentor To CCSU's Pete Rossomando". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  4. ^ Tomko, Jeff (December 24, 1997). "Once a gridder, always a gridder". Newsday. p. 71. Retrieved November 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b Yantz, Tom (January 17, 2008). "School Of Head Fish". Hartford Courant. p. C8. Retrieved November 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Transactions". The Boston Globe. March 5, 1999. p. 70. Retrieved November 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Vega, Michael (May 3, 2000). "BC brings Gallup back". The Boston Globe. p. 79. Retrieved November 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Transactions". New York Daily News. August 8, 2000. p. 88. Retrieved November 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b Hine, Tommy (December 14, 2007). "Revival Meeting". Hartford Courant. p. C8. Retrieved November 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Heyman, Brian (September 26, 2009). "New Haven back after a five-year timeout". Record-Journal. p. M9. Retrieved November 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Anthony, Mike (January 23, 2014). "Blue Devils Officially Welcome Rossomando". Hartford Courant. p. C6. Retrieved November 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Putterman, Alex (January 24, 2019). "Rossomando takes job as assistant for Rutgers". Hartford Courant. p. C1. Retrieved November 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Kratch, James (January 9, 2019). "Rutgers coaching changes: O-line coach A.J. Blazek leaving for new job". NJ.com. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  14. ^ a b Sparks, Adam (January 6, 2020). "Vandy resets with offensive line coach, coordinators". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. p. B2. Retrieved November 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Former National Coach of the Year Rossomando Named Offensive Line Coach". charlotte49ers.com. March 3, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  16. ^ Newell, Jesse (December 30, 2020). "Jayhawks hire Grimes as offensive line coach". The Wichita Eagle. p. B2. Retrieved November 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Bailey, Hunter (August 29, 2021). "After disrupted season, 49ers seek another bowl bid". The Charlotte Observer. p. G16. Retrieved November 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Bailey, Hunter (April 9, 2022). "Observations from 49ers' spring practices". The Charlotte Observer. pp. A8, A14. Retrieved November 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ Bailey, Hunter (October 23, 2022). "Charlotte 49ers head football coach Will Healy fired as team languishes in FBS cellar". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  20. ^ Bailey, Hunter (October 29, 2022). "Charlotte football unleashes offensive explosion in record-setting 56-23 win over Rice". charlotteobserver.com. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  21. ^ Faye, Matt (December 23, 2022). "New football coach Pete Rossomando adjusting to life at Lamar". Beaumont Enterprise. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  22. ^ "Lamar names Peter Rossomando head coach". Dave Campbell's Texas Football. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  23. ^ Faye, Matt (January 11, 2023). "Meet Lamar's new offensive and defensive coordinators". Beaumont Enterprise. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  24. ^ "Lamar football adds to coaching staff, names coordinators". Port Arthur News. January 12, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  25. ^ "Former National Coach of the Year Rossomando Named Offensive Line Coach". charlotte49ers.com. March 3, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  26. ^ Jacobs, Jeff (September 5, 2014). "Rossomando Changes Culture". Hartford Courant. pp. C1, C4. Retrieved November 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
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