| Danny O'Rourke |
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 | Position:
Assistant Coach / Wide Receivers
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| Experience:
7th season at Navy
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| Alma Mater:
West Georgia
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| Graduated:
2000
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Danny O'Rourke is entering his eighth season at Navy and his second as wide receivers coach. O'Rourke has also coached the secondary (four seasons) and the inside linebackers (two seasons) and served as the head junior varsity coach for two years (2005-6). He led the JV team to an 11-0 record in his two years at the helm.
O'Rourke has been an integral part of a staff that has brought the Midshipmen back into the national spotlight with a 51-25 (.671) record over the last six years.
Under the direction of first-year head coach Ken Niumatalolo, the 2008 campaign was one for the record books as he and his staff led Navy to one of the most successful seasons for a first-year head coach in school history.
The Mids posted an 8-5 record in 2008, which is the best mark for a first-year head coach at Navy since 1934. The eight wins qualified the Midshipmen for the EagleBank Bowl, marking the first time in school history that Navy has earned a bowl berth under a first-year head coach. Thanks to a 33-27 victory over Air Force and a 34-0 win over Army, Niumatalolo became just the second Service Academy coach to win the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy in his first year (George Welsh is the other). Other landmark wins during the 2008 season included a 24-17 victory over 16th-ranked Wake Forest, which was Navy's first win over a team ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 since 1985, as well as Navy's victory the previous week over Rutgers. It was the first time since 1981 that Navy beat teams currently in the BCS in back-to-back weeks. Navy also defeated a program-record four bowl teams.
The wide receivers were an integral part of Navy's success in 2008 as the unit did a great job of blocking on the perimeter, while Tyree Barnes had 20 of Navy's 46 receptions for 400 yards and two touchdowns.
The 2007 season was one to remember as well as the Midshipmen posted an 8-5 record, won a school-record fifth-consecutive Commander-In-Chief's Trophy, appeared in a school-record fifth-straight bowl game, and defeated Notre Dame for the first time since 1963.
Navy's linebackers played well in 2006 under O'Rourke's direction, combining for 212 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss, one sack, two interceptions and five forced fumbles. Linebacker Rob Caldwell led the team with 109 tackles and three forced fumbles.
In 2005, O'Rourke helped tutor a young secondary that continued to improve throughout the year as Navy finished 8-4, won a school-record second-straight bowl game and won the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy.
In 2004, O'Rourke's efforts helped Navy finish 26th in the country in scoring defense (19.83), win a school-record tying 10 games (the most wins since 1905), win the Emerald Bowl and capture the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy.
In 2003, O'Rourke was part of a defensive staff that saw great improvement on the defensive side of the football as the Mids finished 14th in the nation in pass defense (61st the year before), 42nd in pass efficiency defense (116th the year before), 34th in total defense (100th the year before) and 34th in scoring defense (108th the year before).
O'Rourke came to Navy from Valdosta State where he was the secondary coach for one year. Prior to his coaching stint at Valdosta, he coached the safeties at Georgia Southern in 2000 and helped the Eagles to a I-AA National Championship.
A native of Lawrenceville, Ga., O'Rourke was a three-year letter winner at West Georgia and helped lead the team to back-to-back league titles his junior and senior years. He was also an academic all-conference performer throughout his collegiate career.
O'Rourke received his master's degree in education administration from Temple in 2002. He and his wife, Michelle, have a daughter, Kaeli (3), and son, Sean (1).
