Ricky Rahne

Ricky Rahne
Sport(s) Football
Current position
Title Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach
Team Penn State
Conference Big Ten
Biographical details
Born (1980-07-19) July 19, 1980
Morrison, Colorado
Alma mater Cornell University
Playing career
1999–2001 Cornell
Position(s) Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2004 Holy Cross (Asst. DL)
2005 Cornell (RB)
2006 Kansas State (GA)
2007–2008 Kansas State (RB)
2009–2010 Kansas State (TE)
2011–2013 Vanderbilt (QB)
2014–2015 Penn State (QB)
2016–2017 Penn State (TE)
2018–present Penn State (OC/QB)

Ricky Rahne (born July 19, 1980) is an American football player and coach who is currently the Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Penn State Nittany Lions. He played college football for the Cornell Big Red.

Early life

A native of Morrison, Colorado, Rahne attended Bear Creek High School in Lakewood, where he lettered in Football and track and field. During his senior season, Rahne led all Colorado quarterbacks with 3,114 passing yards for 33 touchdowns. He led his team to a 13-1 record, with their only defeat coming in the state championship game. Rahne remembers the successes: “My senior year in high school, we lost the state championship game, but we were ranked about 23rd in the nation.”[1]

College playing career

As a student-athlete, Rahne was a three-year starting quarterback at Cornell University from 1999-2001. He left as Cornell’s all-time leader in completions (678), passing yards (7,710), touchdown passes (54) and total offense (7,994). Rahne was named honorable mention All-America by Don Hansen's Football Gazette in 2000, was a two-time honorable-mention All-Ivy League pick and took home Cornell football's Most Valuable Player award three straight years. He was inducted into the Cornell Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014.[2][3]

Coaching career

Early coaching career

Rahne spent the 2004 season as a defensive assistant at Holy Cross, primarily working with the defensive ends. Other important roles included coordinating the scout teams, breaking down opponents’ game film and assisting the defensive coordinator in developing games plans.[4] Cornell head coach Jim Knowles hired Rahne as the Big Red's running back coach in 2005.[5]

Kansas State

In 2006, Rahne served as an offensive graduate assistant at Kansas State under Head coach Ron Prince and Offensive coordinator James Franklin. Scott Frost served as a defensive graduate assistant for the Wildcats during the same period.[6] In 2007, Rahne was promoted to running backs coach where he served for two seasons. In his new role, Rahne helped tutor All-Big 12 and NFL running back James Johnson, who became the fastest Wildcat to reach 1,000 yards in a season.[4] After the firing of Ron Prince, Rahne was retained by Head coach Bill Snyder as the tight ends coach, a position he would hold for the 2009 and 2010 seasons. During this time, Rahne tutored first team All-Big 12 and NFL player Jeron Mastrud, who graduated as K-State’s all-time leader in receiving yards and receptions by a tight end.[7]

Vanderbilt

In December 2010, Rahne was hired away from Kansas State to lead the quarterbacks for James Franklin and the Vanderbilt Commodores. At the time of the hire Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder was quoted as saying, “I am proud of Ricky, He is a fine young coach and person. His desire was to become a quarterback coach and that opportunity presented itself at Vanderbilt. I am happy for him and his wonderful family.”[8] It is a position he would hold for three successful seasons mentoring quarterbacks Jordan Rodgers and Austyn Carta-Samuels. Rodgers, under Rahne's guidance, finished 2012 season completing 60 percent of his passes for 2,539 yards, and 15 touchdowns to 5 interceptions.[9] Following the season, Rodgers would sign a free agent deal with the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars.[10] In 2013, Carta-Samuels would complete 68.7 percent of his passes and compile 2,383 yards of total offense, despite missing three games.[11]

Penn State

Following coach James Franklin, Rahne spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons as the Penn State Nittany Lions quarterbacks coach. Working with quarterback Christian Hackenberg, Rahne helped him break all of the Nittany Lions major career passing records. Hackenberg finished his career with 693 completions, 8,457 passing yards, 48 touchdown passes, 9 career 300-yard passing games, and 21 200-yard passing games.[12] After the final game of the 2015 regular season, John Donovan was fired as Penn States offensive coordinator, and replaced by Rahne as the interim to coach the TaxSlayer Bowl. During preparation for the bowl game, it was announced that ex-Fordham Head coach, Joe Moorhead would be taking over as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the 2016 season. Rahne took over as tight ends coach, a position that was previously held by Donovan.[13] In this role Rahne mentored Mackey Award finalist Mike Gesicki as he broke the Penn State career record for receptions (123), receiving yards (1,419) and touchdowns (15) by a tight end. Gesicki was selected first-team All-Big Ten in 2017 and second team in 2016. Gesicki set single-season records at Penn State for receptions (51), receiving yards (679) and touchdown catches (9) by a tight end.[14] On December 1, 2017, Rahne was named Penn States offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach after Joe Moorhead left the Nittany Lions to become the head coach at Mississippi State.[15] In his first game as a full-time offensive coordinator, Rahne led Penn State's offense to a Fiesta Bowl record 545 yards of total offense in a 35-28 win over Washington.[16]

Personal

  • Date of Birth: July 19, 1980
  • Hometown: Morrison, CO
  • Alma Mater: Cornell University 2002
  • Education: Bachelor's, Industrial and labor relations
  • Family: wife, Jennifer; sons, Ryder and Jake[17]

References

  1. ↑ "Going Shopping for a Ring", The Cornell Daily Sun, September 21, 2001, retrieved February 17, 2018.
  2. ↑ Hall of Fame, cornellbigred.com, retrieved February 1, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Football Team Gives Out Annual Awards", The Cornell Daily Sun, January 31, 2001, retrieved February 17, 2018.
  4. 1 2 2009 K-State Football Media Guide, p. 65, retrieved February 22, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Knowles Brings In New Assistant Coaches to Staff", The Cornell Daily Sun, April 28, 2005, retrieved February 17, 2018.
  6. ↑ Greif, Andrew."A player's instinct and teacher's eye put Scott Frost in line for possible head coaching job", The Oregonian, December 28, 2013, retrieved February 22, 2018.
  7. ↑ 2010 K-State Football Media Guide, p. 65, retrieved February 22, 2018.
  8. ↑ Taylor, John."Franklin filling holes on Vandy coaching staff", collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com, December 21, 2010, retrieved February 22, 2018.
  9. ↑ Jordan Rodgers Bio, retieved February 22, 2018.
  10. ↑ Wesseling, Chris (April 27, 2013). "Aaron Rodgers' brother to join Jacksonville Jaguars". National Football League. Retrieved April 27, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Vanderbilt’s Franklin a potential PSU candidate if O’Brien leaves", Altoona Mirror, December 31, 2013, retrieved February 22, 2018.
  12. ↑ Christian Hackenberg Penn State Bio, gopsusports.com, retrieved February 23, 2018.
  13. ↑ Cohn, Bob."Spotlight is shining on an unlikely PSU pair ahead of TaxSlayer Bowl", Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, December 31, 2015, retrieved February 22, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Rahne promoted to PSU offensive coordinator", wearecentralpa.com, December 1, 2018, retrieved February 22, 2018.
  15. ↑ Hirsh, Jack."Meet Ricky Rahne | What you need to know about Penn State football’s new offensive coordinator", The Daily Collegian, December 1, 2017, retrieved February 23, 2018.
  16. ↑ Pickel, Greg."Penn State's offense is now fully under the direction of Ricky Rahne; what that will mean in 2018", PennLive.com, January 3, 2018, retrieved February 23, 2018.
  17. ↑ Penn State Profile, gopsusports.com, retrieved February 23, 2018.
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