Rutgers Joe Rossi.JPG

Joe Rossi, known for his intensity, is expected to be announced as Rutgers new defensive coordinator shortly.

(Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-Ledger)

This is an updated version of a story that first appeared Dec. 13.

Jack Leipheimer vividly recalls Joe Rossi's pregame routine as a defensive lineman at Allegheny College (Pa.) from 1997-2000.

"He would lead the team onto the field and as soon as he got onto the sideline, he'd drop to his knees and kind of slide a little bit," said Leipheimer, Allegheny's defensive coordinator at the time. "So he was on his knees, he's got his back arched and he's got his fingers shooting a six-gun and he'd give out a yell of some kind. He was just an incredibly intense and emotional individual."

Rossi has toned down the sideline histrionics, but those who have known him since his playing days say he brings the same level passion to coaching. The 34-year-old has worked his way up the ranks quickly and is set to be promoted to Rutgers' defensive coordinator after spending two seasons as special teams coordinator.

Rossi was named interim defensive coordinator on Dec. 8 after Dave Cohen was fired. Under Rossi’s guidance, the defense allowed 494 yards in a 29-16 loss to Notre Dame in the Pinstripe Bowl.

Rossi maintained the interim tag for seven weeks, as head coach Kyle Flood conducted a search for a permanent replacement. In the end, Flood decided to promote Rossi, who has been preparing for this role for years.

COACHING SEEDS PLANTED EARLY

After playing at renowned Central Catholic High in Pittsburgh, the alma mater of Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino, Rossi arrived at Division 3 Allegheny in 1997. His intensity and dedication made an immediate impression.

"You like to think everybody is committed, but he lived and died with it," said Ryan Jones, a teammate for three seasons at Allegheny. "He kind of had a different look in his eyes before we ran out on the field than a lot of guys."

Rossi's determination was evident at a young age, as he continued to play football despite a freak accident that left him blind in one eye. As a Little Leaguer, Rossi foul-tipped a pitch up into his face, causing him to lose vision in one eye.

"Joe really shouldn't have played football," Leipheimer said. "We got him a visor back before visors were in vogue and he hated it because it fogged up on him all the time and a lot of time he couldn't see the signals that I would send him from the sideline."

It didn't slow Rossi. Listed at 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, he was a terror on the defensive line. Rossi was a three-time all-North Coast Atlantic Conference selection and his 12 sacks as a senior still stands as the Allegheny single-season record.

"He was just quick off the ball, he was tough, he had a great motor," said J.P. McFeeley, a teammate for two years at Allegheny. "He was a fiery guy. He'd always get the boys riled up before the game."

Rossi knew early that he wanted to coach when his playing career ended. Many of Leipheimer's players had the same goal, but none pursued it as ardently as Rossi.

Between his sophomore and junior year, Rossi approached Leipheimer and asked how he could start preparing to coach. Leipheimer taught Rossi how to break down film and assigned him projects, such as charting all of the opponents' scoring drives from the previous season.

"He just ate it up and did a great job," Leipheimer said. "He really exceeded any expectations because here's a student, who's not doing this for money or anything else, but he was just hungry for knowledge. First and only time it's ever happened to me in 25 years of college coaching. From the outset, Joe was a special young man."

CLIMBING THE COACHING LADDER

Leipheimer took over as head coach at Thiel College, another Division 3 school in Pennsylvania, in 2001, the same year Rossi graduated from Allegheny. Leipheimer convinced the Thiel administration to allow him to hire graduate assistants and Rossi was his first call.

"We hired him at $5,000 a year, plus meals and housing," Leipheimer said.

The deal for the on-campus house, which several assistants shared, included occasional duties as a resident assistant making the rounds of the dorms on weekend nights. But the majority of Rossi's time was spent in the football offices.

"I remember coming from the cafeteria late at night and seeing that he was in the office," said Steve Boyle, who played cornerback at Thiel under Rossi. "Everyone knew how hard he worked in the office. He knew what he was talking about and you trusted him."

