Rod Rust

Rod Rust

Sport(s)	Football
Biographical details
Born	(1928-08-02) August 2, 1928 Webster City, Iowa
Playing career
1947–1948	Iowa State
Position(s)	Center, linebacker
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1960–1962	New Mexico (assistant)
1963–1966	Stanford (assistant)
1967–1972	North Texas State
1973–1975	Montreal Alouettes (DC)
1976–1977	Philadelphia Eagles (LB)
1978–1982	Kansas City Chiefs (DC)
1983–1987	New England Patriots (DC)
1988	Kansas City Chiefs (DC)
1989	Pittsburgh Steelers (DC)
1990	New England Patriots
1992	New York Giants (DC)
1994	Lehigh (LB)
1995	Atlanta Falcons (LB)
1996	Atlanta Falcons (DC)
1997–1998	Montreal Alouettes (DC)
1999	San Francisco 49ers (Assistant LB)
2001	Montreal Alouettes
2002–2004	New York Giants (LB)
2005	Winnipeg Blue Bombers (DC)
Head coaching record
Overall	29–32–1 (college) 1–15 (NFL) 9–8 (CFL)
Statistics College Football Data Warehouse
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 MVC (1967)

Rodney A. Rust (born August 2, 1928) is a former American football player and coach. He is best known in the United States as the head coach of the New England Patriots of the National Football League during the 1990 season, which ended with a 1–15 record.

For most of Rust's early coaching career, he was an assistant to one of two coaches: Marv Levy or Dick Vermeil. Rust began as an assistant under Levy at the University of New Mexico between 1960 and 1962, before leaving to serve under Dick Vermeil at Stanford University. In 1967, he became the head coach at North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas), a position he held until 1972. North Texas had a 29–32–1 record during Rust's tenure.

Rust returned to work for Levy in 1973 as defensive coordinator for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. In his three seasons in Montreal, the Alouettes went to two Grey Cup finals, winning in 1974.

In 1976, Rust left the Alouettes to become an assistant with Vermeil's Philadelphia Eagles. He served as Linebackers coach for two seasons before leaving to take the Defensive Coordinator position with Levy and the Kansas City Chiefs. After Levy's firing in 1982, Rust became defensive coordinator of the New England Patriots. Head coach Ron Meyer fired Rust midway through the 1984 season, but he was later reinstated (with Meyer himself fired). Rust and the Patriots went to Super Bowl XX (under head coach Raymond Berry) in 1986, but he left the team after the 1987 season. He returned to the Chiefs for the 1988 season, and moved again to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1989.

The Patriots hired Rust as head coach in 1990, but fired him after a 1–15 season, the worst showing in team history.

The New York Giants hired Rust as defensive coordinator in 1992, and he lasted one season. He spent the rest of the 1990s as a defensive assistant with the San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons.

Rust was named the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League in 2000, and was fired during the 2001 season after a six-game losing streak. Rust spent 2002 as the defensive quality control coach of the New York Giants. He returned to the CFL in 2005, taking the coordinator position with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers; he left abruptly halfway through the season. He became defensive coordinator of the Ottawa Renegades in February 2006; the team suspended operations before the season began.

Head coaching record

Professional

League	Team	Year	Regular Season					Post Season
			Won	Lost	Ties	Win %	Finish	Won	Lost	Result
NFL	NE	1990	1	15	0	.063	5th in AFC East	–	–	Missed Playoffs
CFL	MTL	2001	9	8	0	.529	3rd in East Division	–	–	(fired)

External links

• Rod Rust at the College Football Data Warehouse

Sporting positions
Preceded by Tom Bettis	Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Coordinator 1978–1982	Succeeded by Bud Carson
Preceded by Jim E. Mora	New England Patriots Defensive Coordinator 1983–1987	Succeeded by Joe Collier
Preceded by John Paul Young	Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Coordinator 1988	Succeeded by Bill Cowher
Preceded by Tony Dungy	Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive Coordinator 1989	Succeeded by Dave Brazil
Preceded by Al Groh	New York Giants Defensive Coordinator 1992	Succeeded by Mike Nolan