Notre Dame made it official Tuesday morning when they officially announced Joe Rudolph as their new offensive line coach. Rudolph takes over from Harry Hiestand, who retired in early February after returning to coach Notre Dame’s offensive line last year.
Notre Dame issued the official press release regarding the hiring of Rudolph on Tuesday. You can read it in full below.
SOUTH ARCH, A – Joe Rudolph, most recently offensive line coach and run game coordinator at Virginia Tech, has been named Joe Moore offensive line coach at the University of Notre Dame. The 18-year-old veteran coach and native of Pennsylvania developed some of the most dominant offensive lines in college football during his 2015-21 spell in Wisconsin and has eight years of offensive coordinator experience. Recruitment will take effect upon completion of the university’s standard hiring process.
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Freeman’s Comments on Rudolph
“We’re excited to add offensive line coach Joe Rudolph to our team,” said Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman. “He has a proven track record of developing elite collegiate football players, many of whom have also found great success in the NFL. We look forward to Joe having a similar impact on our program.”
Looking back at his time in Pitt and Wisconsin
Rudolph’s run in Wisconsin (2015-21) as offensive line coach resulted in the Badgers amassed 18,399 rushing yards, a total that ranked seventh among Power 5 Conference teams during that period. Wisconsin notched 195 touchdowns over those seven seasons and averaged 211.7 rushing yards per game.
A proven talent developer who excels at both the collegiate and NFL levels, Rudolph’s students on the Wisconsin offensive line earned the Rimington Award (Tyler Biadasz), nine All-American selections, five first-team All-Americas -Awards and nine first-team awards All-Big Ten awards. Notably, during the 2018 season, Wisconsin won four of the five first-team All-Conference selections.
This 2018 season, Wisconsin experienced a 3,554 rushing yards (6.2 per carry) and averaged 273.4 rushing yards per game. It was the first of two consecutive unanimous All-America campaigns for running back Jonathan Taylor, who became the third player in FBS history with multiple 2,000-yard rushing seasons and the only player to rush for at least 1,900 yards in three straight Race ran seasons.
Rudolph’s remarkable run in Wisconsin, which included three trips to the Big Ten Championship Game and three Jan. 1 bowl appearances, preceded three successful seasons as offensive coordinator and tight ends coach at Pittsburgh (2012-14). Rudolph developed the Panther offense to average 31.8 points per game and 435.4 yards per game in 2014, aided by ACC Player of the Year running back James Conner.
Notable former players of Rudolph
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Logan Bruss, G, Wisconsin – 2021 Second-Team All-Big Ten, 2022 NFL Draft Second-Round Selection (LA Rams).
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Jack Ferguson, TE, Wisconsin – 2021 First-Team All-Big Ten, 2022 NFL Draft Fourth-Round Selection (Dallas).
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Cole Van Lanen, G, Wisconsin – 2020 First-Team All-Big Ten, 2021 NFL Draft Sixth-Round Selection (Green Bay).
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Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin – 2018, 2019 Doak Walker Award Winner, 2018-19 Unanimous All-American, 2020 NFL Draft Second-Round Selection (Indianapolis), 2021 First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl Selection
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Tyler Biadasz, C, Wisconsin – 2019 Rimington Award Winner, 2019 Unanimous All-American, 2020 NFL Draft Fourth-Round Selection (Dallas), 2022 Pro Bowl Selection
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Michael Deiter, G, Wisconsin – 2018 Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, 2018 All-American, 2019 NFL Draft Third Round Selection (Miami)
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David Edwards, G, Wisconsin – 2017 All-American, 2019 NFL Draft Fifth-Round Selection (LA Rams)
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Brian O’Neill, T, Pittsburgh – 2017 First-Team All-ACC, 2018 NFL Draft Second-Round Selection (Minnesota), 2021 Pro Bowl Selection
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Troy Fumagali, TE, Pittsburgh – 2017 All-American, 2017 First-Team All-Big Ten, 2018 NFL Draft Fifth-Round Selection (Denver)
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Ryan Ramczyk, T, Wisconsin – 2016 All-American, 2017 NFL Draft first-round selection (32nd overall) (New Orleans), 2019 Pro Bowl selection, two-time All-Pro selection (2018, 2020).
