Danny Rocco is in his second season as the Terps' outside linebacker coach after spending the previous four seasons on the coaching staff at the University of Texas Last season, his first at Maryland, Rocco was responsible for two of the team's top tacklers - linebackers Aaron Thompson (87 tackles) and Peter Timmins (84).

Rocco, who served on John Mackovic's staff at Texas, coached the outside linebackers his first three seasons with the Longhorns and served as defensive ends coach and special teams coordinator in 1997. The Longhorns won the inaugural Big 12 championship game in 1996 and played in three bowls during his stay, including the Fiesta, Sugar and Sun.

Before joining Texas' staff, he was the defensive line coach at Boston College (1991-93), outside linebackers/strong safeties coach at Tulsa (1988-90), assistant inside linebackers coach at Colorado (1987), and defensive line coach at Wake Forest (1986). He also spent the 1984 and '85 seasons on Wake's staff as a graduate assistant. At Boston College, he served under former Golden Eagles coach Tom Coughlin, and helped BC to back-to-back bowl appearances.

A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., Rocco played two seasons at Penn State before transferring to Wake Forest. At Penn State, he earned a pair of letters and played in the 1979 Liberty Bowl and the 1980 Fiesta Bowl. At Wake Forest, he was a two-year starting linebacker and team captain in 1983. All told, Rocco has participated in nine bowl games as a player and coach.

Rocco is a 1984 graduate of Wake Forest with a bachelor's degree in speech communication. He earned his master's in education and counseling in 1987.

Part of a football coaching family, Rocco's father, Frank, is an assistant athletic director at Penn State and was a successful high school coach in Western Pennsylvania prior to joining Joe Paterno's staff at Penn State in 1982. His brother, Frank, Jr., is a former Penn State quarterback who currently is the athletic director and head football coach at Pittsburgh Shaler High School. His younger brother, David, is an assistant football coach at Pine Crest High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Rocco and his wife, Julie, have a son, David, and a daughter, Amy.

Coaching History

1997  Fiesta Bowl
1995  Sugar Bowl
1994  Sun Bowl
1994  Carquest Bowl
1993  Hall of Fame Bowl
1990  Independence Bowl
1982  Tokyo Mirage Bowl
1980  Fiesta Bowl
1979  Liberty Bowl

Danny Rocco Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa. Position: Outside Linebackers Birthdate: 07/16/1960 Year at Maryland: 2nd