We’ve all heard the age-old adage, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”. Head coach Danny Rocco took the saying to heart during his first year at the helm of Liberty’s football program as he left an indelible impression on the Flames faithful.

Rocco turned a fledgling football program around in just one campaign, quickly setting Liberty’s sights on a brighter future.

During his first year, Rocco posted a five-win improvement over the previous season (1-10 in 2005 and 6-5 in 2006), earning him Big South Coach of the Year honors, the first in program history. Nationally, the turnabout tied for the best improvement in the country.

The head coach skippered 14 Big South all-conference players, the most of any program in the league during the 2006 season. Five players also garnered a selection to the VaSID all-state squads - spotlighting the top Division I players in the Commonwealth. The number was the second-most, all-state honorees in a single season for the program.

On the gridiron, Rocco’s rejuvenated squad set 12 different team records, including eight defensive marks, which certainly brought a smile to the face of the 20-plus-year, defensively-minded coach.

Rocco brought to Liberty the 3-4 defense he successful ran at both Virginia and with the New York Jets, and the new scheme paid immediate dividends. Liberty held opponents to 1,433 total rushing yards and 306.6 average yards of offense per game, setting another pair of school bests.

Liberty posted three shutouts in 2006, to set a new school record. The Flames allowed just 172 total points to post a new school mark and ranked 12th nationally in scoring defense (15.64 points per game).

Offensively, Liberty chewed up the clock with its potent running attack, scampering for over 2,000 yards and having a pair of backs both surpass the 10-touchdown plateau for just the second time in program history.

During Rocco’s first year, the Flames’ offense took great pride in controlling the clock and in ball possession. Liberty set new school records for fewest fumbles (10), fumbles lost (3), interceptions (5) and total turnovers (8).

Not only did the offense and defense shine, but it was a banner year for the Flames’ special teams unit as well, as Liberty ranked third nationally in kickoff return yardage. The Flames were the only team in the country to return three kickoffs for touchdowns, also setting a new school record.

The revitalization of the program sparked a renewed interest in Flames football, as a ticket to a Rocco-coached football game became a hot item around Liberty Mountain. The Flames set single-game and single-season attendance records, and finished the year ranked 13th nationally in home attendance.

The attention to Rocco’s first-year accomplishments wasn’t just limited to the greater Lynchburg area. During the 2006 campaign, Liberty garnered votes for Top 25 consideration more than once and the Flames posted their first victory over a nationally-ranked opponent since 1997.

Upon the conclusion of his first year as the seventh head coach in program history, Rocco tabbed his squad’s accomplishments as a “Season to Remember”.

As Rocco begins to enter his second go around at the helm of the Flames’ football program, he truly hopes in due time 2007 will be reflected upon as the year Liberty football moved from “Good 2 Great”.

The outside world seems to agree with Rocco’s plan, as Liberty enters the year as one of the favorites to claim the program’s first-ever Big South title, thanks to nearly 40 returning letterwinners, including 20 starters.

Rocco’s success in 2006 created such a buzz that Liberty is cracked some preseason publications’ Top 25, including the well-known Lindy’s College Football Preview at No. 25.

The Rocco era of Liberty football began just over a year ago on December 2, 2005, as Chancellor and Founder Dr. Jerry Falwell addressed an assembled group of media and boosters gathered in the Grand Lobby of the Arthur S. DeMoss Learning Center on the early winter day.

The announcement brought excitement back to a once strong athletic program as Dr. Falwell publicly named former Virginia associate head coach Danny Rocco as Liberty’s new head football coach.

“Danny Rocco is a perfect fit for Liberty University in every way. Liberty is fortunate to have him,” stated Dr. Falwell, who personally witnessed the rebirth of his precious football program before passing away in May. “I firmly believe Danny Rocco can lead Liberty in reaching its goal of becoming a dominant Division I-AA program within the near future.”

Rocco brought over 22 years of football coaching experience to a program he was quite familiar with, as he had been an outside observer with a vested interest for years. Rocco had family ties to both Liberty University and the greater Lynchburg area, enabling him to watch Liberty from a distance.

Rocco’s father and brother both served on the staff at Liberty during a six-year span as Frank Rocco, Sr., was the program’s Director of Football Operations during the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Frank Rocco, Jr., also joined the staff in 2000 as a wide receivers/quarterbacks coach and was promoted to offensive coordinator before leaving in 2003.

Two of the three Rocco brothers have been reunited of sorts now as Frank, Jr., now serves as head football coach and athletic director across the Liberty campus at Liberty Christian Academy, the K-12 school associated with Thomas Road Baptist Church.

Completing the family circle, the final Rocco brother, Dave, is located just 60 miles north of Lynchburg at Staunton River High School in Moneta, Va., where he serves as head football coach.

So, to say that Rocco has had a vested interest in Liberty and the greater Lynchburg area over the last several years might be an understatement.

“I’d followed the program for many years, and I’d waited for Liberty to have a breakthrough year,” commented Rocco after his introductory press conference. “For whatever reason, that hadn’t happened yet, but I knew the potential and the talent was here for it to happen.”

“I took this job knowing the program was coming off a disappointing 1-10 season,” continued the now-prophetic Rocco. “However, I never looked at it as a 1-10 program. That in and of itself allowed me to come in with a more positive approach as we try and turn this thing around.”

Rocco now enters the second year of his first head coaching position thrilled to bring 23 years of coaching career to Liberty with a resume which includes stops at several of the top Division I-A programs in the country.

In addition to his experience at the Division 1-A level, he spent the 2000 season on Al Groh’s staff as an assistant coach with the New York Jets of the National Football League.

