Anderson University announced Thursday the hiring of Steve Rock as the 14th head coach in the history of AU’s football program.
“We’re thrilled to have a head coach with such significant and successful competitive experience in the HCAC and NCAA D-III football leading us into the next era of Raven football,” said Athletic Director Marcie Taylor in a news release. “Steve Rock understands the unique ethos of AU, will recruit effectively to the institutional mission and mentor the student-athletes rigorously on the field and in the classroom. Coach Rock possesses the leadership qualities and knowledge necessary to elevate the competitiveness of the Raven football program.”
Rock comes to Anderson after spending 11 seasons on staff with HCAC rival Franklin College. The Grizzlies experienced tremendous success during Rock’s time, reaching postseason play 10 times.
“This was a great move for AU football,” said offensive lineman Dayan Smith. “Coach Rock has the right ideas for us moving forward. We will be better than we were in the past, in short order. The players felt good about him after meeting him. We are excited to get to work for the 2018 season.”
“Coach Rock is a proven winner,” said Alphonso Blackwell, an offensive lineman. “I think he’s going to bring a winning attitude back to Anderson.”
Updates will be made to this story as more news emerges. Coach Rock was not able to be reached at the time of publishing.