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James Conner, RB, Pittsburgh – 2014 All-American, 2014 ACC Player of the Year, 2017 NFL Draft Third-Round Selection (Pittsburgh), two-time Pro Bowl selection (2018, 2021).
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Dorian Johnson, G, Pittsburgh – 2016 All-American, 2017 NFL Draft Fourth Round Selection (Arizona)
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Adam Bisnowaty, T, Pittsburgh – 2016 All-ACC, 2017 NFL Draft Sixth-Round Selection (NY Giants)
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Tyler Boyd, WR, Pittsburgh – 2014, 2014 First-Team All-ACC, 2016 NFL Draft Second-Round Selection (Cincinnati)
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Derek Watt, FB, Wisconsin – Lead blocker for Melvin Gordon in Wisconsin, 2016 NFL Draft Sixth-Round Selection (San Diego)
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TJ Clemmings, T, Pittsburgh – 2014 First-Team All-ACC, 2015 NFL Draft Fourth-Round Selection (Minnesota)
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Tom Savage, QB, Pittsburgh – threw for 2,958 yards and 21 touchdowns in a 2013 season at Pittsburgh, 2014 NFL Draft Fourth-Round Selection (Houston)
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Devin Street, WR, Pittsburgh – Second-Team All-Big East (2012), Third-Team All-ACC (2013), 2014 NFL Draft Fifth-Round Selection (Dallas)
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Lance Kendricks, TE, Wisconsin – 2010 Consensus All-American, 2010 First-Team All-Big Ten, 2011 NFL Draft Second Round Selection (St. Louis)
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Garrett Graham, TE, Wisconsin – 2009 First-Team All-Big Ten, 2010 NFL Draft Fourth-Round Selection (Houston)
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Travis Beckum, TE, Wisconsin – 2007 First-Team All-Big Ten, 2009 NFL Draft Third Round Selection (NY Giants).
Early coaching career information
Rudolph’s first coaching stint in Wisconsin was from 2008 to 2011 when he developed one of the top tight end groups in the nation. The Badgers averaged over 40 points per game in 2010-11, won back-to-back Big Ten championships and produced four NFL tight ends.
Rudolph served as Nebraska’s tight ends coach in 2007 while also assisting with all special team units and overseeing the punt team. Prior to his only season in Nebraska, Rudolph was a force coordinator (2006) and offensive graduate assistant coach (2004-05) at Ohio State.
The Rudolph File
Name: Joe Rudolph
Hometown: Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania
High School: Belle Vernon
Education: Wisconsin (1995); Carnegie Mellon (2004)
Wife: Dawn
Children: Alex, Andrew, Austin
Career as a player and coach
PLAY CAREER
1991-94 Wisconsin (offensive line)
1995 Philadelphia Eagles (offensive line)
1997 San Francisco 49ers (offensive line)
COACHING CAREER
2022 Virginia Tech Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line
2021 Wisconsin Associate Head Coach/Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line
2015-20 Wisconsin Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line
2012-14 Pittsburgh offensive coordinator/tight ends
2008-11 Wisconsin tight ends
2007 Nebraska Tight Ends
2006 Ohio State Force Coordinator
2004-05 Ohio State Graduate Assistant
Bowl games coached
2004 Ohio State (Alamo Bowl)
2006 State of Ohio (Fiesta Bowl)
Ohio State 2007 (BCS National Championship)
2008 Wisconsin (Champs Sports Bowl)
2009 Wisconsin (Champs Sports Bowl)
2011 Wisconsin (Rose Bowl)
2012 Wisconsin (Rose Bowl)
2012 Pittsburgh (BBVA compass dish)
2013 Pittsburgh (Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl)
2015 Pittsburgh (Armed Forces Bowl)
2015 Wisconsin (Holiday Bowl)
2017 Wisconsin (cotton bowl)
2018 Wisconsin (Orange Bowl)
2018 Wisconsin (Pinstripe Cup)
2020 Wisconsin (Rose Bowl)
2020 Wisconsin (Duke’s Mayo Bowl)
2021 Wisconsin (Las Vegas Bowl)
Story originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire