K.C. Keeler completes 2002 football coaching staff

Keeler, who was hired March 6 as just the fourth head coach at Delaware since 1940, replaced Harold R. "Tubby" Raymond who retired in February following a legendary 36-year coaching career in which he became only the ninth coach in college football history to reach 300 victories. Keeler, a 1981 graduate of Delaware, served as head coach at Rowan (N.J.) the last nine years, leading the Profs to five NCAA Division III championship game appearances.

Joining the Blue Hen staff will be offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, defensive coordinator Dave Cohen, passing game coordinator Bryan Bossard, offensive line coach Kyle Flood, and part-time assistant coaches Craig Cummings and Rick Brown.

Bossard, Cohen, and Cummings each return to the University of Delaware program after having had previous stints with the Blue Hens as a player, coach, or both.

Keeler has retained the services of current staff members Marshall Hall as defensive line coach, Paul Williams as defensive secondary coach, and Derek Barlow as graduate assistant coach.

Brian Ginn, who served last season as receivers coach, becomes a part-time assistant coach, working with the running backs. Ian Stevenson, who served as a graduate assistant coach during the 2001 season, becomes a staff administrative assistant.

Ciarrocca (pronounced sha-rock-uh) replaces Ted Kempski, who will enter a new position as Special Assistant to the Director of Athletics at Delaware this spring after serving the last 34 seasons as offensive coordinator, including the last three as associate head coach.

A 1990 graduate of Temple University, Ciarrocca comes to Delaware after serving the previous two seasons as wide receivers coach at the University of Pennsylvania. While at Penn, he helped the Quakers post a record of 7-3 in 2000 and 8-1 in 2001. The Quakers were Ivy League runners-up both seasons and ranked among the national leaders in passing offense.

Prior to coaching at Penn, Ciarrocca served as receivers coach and junior varsity head coach at Princeton in 1996-99. He previously coached at Western Connecticut State, Temple, Delaware Valley College, St. Joseph's Preparatory High School, and Red Land High School. His wife, Kim, is the women's lacrosse head coach at Temple University.

Cohen replaces Bob Sabol, who announced his resignation from the staff in January after serving with the Blue Hens for 21 seasons, including 11 years as defensive coordinator. Cohen returns to Delaware after serving on the UD football staff for five seasons from 1994-98 as linebacker and defensive line coach.

A 1988 graduate of Long Island University-C.W. Post, Cohen earned his master's degree from SUNY-Albany in 1990. He began his coaching career at Albany in 1988 before moving on to Lafayette College where he served five seasons from 1989-93 as linebacker and defensive line coach.

During his five years at Delaware, he helped lead the Blue Hens to three NCAA I-AA tournament appearances, including a national semifinal berth in 1997. He moved on to Fordham University where he has served the past three seasons as defensive coordinator and linebacker coach, including the last two seasons as associate head coach.

Cohen helped build Fordham from the bottom of the league standings into a Patriot League contender. After going 0-11 in 1999 and 3-8 in 2000, the Rams posted a record of 7-4 in 2001 and placed third in the league standings with a 5-2 mark.

Bossard, a 1989 graduate of Delaware, returns for his third stint with the Blue Hen coaching staff after an outstanding playing career as a cornerback. A native of Dover, Bossard earned All-Yankee Conference honors in 1988 when he posted 122 tackles and was named the team's defensive Most Valuable Player. He led the Blue Hens to two NCAA I-AA playoff appearances.

He began his coaching career as an assistant at nearby Glasgow High School and as a graduate assistant coach at Delaware in 1990 before serving stints at Morehouse College, West Chester, and Bucknell before returning to his alma mater. During his five-years at Delaware in 1994-98, he helped the Blue Hens to three NCAA I-AA tournament appearances, including a trip to the national semifinals in 1997.

After Delaware, he moved on to NCAA I-A Army where he served as receivers coach in 1999 before heading to the University of Wyoming where he was the Cowboy's defensive backs coach the last two seasons.

Flood replaces Gregg Perry, who decided not to remain on the UD staff and pursue other interests after serving the previous 21 seasons at Delaware as offensive line coach.

Flood arrives at Delaware with seven years of experience at the college level, having served at Atlantic 10 rival Hofstra University the last five seasons as offensive line coach. A 1993 graduate of Iona College, he was a four-year letter winner for the Gaels, serving as team captain in 1991 when he earned first team All-Liberty Conference honors.

He began his coaching career at St. Francis Prep High School in 1993 and moved to the college ranks in 1995, serving as offensive line coach in 1995 and 1996 at Long Island University-C.W. Post. C.W. Post won the ECAC Division II title in 1996.

He moved to Hofstra in 1997 and has helped the Pride become an offensive force, leading the team to NCAA Tournament appearances in 1997, 1999, 2000, and 2001. The Pride has ranked among the top offensive teams in NCAA I-AA football during his tenure with the Pride ranking second in total offense (491.6), fourth in passing offense (301.0), and fifth in scoring offense (37.9) nationally last season.

Last season, Hofstra offensive linemen Dan Zorger, Mike Brigandi, and Rich Holzer all earned All-Atlantic 10 honors with Zorger also being named first team All-America by The Sports Network.

Cummings, one of the most versatile players in Delaware history and a 2001 graduate of the University, returns to Delaware after serving last season as linebacker coach at NCAA Division III U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY. The Mariners went 4-5 and were 3-3 in the Freedom Football Conference. Cummings will assist with the defensive line.

A native of Eastchester, N.Y., Cummings was a four-year standout at halfback for the Blue Hens, leading the squad to two NCAA I-AA playoff semifinal appearances. He served as team co-captain as a senior in 2000 when he was named second team All-Atlantic 10 honors and earned the University's Outstanding Senior Male Athlete for the 2000-2001 season.

Cummings never missed a game during his career, starting all 50 contests, and ranks second all-time at Delaware in touchdowns (44), fifth in all-purpose yardage (4,033), and ninth in rushing yardage ( 2,105).

Brown, a four-year standout placekicker at Colgate University in 1989-92 and a 1993 graduate of the school, will serve as special teams coordinator and also work with the Blue Hen tight ends.

Brown has served the last seven seasons as offensive coordinator, special teams coordinator, and quarterbacks coach at Holy Cross High School in Delran, N.J. He also co-founded, with his brother Randy, the Randy Brown All-American Kicking Camp in 1990.

He is co-director of the camp, which has coached over 30 professional and NCAA I-A kickers and punters. Rick Brown was an All-America and All-State kicker at Cherokee High School in New Jersey before heading to Colgate where he earned All-Patriot League honors and set six school kicking and scoring records.

Delaware, which suffered its first losing season since 1987 with a 4-6 mark last fall, will open month-long spring drills April 10. The annual Blue-White Spring Game is scheduled for Saturday, May 4, at 7 p.m.

March 25, 2002