AUBURN, Ala. – In his 28th season coaching college football, Roc Bellantoni has steadily climbed the ladder while ascending from D-III position coach to D-I coordinator.
After serving as a defensive analyst at Auburn last season, Bellantoni earned a promotion to special teams coordinator and edge linebackers coach when Bert Watts departed for the NFL.
"Very excited and very thankful," he said. "Thankful for the opportunity to try to have a bigger impact on this program and the players and coaches in it. Thrilled to be able to take over a leadership role where I can try to help be part of the solution here."
From Eastern Illinois to Villanova to Florida Atlantic to Buffalo to Washington State to Utah State, Bellantoni has paid his dues.
"Leadership and experience," Bellantoni said of what he brings to his role. "Having been a coordinator for parts of 19 years and coaching a position and having a lot of success there with a bunch of guys who have made the NFL at the edge spot. I think I can be a pretty good leader for those guys and be a pretty good leader for our special teams, to rally the guys together and get everybody pulling in the same direction to get wins."
As Auburn begins spring practice, Bellantoni oversees a special teams unit that returns key specialists at punter, kicker and long snapper. Opportunities abound on coverage and return units with Bellantoni looking to newcomers to contribute.
"We have a lot of options," he said. "Effort with technique is one of the things Coach Harsin preaches on special teams. He's a great leader. He knows what's going on in all aspects of the program.
"I've learned a lot from him on how to run a program in my time here. I know he values the special teams especially. He's definitely involved in that and wants that unit to be a strength for us.
"I believe the players love him and buy into everything he's saying and what he's trying to get done here. I want to have his back and try to reinforce his message to our players, especially on the special teams because you get to coach both sides of the ball and be a leader in our position group, where I can get our guys to play at the best of their ability at the edge spot to be a good group for our defense."
Derick Hall will lead Auburn's edge linebackers group, with Eku Leota and Dylan Brooks next in line at a position that requires high-level productivity to affect SEC passing games.
"We really need [Hall] to step up in a leadership role and bring along Dylan Brooks and some of the younger guys to get them ready to play and help us win games," said Bellantoni, noting his priority at edge. "Improve our pass rush. We're very good against the run."Roc Bellantoni at Auburn's first spring practice
With his new role comes new responsibilities, including perhaps the most important one: recruiting.
"Auburn is a special place," Bellantoni said. "It's been said over and over that if you love Auburn, Auburn will love you back.
"The people here are what makes it different than other places I've been. They're all into the place, they're all into the program. I think our football team is a program on the rise. We're building something from the ground up. We've had some attrition and that's allowed us to step back and start from square one and start to build this thing. I feel some momentum coming. I feel a different vibe with the team. I think it's something we can use as a trampoline to jumpstart and make major leaps here."
Whether it's recruiting, practice or games, Bellantoni says competition characterizes the SEC.
"Recruiting in the SEC is a battle," he said. "You've got to bring your A game every day. If you're not on your A game every day, you don't have a chance, and I love it. I've got to be at my best every day for us to have a chance to be successful.
"We're going to get the right people who want to come to Auburn, who believe in what we're doing here, to give us a chance to be a champion."
Echoing head coach Bryan Harsin's points of emphasis, Bellantoni says discipline, toughness and conviction form the foundation of Auburn football.
"If you believe in yourself, if you have a strong conviction in yourself, and then have discipline and toughness, you can do anything," he said. "We can do anything we want to do in the conference and in the country.
"Our guys love to compete. They'll give you everything they have. They'll do whatever you ask them to do. Our guys want to be good and they want to play hard. We just have to get them all pulling in the same direction so we can be better."
While the Bellantoni family traversed the country during his career, Roc's wife, Jenny, provided stability.
"If we have adversity she helps the family through it," he said. "If I say we have this opportunity, she's like, 'Let's go do it.' She's a teacher and she's really good at that, and she's a better mom than she is a teacher."
The Bellantonis have four sons, all currently playing college or high school baseball.
"All they want to do is cheer on Auburn and play baseball, and they love it," he said. "I'm very thankful to have a strong family."
Elevated to a key position on the Plains, Roc Bellantoni brings enthusiasm, effort and experience to Auburn's special teams and edge linebackers.
"I'm going to give Auburn everything I have," he said. "I have the entire time I've been here but I'm going to continue to give Auburn, the people and the program, players and coaches, everything I have all the time.
"I really believe in Coach Harsin. He's dug his feet in the ground. He's trying to build something the right way. I'm really excited to be part of that. I'm really excited for the opportunity to help him get it done."Ready to Roc
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer