Terrence Edwin Roof Jr. (born December 11, 1963) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
coach and former player who is the
defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at the
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...
. He previously served as a defensive analyst at
Clemson University
Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enr ...
, where he worked with Oklahoma head coach
Brent Venables. Prior to that, Roof was the defensive coordinator at
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...
. Roof served as the head football coach at
Duke University from 2003 to 2007, compiling a 6–45 record.
A former standout at
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
for Georgia Tech, Roof was the
defensive coordinator at
Georgia Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
for two stints, from 1999 to 2001 under
George O'Leary and 2013 to 2017 under
Paul Johnson.Noted for his highly aggressive defenses, Roof has also been the defensive coordinator at the
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...
and at
Auburn University
Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 24,600 undergraduate students and a total enrollment of more than 30,000 with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second largest uni ...
, winning the
2011 BCS National Championship Game with the latter.
Early life and family
Roof attended
Central Gwinnett High School
Central Gwinnett High School is a public high school in Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States. The school is operated by Gwinnett County Public Schools. Jordan Middle School and Moore Middle School are its feeders.
Orchestra
The Central Gwinnett ...
and earned his bachelor's degree in management from Georgia Tech in 1987. Roof is married to Pam Ash-Roof of
Fayetteville, Georgia
Fayetteville is a city in and the county seat of Fayette County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 18,957, up from 15,945 at the 2010 census. Fayetteville is located south of downtown Atlanta.
In 2015 ...
, and the couple have twin boys, Terrence Davis and Michael Edwin. Terrence is a linebacker at the University of Oklahoma, and Michael is a quarterback at Charlotte.
Playing career
After graduating from Central Gwinnett High School, Roof went on to play football for the
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), located in Atlanta, Georgia. The teams have also been nicknamed the Ramblin' Wrec ...
in 1982. He started his final three seasons and served as team captain while leading the Ramblin' Wreck's famed "Black Watch" defense as a senior. Their success fueled Georgia Tech's run to 9–2–1 in 1985, including a win over
Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
in the
All-American Bowl
The All-American Bowl was an annual postseason college football bowl game played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama from 1977 to 1990. The game was known as the Hall of Fame Classic from 1977 to 1985.
In 1986, the National Football Foundatio ...
. Roof was honored as member of the
All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
team, was selected to the All-
ACC
ACC most often refers to:
* Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US
*American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...
first team, and was named the Defensive Player of the Year by the Atlanta Touchdown Club. He remains among the most prolific tacklers in program history, ranking second for most tackles in a game with 25 against
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
in 1985 and seventh on the all-time tackling list with 417. Roof was enshrined into Georgia Tech's Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998.
Coaching career
![Ted Roof sidelines 2013](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Ted_Roof_sidelines_2013.jpg)
Early career
Roof began his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at the
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...
in 1987, where he helped on defense before taking his first full-time position as the
linebackers coach
In American football, a position coach is a team official in charge of coaching a specific position group. Position coaches have more specialized duties than the head coach, assistant coach, and the offensive and defensive coordinators.
Common ...
at the
University of West Georgia
The University of West Georgia is a public university in Carrollton, Georgia. The university offers a satellite campus in Newnan, Georgia, select classes at its Douglasville Center, and off-campus Museum Studies classes at the Atlanta History Ce ...
for the 1989 season.
After
Steve Spurrier left
Duke University in 1990, his successor,
Barry Wilson, lured Roof to fill the position coaching
outside linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...
s on his staff. When Wilson and his staff were fired after the 1993 season, Roof left to serve as an assistant coach for the
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst, UMass) is a public research university in Amherst, Massachusetts and the sole public land-grant university in Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded in 1863 as an agricultural college, ...
.
Western Carolina
Roof took his first job as
defensive coordinator in 1997 at
Western Carolina University
Western Carolina University (WCU) is a public university in Cullowhee, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina system.
The fifth oldest institution of the sixteen four-year universities in the UNC system, WCU was founded ...
, where he stayed one season before being lured away to join
George O'Leary's staff at his alma mater.
Georgia Tech
After spending the first season coaching the
Yellow Jackets
Yellowjacket or yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory social wasps of the genera '' Vespula'' and '' Dolichovespula''. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries. Most of th ...
linebackers, Roof was promoted to defensive coordinator. He was nominated for the 2000
Broyles Award
The Broyles Award is an annual award given to honor the best assistant coach in college football. First awarded in 1996, it was named after former University of Arkansas men's athletic director Frank Broyles. The award is presented in Little R ...
