Ricky Rahne returns for his third season as Vanderbilt’s quarterback coach.
The 2013 season has been Rahne’s best work since arriving at Vanderbilt. The third-year coach led two starting quarterbacks during the season with Austyn Carta-Samuels and Patton Robinette each earning starts during the year.
Rahne coached Carta-Samuels to one of the best seasons by a Commodore QB in years with the senior completing 68.7% of his passes – the highest completion percentage by a VU quarterback in 60 years. Carta-Samuels became the first Commodore to pass for 300 yards in a game since 2006 when he racked up 300 yards in the opener vs. Ole Miss. He has three 300-yard games during the season, the most since Jay Cutler in 2005.
Rahne also molded Robinette into a winning QB with the redshirt freshman getting the start in Vanderbilt’s historic win at Florida.
The coaching ties between Rahne and James Franklin date to the mid-2000s when Rahne served as offensive graduate assistant under Franklin at Kansas State.
Rahne’s work with senior Jordan Rodgers in 2012 helped produce one of the finest campaigns ever by a Vanderbilt quarterback. Rodgers, prospering under Rahne’s guidance, finished the year ranking among the team’s single-season Top Ten passers with 2,539 yards and 15 touchdowns.
More importantly, Rodgers substantially improved as an efficient quarterback during his final season, hitting on a career-high 60 percent of his passes and ranking among SEC leaders with just five interceptions.After the season, Rodgers signed a free agent deal with Jacksonville.
In 2011, Rodgers and Larry Smith enjoyed success under Rahne’s watchful eye. Smith increased his completion percentage to a career high 55% and provided superb leadership through the season. Rodgers also responded well when called upon at midseason, passing for 1,523 yards, the highest total ever by a first-year Vanderbilt quarterback. Rodgers also threw nine TDs.
Rahne, who enjoyed a record-breaking collegiate career as quarterback at Cornell University, worked previously with Franklin at K-State during the 2006-07 seasons.
While on the Wildcat staff, Franklin and Rahne helped mentor talented quarterback Josh Freeman into an All-Big 12 signal caller and an eventual first-round National Football League draft pick.
Rahne served as a full-time member of the Kansas State coaching staff for the last four years. He held the position of tight ends coach under legendary Wildcat head coach Bill Snyder the last two years, after mentoring Kansas State running backs in 2007-08.
In 2010, Rahne helped Kansas State secure a berth in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium after a 7-5 regular season. The Wildcat offense averaged 33.6 points per game, ranking 22nd in the nation, and produced nearly 200 rushing yards per game.
In 2009, Rahne tutored first team All-Big 12 tight end Jeron Mastrud, who ranks second in school history in receptions among tight ends. Directing the Wildcat running backs from 2007-08, Rahne helped tutor All-Big 12 selection James Johnson, who became the fastest Wildcat to rush for 1,000 yards in a season in 2007.
Rahne served as the Wildcats’ graduate assistant during the 2006 season, working hand-in-hand with Franklin with Wildcat quarterbacks. Specifically, they helped develop a young Freeman into K-State’s starting quarterback.
Eventually, Freeman put together one of the greatest careers ever by a Kansas State signal caller and became a first-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Freeman just completed his second year as an NFL starter and is considered one of the league’s future stars at quarterback.
Before joining the staff at Kansas State, Rahne spent the 2005 season as the running backs coach at Cornell. In 2004, he served as an assistant defensive coach at Holy Cross.
A native of Morrison, Colo., Rahne finished his career as Cornell’s all-time leader in nearly every passing category and earned the team’s MVP honors three times.
Rahne earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial and labor relations from Cornell.
Rahne and his wife, Jennifer, are the parents of two young sons, Ryder and Jake.
The Rahne File
Personal
Date of Birth: July 19, 1980
Hometown: Morrison, Colo.
Alma Mater: Cornell (2002)
Education: Bachelors, industrial and labor relations, Cornell (2002)
Family: wife, Jennifer; son, Ryder
Rahne[apos]s Coaching Career
2011-current – Vanderbilt (quarterbacks)
2009-10 – Kansas State (tight ends)
2007-08 – Kansas State (running backs)
2006 – Kansas State (offensive graduate assistant)
2005 – Cornell (running backs)
2004 – Holy Cross (assistant defensive line)