The 2012 Liberty Mutual NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year, Peter Rossomando enters his fifth season as the head football coach at the University of New Haven in 2013. Also a three-time Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year, Rossomando has led the Chargers to three consecutive NE-10 Championships, back-to-back NCAA postseason appearances and a national ranking as high as No. 3 in all of Division II.
Rossomando boasts a career record of 34-10 (.773) following a 2012 season that began with 11 straight victories. New Haven posted its second consecutive unbeaten run through the Northeast-10, highlighted by a 45-41 victory at Stonehill in a contest nationally televised in primetime on the CBS Sports Network. The Chargers went on to host and win the inaugural Northeast-10 Championship Game with a 37-12 triumph over American International and earned a first round by in the NCAA postseason as the second-seeded team in Super Region One. New Haven finished 2012 at 10-1 following a 17-14 loss to No. 11 Indiana (Pa.) in an NCAA Division II Football Championship Second Round game that came down to the final seconds.
The Chargers, who were ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation this past fall, have appeared on the national ledger in 24 consecutive weekly AFCA Division II Coaches’ Polls. Rossomando was lauded as Liberty Mutual NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year and Northeast-10 Coach of the Year, and eight student-athletes were selected First Team All-Northeast-10 – including the NE-10 Defensive Player of the Year, Defensive Lineman of the Year and Offensive Lineman of the Year. Wide receiver Jason Thompson, offensive lineman David Stedman and defensive end Tom Herd all went on to garner All-America accolades.
Three student-athletes also earned NFL opportunities as Thompson was signed by the Washington Redskins, defensive lineman Raheem Stanley inked a contract with the Baltimore Ravens and quarterback Ryan Osiecki was invited to tryout with the New England Patriots.
2011 marked one of the program’s most successful seasons last year. With the second-most wins in program history, New Haven recorded an 11-2 overall record, a perfect 8-0 record in conference play and perfect 10-0 record against Division II opponents in the regular season. Seven members of the team earned All-American honors, while the team received the ECAC Lambert Cup and the Walter Camp Football Foundation Merit Award. As a unit, the Chargers ranked second in Division II in passing efficiency and fifth in scoring offense. In addition to an NE-10 Coach of the Year nod for Rossomando and a spot as one of five Liberty Mutual NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year Finalists, Osiecki was named the New England Gold Helmet award winner for the 2011 season, while Stedman was a finalist for the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year award.
In 2010, New Haven finished 8-2 overall and 6-2 in the Northeast-10 to capture the program’s first conference championship since the 1979 season and its first at the Division II level. At the conclusion of the season, cornerback Desmond Anderson was named an All-America Honorable Mention, while running back Victor Jones was named the New Haven Gridiron Club Offensive Player of the Year. The Chargers also had 12 players earn All-Conference honors and three earn All-New England honors.
Rossomando took the reins of Charger football with its rebirth on Dec. 13, 2007, when President Dr. Steven H. Kaplan and Associate Vice President, Director of Athletics and Recreation Deborah Chin announced the Chargers’ ninth head coach in program history. He officially began his duties at New Haven on January 1, 2008 and led the Chargers in a rebuilding season as the new coaching staff began the recruiting process after a five-year absence. One year later, Rossomando and his staff had developed 85 student-athletes who suited up in the Blue and Gold for the first time against Lincoln University (Pa.) on September 5, 2009. Rossomando began the new era of New Haven football with a 33-10 victory over the host Lions.
The momentum carried the team through the 2009 season, surprising Northeast-10 Conference opponents with a 5-5 overall record and a 4-4 mark in conference play. Six players earned All-Conference accolades, while the Chargers ranked 14th in Division II in passing offense with 284 yards per game, a mark that also lead the NE-10. Wide receiver Sharieff Hall earned All-America Honorable Mention honors and ranked eighth in Division II in receptions per game.
For seven seasons prior to arriving at UNH, Rossomando was on the coaching staff at Division I FCS University at Albany. Serving under program founder and 35-year head coach Bob Ford, Rossomando acted as associate head coach, offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for his last three seasons at Albany.
During Rossomando’s tenure at UAlbany (2001-2007), the Great Danes posted a 46-32 overall record and a 36-12 mark (.750) in the Northeast Conference (NEC). He helped lead UA to three NEC championships (2002, 2003, 2007) and the 2002 ECAC title. As NEC champions in the fall of 2007, UAlbany played Pioneer League champs Dayton for the mid-major national championship and rose as high as No. 3 in both the Sports Network and Football Gazette Division I FCS Mid-Major polls.
While at UAlbany, Rossomando coached several NCAA FCS mid-major All-Americans, including Geir Gudmundsen, Mike Laroche, Brandon Shaw, Aaron Kimball, Jacob Anderson, Jacob Hobbs and Sam Pagano. Gudmundsen, who was on the 2004 AFCA All-America First Team, and Hobbs went on to sign professionally as NFL free agents with Buffalo and Philadelphia, respectively. UAlbany had ten linemen selected First Team All-NEC under Rossomando’s tutelage.
In 2007, UAlbany was 8-4 overall and ran through the NEC with a 6-0 league record, scoring 39.2 points per game in conference play. The Great Danes rushed for 275 yards per game and averaged 413 yards of total offense in NEC play, while leading the conference in total offense and turnover margin. Rossomando’s offensive unit came alive in the second half of the 2006 season, averaging 296.0 total yards and 193.7 rushing yards against Northeast Conference opponents. In 2004, the Great Danes ranked seventh nationally in rushing with 254.7 yards per game, while leading the Northeast Conference for the sixth-straight year in that category. UAlbany shattered the NEC rushing record with 3,215 yards on the ground the previous year.
Rossomando served as the offensive coordinator and line coach at Cortland State prior to taking up his position at UAlbany. He handled weekly game plans, coached the kickoff return and field goal special teams, and recruited New York City and Long Island. He also coached the offensive line and was video coordinator at Division I-AA Northeastern in 1999.
Rossomando has 19 seasons of highly-successful college coaching experience under his belt, beginning with a five-year stint at the University of New Haven from 1994 to 1998. The Chargers were 41-14-1 in Rossomando’s first go-round at UNH, when he was a member of head coach Tony Sparano’s staff that advanced to the 1997 NCAA Division II Championship Game and the 1995 NCAA playoffs. Rossomando served as the Chargers’ offensive line coach and academic coordinator during his first three seasons with the program. He spent his final two years as the defensive line coach, special teams coordinator and recruiting coordinator.
The Chargers saw three offensive linemen named All-ECAC and two on the All-New England squads with Rossomando as their position coach. In Rossomando’s first season, 1994, UNH all-time great Roger Graham earned his third all-America honor and rushed for 1,607 yards to narrowly miss winning his second-straight Harlon Hill Trophy. During the 1997 national runners-up season, Rossomando was special teams and defensive line coach. He helped lead a defensive unit that recorded 41 sacks during the 10-game regular season, limiting opponents to just 9.8 points per game while recording three shutouts.
Rossomando played on the offensive and defensive lines at Division I-AA Boston University from 1990-93, where he earned a B.S. in clinical exercise physiology. The Terriers won the 1993 Yankee Conference Championship with an undefeated record.
A native of Staten Island, N.Y., Rossomando received All-America and all-state scholastic honors and was the 1989 Staten Island Player of the Year at Port Richmond High School. He and his wife, Jessica, have three children, Reese, Gianna and Nicholas.