, an annual honor given to the nation's top assistant coach, when his defense finished the season ranked 12th in the nation in rushing defense and 20th in scoring defense. The following season, the Yellow Jackets were again one of the top defenses in the nation, ranking 23rd nationally in total defense and 32nd against the run.
Duke
When O'Leary left for the
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic university, Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend, Indiana, South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin fo ...
, Roof left Georgia Tech to become the defensive coordinator at Duke for the 2002 season. Roof's instruction brought marked improvement to the
Duke Blue Devils
The Duke Blue Devils are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina. Duke's athletics department features 27 varsity teams that all compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Associatio ...
defense, which led the
ACC
ACC most often refers to:
* Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US
*American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...
in rushing defense after finishing ninth in the league the previous year. From 2001 to 2002, the Blue Devils moved from ninth to fifth in the ACC and from 113th to 58th nationally in total defense. They progressed in passing defense in the 2003 season, jumping to third-place in the ACC from ninth the previous year. When head coach
Carl Franks
Carl Franks (born December 1, 1960) is an American football coach and former player. He currently serves as the running backs coach at Bethune–Cookman University. Franks served as the head football coach at Duke University from 1999 to 2003, co ...
was released midway through the 2003 season, Roof was promoted to interim head coach. The team finished the season by winning two of the last three games and Roof was subsequently hired as the 20th head coach at Duke on December 6, 2003. However, after winning only four games over the next four seasons, he was fired on November 26, 2007, having compiled a 6–45 record. Despite the dismal record of Duke teams under Roof, his aggressive defenses consistently ranked in the top-30 nationally in tackles behind the
line of scrimmage
In gridiron football, a line of scrimmage is an imaginary transverse line (across the width of the field) beyond which a team cannot cross until the next play has begun. Its location is based on the spot where the ball is placed after the end o ...
.
Coach Roof's enthusiasm makes him successful. He has a passion for football. He lives, eats and sleeps football, and that rubs off on everyone around him (but no current playing field). Football is his first priority, but it goes deeper than that. He asks us our thoughts on the game plan, and then asks about our classes and families. It's a big thing when a coach cares about you and Coach Roof is so genuine. He really brought us together as a team.
--Kenneth Stanford, 2004 Duke co-captain
Minnesota
The 2008 pre-season saw Roof in strong demand. While he had initially been hired on January 6, 2008 by the
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one o ...
to work alongside
Ron English
Ron English (born June 6, 1959) is an American contemporary artist who explores brand imagery, street art, and advertising.
Career
English has produced images on the street, in museums, in movies, books and television. He coined the term POPa ...
and Ken Delgado on the defense,
it was reported on February 21, 2008 that Roof would succeed Everett Withers as the defensive coordinator at the
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...
. Under just one season of Roof's tutelage, the
Gophers made tremendous improvements to give up 160 fewer passing yards per game and over 135 fewer total yards when compared to the previous year's 119th ranked defense. Besides the nation's worst total defense, Roof also inherited a squad which had ranked 115th in pass defense, 114th in rushing defense and 109th in scoring defense in 2007. Roof's defense made strides throughout the season and finished ranked in the top-25 in both sacks and tackles for loss after being ranked 103rd and 116th the previous season. Roof's defense created 31 turnovers, second most in the Big Ten and 11th nationally. They were seventh in the nation causing fumbles (16), fueling the team's 16th ranking in turnover margin. Overall, the scoring defense improved to 61st, rushing defense to 69th, total defense to 79th and pass defense to 93rd. This quick turn-around on defense contributed to the Golden Gophers improving their record from 1–11 to 7–6 and garnering an appearance in the
2008 Insight Bowl
The 2008 Insight Bowl was a college football bowl game played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. The game, in its 20th year of existence, was played on December 31, 2008. The game, which was telecast on NFL Network, featured the Kansas Jay ...
.
Auburn
On January 6, 2009, Roof was hired as the defensive coordinator at
Auburn University
Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 24,600 undergraduate students and a total enrollment of more than 30,000 with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second largest uni ...
by first-year head coach
Gene Chizik
Eugene C. Chizik Jr. (born December 28, 1961) is an American football coach who is currently the Assistant Head Coach for Defense at North Carolina. A veteran of the coaching ranks, Chizik previously was UNC's defensive coordinator for the 2015 ...
