VMI football coach Danny Rocco announced three additions to his coaching staff, including one high-profile name, former Virginia Tech assistant Bryan Stinespring.
Stinespring will serve as an offensive assistant and associate head coach under Rocco, who was hired on Dec. 3 to succeed Scott Wachenheim.
Rocco also named Rich Yahner, a former grad assistant at Virginia, as his defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, and Pat Brown, late of Widener College, as a defensive secondary coach.
Stinespring and Yahner also worked with Rocco at Delaware, where Rocco was the head coach for five seasons, from 2017-2021.
Stinespring coached the offensive line and tight ends at Delaware. He had been offensive coordinator for 11 seasons at Virginia Tech on the staff of the legendary Frank Beamer.
The Clifton Forge native was serving as activities director for Alleghany County Public Schools and Alleghany Highlands Public Schools this past year.
“Bryan is an outstanding football coach and an even better person,” Rocco said. “Coach Stinespring and I first coached and recruited against each other during my time at the University of Virginia when Bryan was coaching at Virginia Tech. We also competed against each other when we were both coaching in the highly competitive CAA conference. He has great history and an outstanding reputation in the state of Virginia.
“Coach Stinespring has a great respect for the high school coaches and programs throughout the state of Virginia, with a special appreciation for those coaches and programs in southwest Virginia. He brings an energy and enthusiasm to his work as well as providing a wide range of position versatility as a football coach. Coach Stinespring is a great hire for our football program as well as for our institution,” Rocco said.
Yahner served for three seasons as the linebackers coach for Delaware. A veteran who has coached at all levels of college football, Yahner is a Penn State alum and has connection with Rocco from their respective times at Penn State and Virginia, prior to working together at Delaware.
Yahner’s impact on the Delaware defense was immediate, helping Blue Hens reach the FCS semifinals in the 2021 spring season, with Yahner’s linebackers aiding a CAA defense that held opponents to a league-low 14.4 points per game and a league-best 118.4 yards per game on the ground.
Yahner was a graduate assistant at Virginia (2006-2009) and later Penn State (2011-2013), helping head the Nittany Lions to an 8-4 record as head coach Bill O’Brien would be named the Bear Bryant Maxwell Football Club and ESPN National Coach of the Year.
“Rich is an outstanding football coach who brings both a level of technical expertise as well as a high level of attention to detail to his work.” Rocco said. “Coach Yahner’s resume covers a wide range of experiences at a variety of different universities. Rich and I have shared common experiences having both coached at Penn State as well as at the University of Virginia. We both worked together for the first time at the University of Delaware, where Rich was our linebacker coach for both the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
“Rich brings a great work ethic and a detailed approach to the workplace on a daily basis. I am excited to announce Coach Yahner as our defensive coordinator and linebacker coach,” Rocco said.
Brown was the defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach for Widener College. Brown played tight end at Greensboro College, where he was a USA South Academic Team honoree, graduating with his bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport studies in 2012.
In his first year at Widener, Brown helped the Widener defense allow nearly 70 less yards per game in the air than the defense did in 2019. Prior to Widener, Brown had stops at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Catawba College and Millersville University, overseeing defensive backs and special teams along the way.
“Pat is a very talented coach who has developed a reputation as being both an outstanding teacher as well as an accomplished recruiter” Rocco said. “Coach Brown has experienced a wide range of coaching opportunities over his career which have prepared him well for this opportunity at VMI. Pat has coached both the corners and the safeties, as well as having experience coaching special teams. His experiences last season at Widener as its defensive coordinator have allowed him to continue to add value as an assistant coach. We are excited to announce the hiring of Coach Brown as our newest addition to our defensive staff.”
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Chris Graham
