Central Connecticut – Dartmouth's Week One opponent next fall – has named its new coach and it is indeed Pete Rossomando as posted here last week. Rossomando, 41, takes over after a successful stint at the University of New Haven, which he turned into a Division II powerhouse. He will be introduced Friday.
For those of you wondering about what coaches at lower-level FCS state schools are paid, this Hartford Courant story says the departing Central Connecticut coach earned $138,320 in 2012, his seventh year at the school.
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Rossomando's contract is for four years. Granted, CCSU is a state school and the length of his contract is probably a matter of public record, but private schools sometimes release that information as well. It's rare in the Ivy League but not unheard of in the Patriot League. From The Sports Network:Fresh off a Patriot League championship, Lafayette College announced Wednesday head football coach Frank Tavani has received a contract extension through the 2016 season.Tavani is 76-83 in 14 seasons at Lafayette.
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And speaking of Patriot League coaches, Mark Duffner, who had a ridiculous 60-5-1 record as head coach at Holy Cross between 1986 and 1991 before struggling to a 20-35 mark in five years at Maryland, is the new linebackers coach of the Miami Dolphins. LINKLet go by Maryland after failing to rekindle the magic he conjured up at HC, Duffner coached linebackers and eventually was named defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals, moved on to the Green Bay Packers and most recently coached LBs with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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And speaking of familiar names with the Dolphins, former Cornell quarterback Bill Lazor has been named the team's offensive coordinator. The Miami Herald has a story about the new Dolphin assistant and what it is calling the Lazor Gun offense.Lazor, who graduated from Cornell in '94, has coached in the NFL with the Falcons, Redskins, Seahawks and most recently the Eagles. He also served as offensive coordinator at Virginia.
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A few details on incoming Dartmouth running back Nick White of Mill Creek, Wash., and Jackson High School . . .He carried 137 times for 1,255 yards and 21 touchdowns in his career and added 21 receptions for 145 yards. He was first-team All-WESCO offense and defense last fall and first-team All-Area on defense. A team captain, the Snohomish County Football Hall of Fame Scholar Nominee chose Dartmouth over Brown and Sacred Heart.
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A story on the Dartmouth commitment of running back Forrest Town of Zachary, La., notes he ran for 1,110 yards on 158 carries and scored 12 TDs last fall despite missing four games with injuries. He also topped 300 yards receiving.
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The local daily earlier this week had a column about veterans resuming their education at Dartmouth as part of former college president Jim Wright's initiative. Turns out that one of the former Marines now on campus was encouraged to apply to the school by his platoon leader in Afghanistan. That platoon leader? First Lt. Andrew von Kuhn '09, a former Dartmouth wide receiver and the brother of senior wide receiver Edward von Kuhn. Andrew von Kuhn even wrote Chad Rairie a letter of recommendation.
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Temperature here on the mountain last night: 13.5 below zero. It was 1 degree when I made my hike to South Peak and no, I didn't run across another fool.
