Joe Rudolph, most recently the offensive line coach and run game coordinator at Virginia Tech, has been named the Joe Moore Offensive Line Coach at the University of Notre Dame. The 18-year coaching veteran and Pennsylvania native developed some of the most dominant offensive lines in college football during his time at Wisconsin from 2015-21 and boasts eight years of offensive coordinator experience. The hiring will be effective at the conclusion of the University’s standard employment process.
“We are excited to add offensive line coach Joe Rudolph to our staff,” said Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman. “He has a proven track record of developing elite college football players, many of whom have gone on to also experience great success in the NFL. We look forward to Joe having a similar impact in our program.”
Rudolph’s run at Wisconsin (2015-21) as the offensive line coach saw the Badgers compile 18,399 rushing yards, a total that was seventh among Power 5 Conference teams during that time frame. Wisconsin rushed for 195 touchdowns during those seven seasons and averaged 211.7 rushing yards per game.
A proven developer of talent who excels both in college and at the NFL level, Rudolph’s offensive line pupils at Wisconsin earned the Rimington Award (Tyler Biadasz), nine All-American selections, five first-team All-America honors and nine first-team All-Big Ten accolades. The 2018 season, in particular, saw Wisconsin earn four of the five first-team all-conference selections.
That 2018 campaign witnessed Wisconsin rush for 3,554 yards (6.2 per carry) and average 273.4 rushing yards per game. It was the first of two back-to-back 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 run for at least 1,900 yards in three straight seasons.
Rudolph’s remarkable run at Wisconsin, which included three trips to the Big Ten Championship game and three January 1 bowl appearances, was preceded by three successful seasons as the offensive coordinator and tight ends coach at Pittsburgh (2012-14). Rudolph developed the Panther attack to 31.8 points-per-game and 435.4 yards-per-game averages in 2014 powered by ACC Player of the Year running back James Conner.
Notable student-athletes developed by Rudolph throughout his career include –
- Logan Bruss, G, Wisconsin – 2021 Second-Team All-Big Ten,…