After two seasons coaching the linebackers, Rossi was promoted to defensive coordinator. Leipheimer entrusted the 24-year-old with play-calling duties, with the idea that he'd step in if Rossi ever struggled with the responsibilities.

"I never had to. Joe was always very thorough," Leipheimer said. "He was tremendously meticulous in his preparation. He was one of those guys that left no stone unturned."

Leipheimer knew his ambitious young assistant would move up the ranks, and Rossi's break came in 2007 when he was hired as the special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach at the University of Maine, an FCS program.

TEACHING IS THE 'MAINE' THING

Robb Smith, who played safety at Allegheny for Leipheimer from 1993-97, was the defensive coordinator at Maine in 2007. Smith put in a recommendation with Maine coach Jack Cosgrove for Rossi, who took it from there.

"I liked everything about (Rossi)," said Cosgrove, who has been the head coach at Maine for 21 years. "I liked his energy, I liked his enthusiasm, I liked his organization."

The position at Maine provided a raise in salary to the $40,000 range, but more importantly, it was an opportunity to grow as a coach at a higher level. After two years, Rossi was promoted to defensive coordinator when Smith went to Rutgers, where he served as defensive coordinator in 2012. Smith left Rutgers to become the linebackers coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season and was the early favorite to return as defensive coordinator.

"We don't pay very well, so what I try to do is the coordinators are our top-end guys, but a lot of our coaches are very young," Cosgrove said. "They're mid-20s kind of guys, so the coordinator here has to be a great teacher. I think Joe is the perfect kind of college coach because he's a very patient teacher, which I think is incredibly important with young people that age. He's demanding, but he's still a teacher."

Boyle echoed the praise about Rossi's ability as a teacher, and said there was always a heavy emphasis on fundamentals.

"He could correct anyone, whether it be all the way down to the D-line all the way back to the secondary," Boyle said. "His big thing was always to become a master craftsman. Whether you're a woodshop worker or you work at a steel mill, whatever you do, you have to become a master of your craft."

Rossi paid forward the support he got from Smith by helping Boyle get a foot in the door at Maine. Boyle was set to coach the defensive line at Thiel in 2009 before Rossi asked that summer if he wanted to come to Maine to coach the defensive backs. Boyle spent three years at Maine before returning to Thiel as an assistant.

"When I moved to Maine, I wasn't making a lot of money and he gave me a place to stay," Boyle said. "I stayed in his basement for two years. He's one of those guys that will really go out of his way to help you out. I really give him so much credit to where I am right now as a person and as a coach. He's been a role model in my life going through college and into coaching."

Maine went 9-4 and reached the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs in 2011 thanks to a strong defense engineered by Rossi. Cosgrove knew his young assistant wouldn't remain in Orono much longer.

THE BEST MAN FOR THE JOB

Rossi became a candidate for the Rutgers special teams coordinator job and he went to Cosgrove before interviewing for the position in March 2012.

"I knew he was going to get the job because he's a good coach and was a great candidate for that position down there," Cosgrove said. "It was not a matter of losing him. I knew that was going to happen, it was just when."

Flood's time as an assistant at Delaware exposed him to Maine as a conference opponent, and he gained respect for the program's coaches. Rossi was one of three candidates to interview for the special teams coordinator position and he made a strong impression.

"He's a really bright football coach," Flood said. "(He) had the answers, could give you the answers in a concise, understandable way and was really the best man for the job. He's proven me right in the last two years."

Flood is hoping Rossi again proves him right after handing him the reins to the defense. Leipheimer made a similar leap of faith 10 years ago, and he’s confident Rossi will respond to this challenge as he has to all he’s previously encountered.

“I’m ecstatic about it,” Leipheimer said. “I think that Joe is eminently qualified. Maybe he doesn’t have the big-name pedigree and all that, but you’re not going to find a more thorough, fundamentally sound football coach. He’s just phenomenal.”