University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Golden Eagle Football Adds Offensive Coordinator
1/9/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Golden Eagle Football Adds Offensive Coordinator
Hattiesburg, Miss. -Southern Miss Head Football Coach Jeff Bower has announced that Rip Scherer will be the Golden Eagles' offensive coordinator and quarterback coach and that Mitch Rodrigue will become the offensive line coach.
"Rip brings an outstanding knowledge of the game and exceptional leadership skills to our program," Bower said. "His experience is varied and successful and we're excited to have him as a member of our staff and a valuable member of our program."
Scherer has coached at Penn State (GA-QB/Receivers/1974-76), North Carolina State (QB/Part-Time Assistant/1976-77), Hawaii (Assistant-RB/1977-79), Virginia (Assistant-QB/1979), LSU (Assistant-QB/1979-80), Georgia Tech (Assistant Head Coach-OC, QB/1980-85, 86-87), Alabama (Assistant Head Coach-OC, QB/1987-88), Arizona (OC, QB/1988-91) and Kansas (OC-QB/2001) in a variety of assistant's roles and has served as head coach at both James Madison (1991-94) and Memphis (1994-2000).
He also has football administrative experience at Georgia Tech and Arizona. He is a graduate (physical education) of William & Mary (1974), where he was a four-year quarterback and earned three varsity letters. He graduated with a master's degree in education administration from Penn State (1976), is married and has three children.
Throughout his career, Scherer has been heavily committed to community involvement and has worked with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Boys And Girls Club, The Child Abuse Prevention Center and March of Dimes. He has served on a variety of committees within the American Football Coaches' Association (AFCA), including the Public Relations Committee, Legislative Committee, Ethics Committee and All-American Committee.
"I'm really excited to be coming to Southern Miss and to be a part of the football program," Scherer said. "I am appreciative of Jeff for thinking of me and giving me this opportunity. He and I have had a great relationship over the years, while I was coaching in Conference USA. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Coach Bower and for the Southern Miss football program. They are the bell cow of Conference USA and are the program that everyone aspires for their program to be like. I am fortunate to be part of the Golden Eagle football program."
Rodrigue just completed his sixth season with the Golden Eagles football program. He has coached the tight ends since the 2000 season. Prior to that, he coached the Southern Miss running backs and his involvement with the school goes back to 1989-90, when he served as a graduate assistant. He and his wife, Deidi, have three children. He also has coached at Pearl River Community College (OL/1991-92 and as an assistant (OL/1993, 1994-97, 1998) and as interim head coach at Nicholls State (1995).
The Louisiana native played at Copiah-Lincoln Community College and at Nicholls State, where he helped the Colonels reach the second round of the NCAA I-AA playoffs in 1986 and win the 1984 Gulf Star Conference title.
"Mitch has made important contributions to our program in recent years as a coach and recruiter and proven himself capable of handling any area where we need his abilities," Bower said. "I'm sure he'll do an outstanding job with the offensive line."
