John Strollo - Assistant Coach/Offensive Line - Football Coaches

John Strollo

Title:
Assistant Coach/Offensive Line
Email:
dukefootball@duaa.duke.edu
Phone:
(919) 684-2635

John Strollo begins his third season as a member of the Duke staff and the 2007 campaign will mark has second coaching the Blue Devil offensive line.

Duke’s offensive line unit returns seven letterwinners and all five starters from a year ago. Senior Matt Rumsey is scheduled to start at center for the third straight year, while tackles Cameron Goldberg and Fred Roland and guards Zach Maurides and Rob Schirmann also return with starting experience. Sophomore Jarrod Holt and senior Garrett Mason gained valuable experience a year ago and they will provide depth and compete for a spot along with junior Ben Loebner and redshirt freshmen Robert Drum, Marcus Lind, Jeffrey Cowart and Mitchell Lederman.

Last season, Duke’s starting lineup featured zero seniors and entered the year with just 12 combined starting assignments ? 11 of which belong to Rumsey. The Blue Devil offensive front was the least experienced group in the nation based on combined career starting assignments, with Florida’s unit ranking second with 19.

In his first season with the Blue Devils, Strollo mentored the tight ends. The group combined to catch 46 passes for 448 yards and senior Andy Roland, who finished his career with 69 receptions for 1,031 yards and seven touchdowns, was honored with the Ace Parker Award ? an honor given annually to the Duke football player who displays unparalleled commitment to the team.

"We’re very happy to have a coach with John’s experience and knowledge on our staff," Blue Devil head coach Ted Roof said. "He also has been a very successful recruiter and those qualities are positive assets as we continue to build the Duke football program."

Strollo, who worked on the same coaching staff with Roof at the University of Massachusetts during the 1994 and 1995 seasons, joins the Duke program after serving the 2004 season as the offensive line coach at the University of Maine. He helped the Black Bears to a 5-6 mark including a 9-7 victory over Mississippi State ? the program’s first-ever win over an NCAA I-A team.

Prior to his year at Maine, Strollo worked three years (2001-03) as the offensive line coach and offensive coordinator at Cornell University and five seasons (1996-00) as the offensive line and tight ends coach at Lafayette College.

Strollo got his start in coaching the offensive line at Northeastern University in 1984. After one season with the Huskies, he was promoted to offensive coordinator and served six seasons (1985-90) in that capacity, directing an offense that led NCAA I-AA in rushing in 1986.

Strollo then joined the staff at Massachusetts in 1991 as offensive line and tight ends coach, where he helped the Minutemen to 31 wins over five seasons including a 9-2 campaign in 1993. The Massachusetts offense, which led I-AA in rushing in 1995, featured running back Rene Ingoglia who ranks second at the school with career totals of 4,623 rushing yards and 54 touchdowns.

While at Massachusetts, Strollo also worked alongside current Duke assistant coach Brad Sherrod in 1995.

A native of Long Branch, N.J., and graduate of Long Branch High School, Strollo earned a degree in education from Boston College in 1976. He played football as an offensive lineman for the Eagles and later received a master’s degree in education from Springfield College in 1986.

He and his wife, Janet, have two daughters, Katie and Emily.