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Oct. 18, 2001
By Trent Packer
Virginia assistant head coach Dan Rocco is no stranger to head coach Al Groh’s coaching philosophies. The two have forged a relationship that stretches back to 1986, when Rocco was the defensive line coach on Groh’s final Wake Forest team. Rocco then spent 15 years as an assistant coach in the collegiate ranks, before rejoining Groh last season in the NFL. Rocco was a member of Groh’s coaching staff with the New York Jets last season. He served as a defensive assistant coach, working with the linebackers and special teams. When Groh accepted the UVa job and invited Rocco to join him in Charlottesville, the decision to come was easy for Rocco.
“It’s an exciting opportunity for me,” Rocco says. “I have known Al Groh for a while. A lot of coaches know football, but a lot more goes on than just coaching. I feel like he gave me the best opportunity to develop.
“He believed in me over the years and I always really appreciated that. I have never made a move without at least running it by him.”
Rocco is the assistant head coach, linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator in Groh’s Cavalier tribe. As such, Rocco has myriad responsibilities both in the day-to-day operations of the football team and in the programs long-term development.
“As an assistant head coach, I help oversee many different facets of the program,” Rocco says. “I’m responsible for the outside linebackers and am accountable for setting the standards for the players to perform at the highest level. I oversee many facets of the program, including the strength and conditioning program, the academic program and the trainers.”
In terms of his primary responsibilities on the field, the linebackers, Rocco is focused on developing the potentially dominant, but relatively inexperienced group into a consistent force. All three starters at linebacker from the 2000 Cavalier team graduated, leaving behind very few experienced players. Nevertheless, the coaches saw enough potential at the position to support their switch from a four-three to a three-four defensive alignment.
“You are looking at a group that is young but talented,” Rocco says of the linebacking crew. “The linebackers are called upon to do a lot of things. The outside linebackers need to be the most dynamic group on the defense, and a lot will be asked of them. Throughout the season, I am looking for continued development and a grasping of the system. As we continue to grow this year and in the future, I see good things starting to happen.”
In addition to his role as linebackers coach, Rocco also acts as the recruiting coordinator. He has developed a new system for evaluating players which involves grading the players and determining their potential contributions to the program.
“We use a number system that translates into a grade that helps us determine how we think a player could fit into our program,” Rocco says. “We are looking for players who have speed, are tough, are physical, and are athletic. We are also looking for players who are really competitive. These are the kinds of things we believe will help us get to the places we want to be.”
Rocco lists a number of factors that make the job of getting recruits to commit to UVa easier. For one, the program features a top-level coaching staff with a tremendous amount of National Football League experience. Couple that with one of the most academically reputable universities in the country, and Virginia quickly becomes a very attractive option for many players.
“It all starts with Al Groh,” Rocco says of the tools he uses to recruit athletes to Charlottesville. “With coach Groh you are seeing a guy lead a program that is unparalleled in college football. He knows what it takes to get to the next level. Our whole staff has first-hand experience in the NFL. Other college coaches are looking to aspire towards some of the things that Al Groh has already done.
“You also have great academics and excellent facilities in place.”
With this unique combination of phenomenal coaching talent and first-rate academics, Rocco feels that Virginia is certainly a place that recruits should consider when deciding where to commit. His work as assistant head coach and his development of a young, but already impressive group of linebackers is only helping his recruiting efforts by convincing young players that the Virginia program is an elite one.
As a long-time associate of coach Groh, Rocco knows that Groh’s approach to building a program works. Now that the Cavaliers are establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with in Groh’s first season at the helm, Rocco can convince recruits that, like he has known all along, Groh runs a model program that even other college coaches are starting to notice.