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EAST LANSING — Joe Rossi quickly became a font of information for Jonathan Smith and the rest of his colleagues.
Even though Rossi also was getting to know to his new home with Michigan State football.
But after spending the past 11 years at two Big Ten schools, Rossi — beyond bringing his acumen as defensive coordinator — has been a conduit to Smith and other coaches who are living and recruiting in the Midwest for the first time in many of their careers.
“I think the first thing is just getting boots on the ground and getting coaches in the schools,” Rossi said Monday. “We made it a huge point of emphasis to be in the Midwest this last recruiting cycle. And I know coach wants that to continue — and it will continue.”
Smith, an offensive-minded head coach who was hired away from Oregon State in November to replace Mel Tucker, pulled Rossi away from Minnesota to run his new defense and coach MSU’s linebackers. It was a decision Rossi called “really tough.”
The 44-year-old Pittsburgh native went to Central Catholic High there, a Western Pennsylvania football factory that has produced Dan Marino, Damar Hamlin and former MSU assistant coach Sal Sunseri, among others. After spending the first six years of his coaching career at tiny Division III Thiel College northeast of Pittsburgh, Rossi moved to Maine of the Football Championship Subdivision for the next five.
He has been in the Big Ten since, with a four-year stop at Rutgers and since with the Gophers under former Western Michigan coach P.J. Fleck, serving the past five seasons as defensive coordinator after moving from quality control in 2017 to coaching the defensive line in 2018.
Rossi said MSU’s historical success defensively is one reason he left Minneapolis.
“No. 1, I think it can be special,” Rossi said. “They’ve been in the College…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-state-football-defensive-coordinator-111202767.html
Author : Detroit Free Press
Publish date : 2024-03-05 11:12:02
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