As the 2013 Football Season came to a close, the Setters found themselves finishing the season with a record of 0-11, making it the second straight winless season for Pace football.
With the departure of Chris Dapolito, who was hired by Pace in Feb. of 2010, a new chapter begins now with the hiring of Andrew Rondeau as the new head coach. Rondeau comes over from the College of the Holy Cross, be- coming the seventh head coach in Pace football history (pacesettersathletics.com).
“It was a very exciting process, one in which we had a plethora of talented, experienced coaches as candidates,” Director of Athletics Mark Brown said. “On the surface we had about ten really good candidates, but we had to narrow down the choices to find the one candidate that would bring the most to this opportunity.”
That person ended up being Rondeau, who knows a thing or two about hitting the reset button and starting anew. From 2007- 2011, Rondeau played a role in the restarting of the Old Dominion University football program, having served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach (pacesettersathletics.com).
With Rondeau’s help, the Monarchs finished with an overall record of 27-8 during Rondeau’s final three seasons, and in 2011, with a record of 9-2, the Monarchs earned their first ever play- off berth in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs (pacesettersathletics.com).
“It is one thing to build your own program, and then it’s another to build it up and help make it better,” Rondeau said. “In all my jobs I have been able to help build up the programs, it’s kind of my area of expertise.”
During his time with the University of Buffalo, where Rondeau served as the assistant defensive coordinator, the team ranked ninth nationally in pass defense and fourth in total defense, giving up 353.0 yards per contest for the 2005 season (odusports.com).
Having never served as a head coach, Rondeau brings energy, enthusiasm, and experience to his new position. His years of serving as a coach for a number of positions have helped him prepare to take the next step.
“Once you scratch the surface you can see that there is a lot of opportunity here,” said Rondeau, who also served as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at the College of the Holy Cross. “This is my first time as a head coach, but I believe my previous experience in a variety of areas of coaching has allowed me to prepare myself for this position.
“Now Rondeau comes to Pace looking to “bring a fresh start” to the football program, knowing that it will not be an easy task.
“The way I see it, there are three buckets,” Rondeau said. “We can look at the first bucket as a big bloody mess, and that is the one that needs to be attacked first. One man isn’t going to be able to do this alone; it’s going to have to be a collective effort.”
“I know that there is a lot of history here, but I am not looking at the past, I am looking ahead to the future. There is a lot to learn, and we have to keep moving for- ward and look at what we have,” Rondeau said.
Having known Rondeau from their time together in Old Dominion University, Brown believes that Rondeau brings a “much needed new perspective” to the program, stating that Rondeau “is in line with the school’s athletic vision” and knows “what it needs in order to succeed.”
“Rondeau is a man of integrity and character, who brings a lot of energy and a positive attitude which is what our program needs,” Brown said. “He turned out to be the best fit for our institution.”
Junior quarterback Brian Beeker was a part of the inter- viewing process and believes that “Coach Rondeau was the right pick,” stating that “he brings a lot of energy and a good feeling for the next season,” while also saying that he is “very excited for this spring and what the changes for next season will bring.”
Pace has not had a winning season since 1999, when the Setters had a record of 6-4. Since then, things haven’t gotten much better has Pace continued to spiral downward.
For 11 years, the team was led by Greg Lusardi, and under him the Setters had five seasons in which they posted a record of .500 or better, with the notable seasons being 1995 and 1999, in which both teams finished with a record of 6-4. The 1999 team broke “school records for the most yards gained, most points scored and most touchdowns scored in a sea- son” (northeast10.org).
After Lusardi’s resignation in Feb. of 2005, Pace hired Mike Iezzi as the new Head Coach. The Setters had a losing record under his four-year rule, starting with a 3-7 record in 2006 and ending with a 1-9 record in 2009.
Under Dapolito, the Setters had three winless seasons, while they finished with a 1-9 record in 2011.
Knowing the struggles that the football program has had, Rondeau knows it’s not going to be easy to change the minds of the students on campus.
“It is always brutal to try and change someone’s opinion,” Rondeau said. “Change is good until it affects the individual, then it’s hard. It’s a lot of work, and it is certainly not glamorous, but it will be good. I am looking to make an impact on my players’ lives, and help them work to get better, while also engaging the students on campus and helping them be- come a part of this program.”