Pete Rossomando Lifted New Haven Football to NE10 Supremacy

Posted: Oct 19, 2020

When the University of New Haven made its debut in the Northeast-10 Conference for the 2008-09 season, it also included the return of football to Charger Nation after a six year hiatus of the program. Leading the way as the Blue and Gold returned to the gridiron in 2009 was Pete Rossomando who was introduced as the ninth coach in the history of the program on December 13, 2007.

Rossomando came to New Haven with 14 years of experience under his belt including a previous stop in West Haven when he kicked off his coaching career with a five-year stint (1994-1998) under head coach Tony Sparano. During his initial tenure with the Chargers, Rossomando and the Chargers went 41-14-1, including a pair of NCAA playoff appearances in 1995 (quarterfinals) and in 1997 when the Blue and Gold advanced to the Division II Championship game.

When Rossomando returned to West Haven on January 1, 2008, he was tasked with rebuilding a program that had been sidelined since a November 5, 2003 matchup against Tiffin. The goal for Rossomando wasn’t just to rebuild the program, it was to bring Charger football back into the national spotlight, one they hadn’t seen since Rossomando was the defensive line coach in 1997 when the Blue and Gold was, at the time, the smallest school in NCAA history to play for a national title.

It didn’t take long to Rossomando to show the New Haven community he could win as he led the Blue and Gold to a 33-10 victory over Lincoln University (Pa.) in its first game back on the gridiron on September 5, 2009. Overall, the Chargers finished that first year with a 5-5 record, including a 23-18 win over Stonehill College on September 26 as the University formally dedicated Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium.

The next season with the return of nearly all 22 starters the Chargers turned in a 6-2 record in league play, 8-2 overall, clinching a share of the 2010 NE10 Conference title. The Blue and Gold went on to post back-to-back perfect 8-0 records in NE10 play in 2011 and 2012. The 2011 season also culminated with the achievement of another of Rossomando’s goals, to return the New Haven football program back to the national stage.

After making a perfect run through the NE10, the Chargers, then ranked No. 5 in the nation, earned an NCAA Championship first round bye and defeated Kutztown 44-37 in the second round. In just the fifth appearance in the national tournament for New Haven, the Blue and Gold had advanced to the quarterfinal round for just the second time in the history of the NE10

In 2012, the Chargers cruised through the nine-game regular season schedule, defeating American International 37-12 to earn their first-ever Northeast-10 Conference Championship, once again earning a spot in the Division II playoffs and ranked No. 3/4 in the national polls.

After posting an 8-3 record, including a 7-2 mark in the NE10 in 2013, Rossomando left the Blue and Gold to take over as the head coach at neighboring Central Connecticut State University. During his five-year tenure with the Blue and Gold, he posted a 42-13 record and guided UNH to a pair of NCAA postseason appearances and top-five rankings in the national polls. He also went 33-8 in NE10 action with three consecutive NE10 Titles to conclude his tenure.

After a five-year stint as the head coach at CCSU, Rossomando took another step forward in 2019 when he accepted a position as the offensive line coach in the Big 10 Conference with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. He is now currently the offensive line coach at Vanderbilt University in the SEC.

Pete Rossomando Links of Note:

ABOUT THE NE10
Beginning its 40th anniversary season, the NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.