. Roof had just finished one season in a three-year contract at Minnesota reportedly worth $350,000 a year.
His salary at Auburn was $370,000. While at Auburn, Roof coached in two bowl games, with wins in both the
2010 Outback Bowl and the
2011 BCS National Championship Game.
UCF
On December 8, 2011, Roof accepted the defensive coordinator position at the
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public research university whose main campus is in unincorporated Orange County, Florida. UCF also has nine smaller regional campuses throughout central Florida. It is part of the State University ...
. The move came after Roof led Auburn's defense to one of the worst statistical seasons in the program's history. Auburn's defense finished the 2011 regular season 78th in the nation, allowing 405.8 yards per game. The previous yards-per-game high for an Auburn defense was 389.1 in 1979.
Ted has played an important role in the success of our football program, helping Auburn win 29 games in three years, including a national championship last season. I'm very appreciative of the passion, energy and work ethic Ted brought to the program every day. I know that this will be a great opportunity for Ted to be reunited with his mentor in George O'Leary and we wish him and his family nothing but the best at UCF.--Gene Chizik
Eugene C. Chizik Jr. (born December 28, 1961) is an American football coach who is currently the Assistant Head Coach for Defense at North Carolina. A veteran of the coaching ranks, Chizik previously was UNC's defensive coordinator for the 2015 ...
, Auburn head coach, 2009-2012
Penn State
On January 10, 2012, Roof was hired by new head coach
Bill O'Brien as defensive coordinator at
Penn State. Due to the
Jerry Sandusky
Gerald Arthur Sandusky (born January 26, 1944) is an American retired college football coach and convicted serial child molester. Sandusky served as an assistant coach for his entire career, mostly at Pennsylvania State University under Joe ...
child sex abuse scandal, on July 24, 2012 the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sanctioned Penn State with a four-year postseason ban, loss of 40 scholarships over a four-year period and allowed players to transfer without having to sit out a year. Despite the difficult conditions of the program, Roof led the defense to rank second in the Big Ten Conference in scoring defense, led the league in sacks, ranked 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.
Georgia Tech (second stint)
On January 9, 2013, Georgia Tech announced Roof was returning to his alma mater as defensive coordinator for the Yellow Jackets.
NC State
On December 22, 2017, North Carolina State announced that Ted Roof was joining the Wolfpack staff as the 10th assistant coach allowed by a change in NCAA rules.
Appalachian State
In 2019, Roof joined
Appalachian State University as their defensive coordinator.
Vanderbilt
In 2020, Roof was hired as the defensive coordinator at
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...
.
Clemson
In 2021, Roof joined
Clemson University
Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enr ...
as a defensive analyst under defensive coordinator
Brent Venables and head coach
Dabo Swinney
William Christopher "Dabo" Swinney (; born November 20, 1969) is an American football coach, currently serving as the head coach at Clemson University. Swinney took over midway through the 2008 season, following the resignation of Tommy Bowden. S ...
.
Oklahoma
On December 10, 2021, Roof was hired as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at the
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...
under head coach
Brent Venables.
Head coaching record
*
First 7 games coached by Carl Franks
Carl Franks (born December 1, 1960) is an American football coach and former player. He currently serves as the running backs coach at Bethune–Cookman University. Franks served as the head football coach at Duke University from 1999 to 2003, co ...
References
External links
Oklahoma profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roof, Ted
1963 births
Living people
American football linebackers
Alabama Crimson Tide football coaches
Appalachian State Mountaineers football coaches
Auburn Tigers football coaches
Duke Blue Devils football coaches
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football coaches
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football players
Minnesota Golden Gophers football coaches
NC State Wolfpack football coaches
Oklahoma Sooners football coaches
Penn State Nittany Lions football coaches
UCF Knights football coaches
UMass Minutemen football coaches
Vanderbilt Commodores football coaches
West Georgia Wolves football coaches
Western Carolina Catamounts football coaches
People from Lawrenceville, Georgia
Sportspeople from the Atlanta metropolitan area
Coaches of American football from Georgia (U.S. state)
Players of American football from Georgia (U.S. state)