Hokie ClubJoined Virginia Tech Football Staff: 2026
Prior to Virginia Tech: A highly decorated coaching veteran, Rocco most recently spent three seasons as head coach at Virginia Military Institute (2023-25). Prior to serving as an analyst at Penn State in 2022, he also had solid success in previous stops at Liberty (47-20 in six seasons with four Big South titles, from 2006-2011), Richmond (43-22, with three playoff appearances, in five seasons, including two CAA championships from 2012-2016) and Delaware (31-23, with two playoff appearances, including a CAA title in five seasons, from 2017-2021). In addition, Rocco was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year Award seven times at four different universities.
Before his first head-coaching job at Liberty, Rocco had served on the staff of Al Groh with the New York Jets in 2000, and at Virginia from 2001-2005.
Rocco also worked as an assistant at his alma mater, Wake Forest (1984-86), Colorado (1987), Tulsa (1988-90), Boston College (1991-93), Texas (1994-97) and Maryland (1998-99).
Education: Wake Forest, 1984 (B.S. in Speech Communications); Wake Forest, 1987 (M.S. in Counseling)
Personal: A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Rocco began his college playing career at Penn State, where he earned two varsity letters and competed in the 1979 Liberty Bowl and the 1980 Fiesta Bowl before transferring to Wake Forest. While in Winston-Salem, he was a two-year starter and senior captain for Groh.
Rocco and his wife, Julie, have a son, David, and daughter, Amy. David currently serves as assistant tight ends coach at Virginia Tech.