Penn State offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne will take over the football program at Old Dominion, ODU athletics director Dr. Wood Selig announced on Monday.
Rahne will be formally introduced to the ODU community at an event on Wednesday.
“I am happy to welcome Ricky Rahne to the Monarch community,” ODU President John R. Broderick said in a release. “We are fortunate to have him, and I look forward to the future. With his strong track record of building offensive success and turning around programs, he is the right person to lead our football team into 2020 and beyond.”
Rahne has served on the staffs of James Franklin at Vanderbilt and Penn State for the past nine years, the past two years as the offensive coordinator in Happy Valley.
Prior to that, Rahne was the quarterbacks coach for four seasons at Penn State, and both of the quarterbacks he worked with were drafted into the NFL. In 2015, Christian Hackenberg (Jets, 2016) became the all-time leader in career yards passing with 8,457 yards, Three years later, Rahne guided Trace McSorely (Ravens, 2019) past that mark in 2018 with 9,899 yards.
He also coached the tight ends in 2016 and 2017, guiding Mike Gesicki who was drafted by the Miami Dolphins.
“We were fortunate to attract a deep and talented pool of candidates from many of the nation’s elite college football programs,” Selig said. “We went into the search process targeting a coach with a proven track record of success in transforming programs into sustained championship caliber programs. We wanted a dynamic, high energy coach who could relate to today’s student-athlete while also serving as an outstanding role model. Fortunately for ODU, our student-athletes, and our community we have exactly what we were seeking in Ricky Rahne, a seasoned assistant head coach and Big 10 offensive coordinator who brings the blueprints for success on how to rebuild an FBS football program into a sustained winner given his recent experiences at both Vanderbilt and Penn State.”
Franklin is happy for his long-time lieutenant to get his first shot at a head-coaching gig.
“First, I love Ricky and his family. This is a bittersweet moment for our program. I am so incredibly proud of Ricky and I am super excited for him, his family and Old Dominion,” Franklin said. “I am forever indebted to Ricky for his loyalty and drive in helping us succeed at Vanderbilt and Penn State. Ricky is a rising star in the industry and is built for this opportunity. He is a smart, open-minded and talented coach. His humble leadership style will resonate well with Old Dominion’s leadership and players. I look forward to following his program at Old Dominion!”
Rahne was a three-year starter at quarterback at Cornell, and graduated as the Big Red’s all-time leader in completions (678), passing yards (7,710), touchdown passes (54) and total offense (7,994). He was inducted into the Cornell Hall of Fame in 2014.
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