Nick Rapone, a veteran of 30 seasons as a football coach, including 25 as an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision nassistant, begins his fourth season on the University of Delaware staff in 2009 as defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach.
Before coming to Delaware, Rapone, 53, served the previous seven years as defensive backs coach and kickoff coverage coach at Temple University. He took over the added responsibilities as Delaware's defensive coordinator just before the start of the 2006 season.
Thanks to a much-improved defense, he led the Blue Hens to another outstanding season in 2007 when Delaware went 11-4 and advanced to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision title game. The Blue Hens also captured the Lambert Cup Trophy as the top team in the East and were named the ECAC Team of the Year.
The Hens struggled to a 4-8 mark in 2008, but the Delaware defense, led by All-American safety Charles Graves, ranked among the top units in the Colonial Athletic Association.
A native of New Castle, Pa., Rapone was an All-State receiver at New Castle High School who attended Virginia Tech and was a four-year letterwinner for the Hokies. He earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Virginia Tech in 1979 and his master’s degree in education from Pittsburgh in 1981.
The Nick Rapone File
How You Say It: ruh-pone Born: April 25, 1956 College: Bachelor of Arts, Virginia Tech, 1979; Master of Education, Pittsburgh, 1981 College Coaching Career:
1979-80: Graduate Assistant, University of Pittsburgh 1981-82: Defensive Backs, East Tennessee State University 1983-88: Secondary, Temple University; Defensive Coordinator in 1985-88 1989-92: Defensive Backs, University of Pittsburgh; Defensive Coordinator in 1992 1993-94: Head Coach, New Castle (PA) High School 1995-98: Defensive Coordinator, Secondary, University of Connecticut 1999-2005: Secondary, Temple University 2006-Present: Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs, University of Delaware Family: Single, daughters Johanna and Mary Recruiting Areas: Western Pennsylvania, Delaware
He began an extensive coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Pittsburgh in 1979 and has also served at East Tennessee State, Temple, and Connecticut. In addition, he was head coach at his alma mater, New Castle High School, for two seasons in 1993-94. He has coached numerous All-Americans and National Football League players during his tenure.
While a graduate assistant at Pitt, he worked with the defensive secondary coach for two seasons before getting his first full-time job as defensive backs coach at NCAA I-AA East Tennessee State in 1981 where he assisted for two seasons. He joined the Temple staff for the first time in 1983 and worked with the Owls for six seasons as secondary coach, including serving as defensive coordinator in 1985-88.
He returned to Pitt in 1989 and was a member of the staff for four years as defensive backs coach, doubling as defensive coordinator in 1992. The Panthers advanced to the John Hancock Bowl in 1989 where they defeated Texas A&M 31-28.
After two years at the high school level in 1993-94, Rapone returned to the college game in 1995 at then I-AA University of Connecticut. He served as defensive coordinator and secondary coach for four seasons, leading the Huskies to the I-AA playoffs for the first time in school history.
That squad was ranked No. 7 in the final The Sports Network Top 25 poll led by a defense that forced 29 turnovers for the season. He joined head coach Bobby Wallace’s staff at Temple in 1999 and served as secondary coach for the past seven seasons. The Owls were one of only eight teams in the nation to rank in the top 20 in total defense in both 2001 and 2002.
Rapone is single and resides in Newark, Del. His daughter, Johanna, is a student at Temple and daughter, Mary, is a student at Thiel College.
Assistant Coach Nick Rapone