Rich Skrosky became the 21st head football coach in school history on December 12, 2013 and guided the Elon program as it made the move to the Colonial Athletic Association for the 2014 season.
Skrosky, who has 28 years of collegiate coaching experience, is in his second stint at Elon, returning to where he served as the team’s offensive line coach (2006-08) as well as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2009-10). For the three seasons in between his tenures at Elon, Skrosky served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Ball State University.
During year two of Skrosky’s head coaching tenure, the Phoenix picked up four victories, including the program’s first CAA Football win – a 17-13 decision over Towson. At the conclusion of the year, three Phoenix players earned all-conference accolades. Two players picked up CAA Football Player of the Week honors, including linebacker Corey Mitchell who became the first Elon player to earn a national player of the week award since 2012. The maroon and gold ranked 13th nationally by committing just 55 penalties during the 2015 season. The Phoenix’s 41.09 penalty yards per game rated 10th in the country.
In Elon’s first season as a member of CAA Football, Skrosky saw four players collect all-league accolades. The Phoenix led the league and ranked second nationally by committing just 45 penalties on the year. The team averaged just 30.0 penalty yards per game. Elon also ranked in the top 15 nationally in blocked punts and blocked kicks. The Phoenix also led the nation in fewest fumbles lost as the maroon and gold lost just three fumbles in 2014.
While at Ball State, Skrosky helped quarterback Keith Wenning to complete a school-record 313 passes in 2012. Skrosky’s offense also churned out the third-best single-season rushing performance in Ball State history as Jahwan Edwards ran for 1,410 yards in 2012. The 2012 team went 9-4, including a 34-27 win against 25th-ranked Toledo, and appeared in the Beef O’Brady’s Bowl.
In 2013, the Cardinals’ offense has averaged 486.3 yards per game as the program has posted a 10-2 overall record that includes a victory over Virginia. The 2013 Ball State team will played in the GoDaddy Bowl and averaged 38.5 points per game. The Cardinals either ranked near the top of the MAC in first downs, passing offense, yards per completion, passing efficiency, total offense, red zone offense and completion percentage. Following its final regular season game of the 2013 season, the Cardinals had matched a school record by scoring at least 40 points in six games and established a new program mark by scoring 50 or more points in three contests. Six Ball State players were named to watch lists for national awards – Wenning, wide receiver Jamill Smith, wide receiver Willie Snead, wide receiver Jordan Williams, running back Jahwan Edwards and tight end Zane Fakes. Wenning was a sixth-round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2013 NFL draft.
Twice Skrosky was a nominee for the Broyles Award that is presented to the nation’s top assistant coach. In that same span, Skrosky’s Ball State offense developed 16 All-MAC selections. The Cardinals’ offense compiled the top two seasons in both average yards per game (476.8 in 2013 and 457.2 in 2012) and points per game (38.5 in 2013 and 36.4 in 2012) in program history. The team’s 63 touchdowns in 2013 were the most ever scored by a Ball State team, while the 52 TDs scored a the previous season were the third-most.
In Skrosky’s first season as Elon’s offensive coordinator, the Phoenix led the Southern Conference and ranked sixth in the country with 291.50 passing yards per game in 2009. Elon also ranked among the top-20 nationally in passing efficiency and total offense as the maroon and gold made its first-ever FCS Playoff appearance. That year, Elon finished ranked ninth in the nation in The Sports Network’s FCS Poll and 10th nationally in the FCS Coaches Poll with a 9-3 record. In 2009, Elon had five offensive players earn All-SoCon accolades and two – wide receiver Terrell Hudgins and offensive lineman David Harrison – collected all-America honors.
The following year, Elon rated eighth in the nation in total offense, putting up 435.18 yards per game. The team averaged 31.9 points per game that year to rate 14th in the nation and the passing game put up the second-most yards through the air in the country at 322.36 yards per outing. In 2010, wide receiver Aaron Mellette, quarterback Scott Riddle and offensive lineman Rodney Austin all earned all-America honors.
In Skrosky’s offensive system, Hudgins would amass 5,250 receiving yards on 395 receptions, both NCAA Division I records. The wide out would establish 19 records, 10 of which were NCAA marks, and was named to 14 different All-America teams. He was the first NCAA Division I player to ever post four 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Riddle would pass for 13,264 career yards, the most ever by an Elon or SoCon player, and set a total of 41 NCAA, SoCon or Elon records. In his two seasons as Elon’s offensive coordinator, the Phoenix had 10 players earn all-league honors.
Skrosky first came to Elon after serving as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Columbia University for five seasons (2001-05) where he had 11 All-Ivy League selections and two all-Americans. Previously, he served eight seasons as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Monmouth University where he helped the squad capture two conference titles and coached 14 all-league picks.
Skrosky has previous head coaching experience as well, having served as the head coach at Ramapo College during the 1992 campaign after serving as that program’s offensive coordinator, offensive line coach and tight ends coach during the 1990 and 1991 seasons. While Skrosky was at Ramapo he coached 17 all-league honorees.
He also turned in stints as the tight ends coach at Rutgers University for two seasons (1988-89) and as the assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Lodi (N.J.) High School for three seasons (1985-87). Skrosky was the defensive backs coach at St. Peter’s Prep High School in Jersey City, N.J. in 1984.
The Lodi, N.J., native was an All-Bergen County defensive back at Lodi High and a safety on Ramapo’s football squad. He graduated from Ramapo with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
Skrosky is married to Suzanne Quentz.
