After helping St. Vincent College resurrect its football program, Shawn Rohrer is now coaching with one of the area's oldest and successful small college football teams.

A native of Beallsville, and a graduate of Beth-Center High School, Rohrer was named the defensive coordinator last month at Washington & Jefferson College.

Rohrer, St. Vincent's defensive coordinator for the past three years replaced Matt Caponi, who was hired as an assistant football coach at the University of Pittsburgh. Rohrer will work under ninth-year head coach Mike Sirianni.

"Mike called and this was just a great opportunity to be with an established program and improve my coaching experience," said Rohrer, who was an All-American linebacker at Slippery Rock University from 1994-97.

St. Vincent brought football back in 2006 and began playing in 2007 after last competing in 1962.

Rohrer praised Bearcats' head coach Bob Colbert.

"He's done a great job building that program from the bottom up, there wasn't even a football on that campus until Bob came. They keep improving and I look for them to have a decent year."

Washington & Jefferson, ranked 16th in The Sporting News preseason national top 25 poll, begins its 120th season this year. The Presidents have 675 all-time victories, the third-most in NCAA Division III history. They were NCAA national finalists in 1992 and 1994.

Despite the differences on the football field both schools possess stellar academic reputations.

"When you graduate from either of those schools a person is going to be strongly looked at when they apply for a job," Rohrer said. "Just look at the alumni from those places and what they've go on to do."

Rohrer will run what he described as a 4-2-5 defensive formation with two more safeties as opposed to outside linebackers. Sirianni said Rohrer's defensive schemes are similar to what the Presidents have been using which will make for a smooth transition for the returning defensive players.

"We are fortunate to land a quality defensive coordinator like Coach Rohrer this late in the summer," Sirianni said. "His defenses at St. Vincent were always ready to play and his coaching and playing experience from the different levels of college football will be good for our program."

Clish joins staff

Another newcomer to Washington & Jefferson's coaching staff is Doug Clish, who will coach the cornerbacks. Clish, a former Beth Center starting quarterback, was an assistant coach at Waynesburg High School and was a Beth Center assistant coach when Rohrer played for the Bulldogs.

"Doug's a good coach and has been an asset wherever he's been as a player or coach," Rohrer said.

Rohrer began coaching with the Presidents on Aug. 1. He said that he and the defensive coaches have been doing a lot in a short period of time. Before St. Vincent, Rohrer was an assistant coach at perennial small college powers Shepherd, California and Slippery Rock universities.

"I've been fortunate to work at several successful programs," he said. "You see a lot of different ways and take the good and learn from the bad. There's some adjustments with any new job but I am excited and ready to get after it."

Washington & Jefferson begins its 2011 home season by hosting Delaware Valley on Sept. 10, beginning at 1:30 p.m.

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