February 26, 1999
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Jerry Rosburg, secondary coach the last two seasons at Boston College, has joined Bob Davie’s Notre Dame football coaching staff.
Rosburg, who will coach the Irish outside linebackers and also share special team duties, fills the defensive vacancy created in December when defensive line coach Charlie Strong resigned to accept a position as defensive coordinator at South Carolina under former Irish head coach Lou Holtz.
At Boston College in ’97 he coached Eagle safety Pedro Cirino who ranked second in the BIG EAST Conference in tackles with 130, earned second-team all-BIG EAST recognition – and ranked as the top returning tackler in the conference coming into the ’98 season.
Prior to his stint with the Eagles under head coach Tom O’Brien, the 43-year-old Fairmont, Minn., product spent one season at Minnesota (1996) as defensive backfield coach and four seasons at Cincinnati (1992-94 with linebackers, 1995 with secondary).
In 1992-93 he coached on the same Cincinnati defensive staff as Lou West, who was hired earlier this week to coach the Irish secondary. In 1994-95 he coached under Cincinnati head coach Rick Minter, who accepted that job after two seasons as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator. In ’95 he coached current NFL New York Giant defensive back Sam Garnes (he won first-team all-Conference USA honors that season as a junior) and current New Orleans Saint Chris Hewitt.
Rosburg served as linebacker and special team coach for five years (1987-91) at Western Michigan — and spent six seasons at Northern Michigan (1981-86), the first two as a graduate assistant, the next three as linebacker coach and the last one as defensive coordinator and secondary coach.
At Western Michigan, he helped the Broncos claim the Mid-American Conference title in 1988, thanks to an overall 9-3 mark that included an appearance in the California Bowl. Among the standouts he coached at Western Michigan were linebackers Sean Mulhearn (1990 MAC Defensive Player of the Year), ’88 all-MAC choice Eric Hoffman (and MAC Defensive Player of the Year runnerup that season) and Terry Crews, a ’91 selection (11th round) by the Los Angeles Rams.
At Northern Michigan, he helped the Wildcats to 11-1 and 8-3 records his first two seasons (’81 and ’82), with each of those teams qualifying for the NCAA Division II playoffs. Northern Michigan advanced as far as the semifinals in ’81.
He served as an assistant coach at Fargo (N.D.) Shanley High School for two seasons in 1979-80.
After graduating from Fairmont (Minn.) High School in 1974, he went on to North Dakota State where he earned second-team Associated Press Little All-America honors as a senior linebacker in 1977. A two-time all-North Central Conference selection, he led the team in tackles as a junior (with 120) and senior (136) – and helped his team to the NCAA Division II playoff semifinals each of his last two seasons (9-3 in ’76, 9-2-1 in ’77).
He graduated from North Dakota State in ’78 and received a master’s degree in 1983 from Northern Michigan.
Born November 24, 1955, Rosburg and his wife Sherry are the parents of two children — Megan and Jerad.
The Jerry Rosburg Coaching File
Year School Assignment
1979 Fargo (N.D.) Shanley High School Assistant Coach1980 Fargo (N.D.) Shanley High School Assistant Coach
1981 Northern Michigan (11-1, NCAA Div. II playoffs) Graduate Assistant1982 Northern Michigan (8-3, NCAA Div. II playoffs) Graduate Assistant1983 Northern Michigan (8-2) Linebackers1984 Northern Michigan (6-4) Linebackers1985 Northern Michigan (6-3) Linebackers1986 Northern Michigan Defensive Coord., Secondary
1987 Western Michigan Linebackers, Special Teams1988 Western Michigan (9-3, California Bowl)) Linebackers, Special Teams1989 Western Michigan Linebackers, Special Teams1990 Western Michigan (7-4) Linebackers, Special Teams1991 Western Michigan (7-4) Linebackers, Special Teams
1992 Cincinnati Linebackers1993 Cincinnati (8-3) Linebackers1994 Cincinnati Linebackers1995 Cincinnati (6-5) Secondary
1996 Minnesota Secondary
1997 Boston College Secondary1998 Boston College Secondary