Rocco has either coached or played in a total of 13 bowl games and has earned the title of conference champion on three separate occasions – an accomplishment list he hopes to add to in 2007 by guiding Liberty to its first-ever Big South title.

Prior to coming to Liberty, Rocco spent the previous five seasons at Virginia, helping the Cavaliers to four-consecutive bowl appearances and 37 victories alongside Groh as an assistant coach, starting in 2001. Following the season, Rocco was named assistant head coach/linebacker coach.

Virginia posted back-to-back Continental Tire Bowl victories in 2002 and 2003 with wins over 15th-ranked West Virginia and Pittsburgh, and a hearbreaking overtime loss to Fresno State in the 2004 MPC Computers Bowl.

Rocco returned to Virginia prior to the 2005 Music City Bowl to help Groh lead the Cavaliers to a victory over Minnesota.

The Cavaliers’ 2002 recruiting class was ranked in the Top 10 nationally by many of the major recruiting services, including a fifth-place ranking by ESPN. Rocco relinquished his recruiting duties in 2002 and was promoted to the position of associate head coach, while continuing his responsibility as linebackers coach.

In 2004, three Cavaliers’ linebackers signed NFL contracts. Darryl Blackstock was selected in the third round of the NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals, and Dennis Haley (Jets) and Isaiah Ekejiuba (Arizona) signed as free agents.

Rocco began his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater, Wake Forest. He spent the 1984 and 1985 seasons as a graduate assistant, before being hired as the defensive line coach prior to the 1986 season.

Rocco was then hired by Bill McCartney at Colorado as an assistant linebackers coach for the 1987 season. He spent the next three seasons at Tulsa, where the Golden Hurricane competed in the 1989 Independence Bowl.

Rocco spent the 1991-93 seasons working for Tom Coughlin as his defensive line coach at Boston College, helping Coughlin bring Boston College’s program back to national prominence.

In 1992, Boston College played in the Hall of Fame Bowl, before making a trip to the Carquest Bowl in 1993. Rocco then left Boston College to join John Mackovic’s staff at the University of Texas at Austin.

While at Texas, the Longhorns put together three-consecutive conference championships, including an inaugural Big 12 title in 1996. Texas also competed in three-straight bowl games (Sun Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Fiesta Bowl).

Rocco went from Texas to Maryland where he served as linebackers coach for the 1998 and 1999 seasons. After the 1999 season, Rocco rejoined his mentor, Groh, with the New York Jets.

Rocco spent the 2000 season in New York as an assistant linebacker/special teams coach, before following Groh to Virginia for the 2001-05 seasons.

Rocco began his college playing career as a scholarship athlete at Penn State. Rocco earned two varsity letters at Penn State, and participated in the 1979 Liberty Bowl and the 1980 Fiesta Bowl. He then transferred to Wake Forest where he was a two-year starter and senior captain for Al Groh.

While at Wake Forest, Rocco participated in the 1983 Mirage Bowl in Tokyo, Japan. In 1984, Rocco graduated from Wake Forest with a bachelor’s degree in speech communication. He completed a 56-hour education and counseling master’s curriculum from Wake Forest in 1987.

Rocco grew up in a football family as his father served as an assistant coach at Penn State under legendary hall of fame head coach Joe Paterno before joining Liberty’s staff in 2000.

Rocco has been an active participant in the community since arriving in Lynchburg. He is a member of the Lynchburg Sports Club as well as the local chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He has been a member of the Virginia High School Coaches Association since the spring of 2001.

The native of Huntington, Pa., is married to the former Julie Mills and the couple has two children - David (16) and Amy (14).



Rocco’s Coaching Experience

2005-Present Liberty (head coach)

2003-05 Virginia (associate head coach/linebackers)

2001-02 Virginia (assistant head coach/linebackers/recruiting coordinator)



2000 New York Jets (assistant linebackers/special teams)

1998-99 Maryland (outside linebackers/assistant special teams)

1997 Texas (special teams coordinator/defensive ends)

1994-96 Texas (outside linebackers)

1991-93 Boston College (defensive line)

1988-90 Tulsa (outside linebackers)

1987 Colorado (assistant linebackers)

1986 Wake Forest (defensive line)

1984-85 Wake Forest (defensive graduate assistant)



Bowl Games as a Player

1983 Mirage Bowl (Wake Forest)

1980 Fiesta Bowl (Penn State)

1979 Liberty Bowl (Penn State)



Bowl Games as a Coach

2005 Music City Bowl (Virginia)

2004 MPC Computers Bowl (Virginia)

2003 Continental Tire Bowl (Virginia)

2002 Continental Tire Bowl (Virginia)

1996 Fiesta Bowl (Texas)

1995 Sugar Bowl (Texas)

1994 Sun Bowl (Texas)

1993 Carquest Bowl (Boston College)

1992 Hall of Fame Bowl (Boston College)

1989 Independence Bowl (Tulsa)



Championships Won

1996 Big XII Conference (Texas)

1995 Southwest Conference (Texas)

1994 Southwest Conference (Texas)



Head Coaching Honors/Accomplishments

2006 Big South Coach of the Year (Liberty)

Tied for the nation’s best turnaround



Liberty’s NCAA Team Rankings in 2006

Rocco’s squad cracks Top 20 in 11 different categories



Ranking - Category (Statistic)

1 Turnovers Lost (8)

2 Fumbles Lost (3)

3 Kickoff Returns (25.56/game)

6 Passes Had Intercepted (5)

6 Fourth Down Conversion (71.4 percent)

10 Third Down Conversion (47.5 percent)

12 Scoring Defense (15.6/game)

18 Time of Possession (31:44)

19 Rushing (185.0/game)

20 Turnover Margin (0.55/game)

20 Tackles for a Loss Allowed (4.55/game)