Michigan State football tabs Joe Rossi as defensive coordinator
Michigan State football will hire Minnesota defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Joe Rossi in the same role, sources tell SpartanMag.com. Rossi joins first-year head coach Jonathan Smith’s staff in East Lansing after five seasons coaching the Gophers defense.
The Pittsburgh native was hired by Minnesota prior to the 2017 season where he would serve as a quality control assistant for one season. Rossi—who was a three-time All-NCAC defensive end at Division II Allegheny College—was promoted to defensive line coach the following year.
In November 2018, Rossi was named interim defensive coordinator following the departure of Robb Smith. He was elevated to full-time defensive coordinator and linebackers coach just shy of three weeks after taking over as interim.
During his four seasons as the Gophers’ defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, Rossi coached eight NFL Draft Picks and 10 All-Big Ten honorees. In 2021, Rossi was named a Broyles Award nominee, honoring the college football’s top assistant coach. Minnesota’s defense finished the 2021 season ranked No. 3 in total defense, holding opponents to just 17.31 points per game.
After graduating from Allegheny in 2000, the former defensive end began his coaching career the following year serving as the defensive line coach at Division III Thiel College in Greenville, Pa. Rossi took over as defensive coordinator the next season. He held that role for four seasons.
Rossi accepted a role on the Maine coaching staff in 2007 where he was again promoted to defensive coordinator a year later. He would spend five seasons at Maine before being hired as special teams coordinator at Rutgers.
After two seasons working with the Scarlet Knights’ special teams, Rossi was named interim defensive coordinator during the 2013 season. Rutgers’ head coach at the time, Kyle Flood, removed the interim tag that offseason. He would remain the Scarlet Knights’ coordinator until the end of the 2015 season. Following the dismissal of Flood as head coach, Rossi was not retained.
