W&J NAMES SHAWN ROHRER AS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR (8/18)
WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Washington & Jefferson College Head Football Coach Mike Sirianni recently announced Shawn Rohrer as the Presidents’ new defensive coordinator.
Rohrer, who spent the last three seasons as the defensive coordinator at Saint Vincent College, takes over for Matt Caponi, who was hired as an assistant football coach at the University of Pittsburgh.
A 1998 Slippery Rock University graduate, Rohrer has also spent time as a defensive assistant coach at California (Pa.), Shepherd (W.Va.) and his alma mater. During his time at Shepherd, he helped the Rams win two WVIAC championships.
As a player, Rohrer was an All-America linebacker who led SRU to the 1997 PSAC Championship and the school’s first-ever NCAA Division II playoff appearance. He was a two-time All-Northeast Region selection.
Rohrer is a native of Beallsville, Pa., and a graduate of Beth-Center High School.
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W&J PICKED TO FINISH SECOND IN PAC PRESEASON FOOTBALL POLL (8/3)
LATROBE, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson College football team was selected to finish second in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference preseason poll voted on Wednesday by the conference’s head coaches, sports information directors and media present at the 2011 PAC Media Day at Saint Vincent College.
Three-time defending PAC Champion Thomas More received 26 of a possible 28 first-place votes and is the preseason favorite with 232 points. The Saints have defeated W&J three consecutive times by a combined 21 points. Washington & Jefferson and Thomas More meet at Cameron Stadium on Sept. 24 (1:30 pm).
W&J received one first-place vote and was second with 200 points. Waynesburg (165, 1 first-place vote), Bethany (117), Grove City (117), Geneva (110), Saint Vincent (108), Westminster (78) and Thiel (43) rounded out the poll.
The Presidents return 40 letter winners and 15 starters from last year’s 9-2 squad which won the ECAC Southwest Bowl. Senior left tackle Gary Flavion (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley), a two-time All-PAC choice, represented W&J at the media day event.
Washington & Jefferson, ranked 16th in The Sporting News preseason national top 25 poll, begins its 120th season of varsity football on Sept. 3 at Juniata. The Presidents open their home schedule the following Saturday against nationally-ranked Delaware Valley as a part of the PAC-MAC Challenge Series.
Head Coach Mike Sirianni brings a 79-14 record (.849) into his ninth season on the W&J sideline. Sirianni ranks third among all NCAA coaches (minimum five years experience) in all divisions in winning percentage. The Presidents have 675 all-time victories, the third-most in NCAA Division III history.