COACHING STAFF
2014 Georgia Tech Football Yearbook
TED ROOF @CoachTedRoof Defensive Coordinator 2nd straight season at Tech 7th season at Tech overall
Georgia Tech ‘86
Ted Roof has enjoyed success at Georgia Tech, his alma mater, as a player, an assistant coach, and most recently as defensive coordinator. Roof enters his second season as coordinator of a rejuvenated Yellow Jacket defense that made remarkable strides in 2013. After returning to the Flats in January (2013), it took Roof just 15 spring practices and a month of August practices to successfully install a multiple 4-3 scheme. In Roof’s first season as defensive coordinator, Tech made significant improvements in rushing defense, scoring defense, total defense and third-down defense. Last season, Georgia Tech shutout both Elon and Syracuse -- the first time since 1985 that the Yellow Jackets recorded two shutouts in one season. Ironically, Roof played on that 1985 Tech squad. Roof and his staff helped tutor senior Jeremiah Attaochu, who moved from outside linebacker in 2012 to defensive end in ‘13, who earned All-ACC and All-American honors last season. Attaochu used a late-season surge to break Georgia Tech’s all-time career sacks record. Senior defensive back Jemea Thomas, who will certainly join Attaochu in the NFL this fall, led the Yellow Jackets in tackles (88) and pass break-ups (8) last year. Roof, one of the most-respected defensive minds in college football, has strong ties to Georgia Tech. He was a four-year letterwinner as a linebacker under head coach Bill Curry from 1982-85. As a senior, Roof was co-captain and a first team AllACC selection on a team that finished 9-2-1 and defeated Michigan State in the All-American Bowl. He was named All-American and first team All-ACC. Roof remains one of the most prolific tacklers in Yellow Jackets history with 417 career tackles. He made 25 tackles in one game against Tennessee in 1985. Roof was enshrined into the Georgia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998. Roof returned to Georgia Tech in 1998 to serve as linebackers coach under head coach George O’Leary. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1999 and held that position for three years. The Yellow Jackets shared an ACC title in ’98 and played in a bowl game all four years during Roof’s tenure. A native of Lawrenceville (Ga.), Roof attended Central Gwinnett High School. Roof came back to Georgia Tech after serving the 2012 season as defensive coordinator at Penn State, where he worked under another former Yellow Jacket assistant coach, Bill O’Brien. The Nittany Lions exceeded all expectations by posting an 8-4 record. Roof’s defense ranked second in the Big Ten Conference in scoring defense
@GTATHLETICS
(19.1 ppg), first in sacks (34), first in red-zone defense and third in turnover margin. Nationally, Penn State ranked tied for first in red-zone defense, 15th in sacks, 16th in scoring defense, 23rd in rushing defense, 28th in pass efficiency defense and 29th in total defense. Two of the Big Ten’s top six tacklers were Nittany Lions – Gerald Hodges and Michael Mauti. Hodges was named first team all-conference and Mauti was named the Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year. Prior to working at Penn State, Roof was the defensive coordinator at Auburn for three years, including the Tigers’ BCS national championship season in 2010. In 2010 at Auburn, Roof’s defense ranked ninth nationally in rushing defense and 16th in tackles for loss. In the BCS Championship game, the Tigers (14-0) held Oregon to 19 points – 28 points below the Ducks’ season average. Prior to coaching at Auburn, Roof spent the 2008 season as defensive coordinator at Minnesota. In just one season under Roof, the Gophers made significant improvements on defense, allowing 160 fewer passing yards and 135 fewer total yards per game compared to the previous season. Minnesota improved from 1-11 to 7-6 in 2008, capped by an appearance in the Insight Bowl. From 2004 to 2007, Roof served as head coach at Duke after working as the Blue Devils’ defensive coordinator in 2002 and 2003. He was promoted to interim head coach midway through the 2003 season after head coach Carl Franks was fired. In 2001, the year before Roof arrived in Durham, Duke ranked 113th nationally (out of 115) in rushing defense. In Roof’s first season at Duke in 2002, the Blue Devils ranked first in the ACC in that category. Roof’s coaching career began as a graduate assistant at Alabama in 1987 and 1988. After one year as linebackers coach at West Georgia, he moved to Duke to coach linebackers from 1990
THE ROOF FILE Wife Sons Born Education
Pam Ash-Roof Terrence and Michael December 11, 1963 Georgia Tech, ‘86
ROOF’S COACHING HISTORY
Year 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 *2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994
School Georgia Tech Penn State Auburn Auburn Auburn Minnesota Duke Duke Duke Duke Duke Duke Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Western Carolina Massachusetts Massachusetts Massachusetts
Position Defensive Coordinator Defensive Coordinator Defensive Coordinator Defensive Coordinator Defensive Coordinator Defensive Coordinator Head Coach Head Coach Head Coach Head Coach Defensive Coordinator Defensive Coordinator Defensive Coordinator Defensive Coordinator Defensive Coordinator Linebackers Defensive Coordinator Defensive Coordinator Defensive Coordinator Defensive Line Recruiting Coordinator 1993 Duke Linebackers Linebackers 1992 Duke 1991 Duke Linebackers 1990 Duke Linebackers 1989 West Georgia Linebackers 1988 Alabama Graduate Assistant 1987 Alabama Graduate Assistant *Roof was promoted to head coach mid-way through the 2003 season
to 1993. Other coaching stops included 1994-96 (defensive coordinator in ‘95-’96) at Massachusetts and 1997 (defensive coordinator) at Western Carolina before returning to Tech in 1998. In all, Roof has coached 27 years on the collegiate level. More than 60 players that he has coached went on to sign NFL contracts. Roof and wife, Pam Ash-Roof, have twin boys, Terrence and Michael.
91