Roc Bellantoni was named outside linebackers coach at Auburn on Jan. 8, 2025. Bellantoni, who was most recently at Florida Atlantic and coached at Auburn from 2021-22, brings 30 years of coaching experience, including 17 years as a defensive coordinator and another four years as a special teams coordinator.
A 30-year coaching veteran, Bellantoni has coached at every level, been a part of seven conference championships, seven FCS playoffs, and three bowl games. He has mentored 29 players who played professionally, including five NFL Draft picks.
Bellantoni spent the previous two seasons as defensive coordinator at Florida Atlantic, marking his second stint at the school, where from 2014-16 he was instrumental in recruiting many of the Owls that made the 2017 and 2018 Conference USA and Boca Raton Bowl Championships a reality.
Under Bellantoni's watch in 2024, true freshman safety CJ Heard had instant impact, leading the nation in freshman tackles for much of the season and finishing with a team-high 80 tackles, good enough to earn a spot on the All-American Athletic Conference third team.
In 2023, Bellantoni's defensive unit tied a team record for tackles for loss in a season with 88, ranking seventh nationally, and tied the single-game team record with 15 against East Carolina. Following the season, senior DL Evan Anderson earned an NFL opportunity, becoming a rotational piece on the San Francisco 49ers defensive line. Anderson received All-AAC third team honors along with graduate safety Jarron Morris.
His 2023 Owl defense shifted from a spring concern to a season strength. FAU defense held opponents to 25.5 points per game a three-year low despite playing five teams that played for a 2022 conference title game. Florida Atlantic's defense ended the year ranked No. 29 nationally in defensive TDs. The Owls defense was aggressive finishing 2023 ranked No. 12 in team tackles for a loss, bolstered by 13 tackles for a loss versus USF and ultimately ending the season 88 TFL, tying the program record set in 2019 a season that FAU play a total of 14 games compared to 12 in 2023.
Bellantoni was named Auburn's edge linebackers coach and special teams coordinator in February 2022 after serving the previous year as a defensive analyst for the Tigers. In 2022, the Tigers’ top three tackles leaders were linebackers, including edge Derick Hall, who tallied 60 tackles. Hall had a team-leading 12 tackles for a loss of which seven were sacks while adding an interception, seven quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and one recovery.
Prior to coming to Auburn in 2021, Bellantoni was the special teams coordinator and defensive assistant at Utah State in 2020. During his tenure with the Aggies he served as interim defensive coordinator for two games.
He spent the 2019 season as the interim defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Washington State, where he helped the Cougars to an appearance in the Cheez-It Bowl. At WSU, two of his players earned all-Pac 12 honors in junior Jahad Woods and freshman Travion Brown. Woods finished the regular season ninth in the country and second in the Pac-12 with 121 tackles, most by a Cougar since 1996.
Bellantoni spent two seasons at Buffalo, where he served as special teams coordinator and defensive ends coach in 2018 and director of player personnel in 2017. The Bulls’ defense ranked second in the MAC under his guidance and played in the 2018 Dollar General Bowl.
Bellantoni arrived at Buffalo from Florida Atlantic, where he spent three seasons as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2014-16. At FAU, Bellantoni coached Trey Hendrickson, currently a defensive end for the New Orleans Saints. Hendrickson ended his storied career, three seasons of which came under Bellantoni, as the program’s all-time leader in sacks, tackles for loss, quarterback hurries and forced fumbles.
Prior to FAU, he coached the defensive line and special teams at Villanova. The 2013 Villanova team finished the season ranked No. 6 in the NCAA SRS rankings and the 2012 squad won the Colonial Athletic Association title and made an FCS playoffs appearance.
A graduate of Iona, Bellantoni gained his most coaching experience at Eastern Illinois. He was with the Panthers from 2001-11, serving as defensive line coach, defensive coordinator (2007-11), and finally, associate head coach (2007-11). Bellantoni helped Eastern Illinois win five Ohio Valley Conference Championships (2009, 2006, 2005, 2002, and 2001) and make six NCAA playoff appearances.
Bellantoni also served as the acting head coach at Eastern Illinois for the final two games of the 2007 season, which included its FCS playoff appearance. Bellantoni also had coaching stints at Drake and Buena Vista University. He started his coaching career at Mamaroneck High School.
He and his wife, Jenny, have four sons, Gino, Marco, Ricky and Nico.