UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State assistant coach Ricky Rahne has been promoted to offensive coordinator and will return to coaching the quarterbacks, while former Penn State graduate assistant Tyler Bowen returns to Happy Valley as the tight ends coach and Phil Galiano will be the special teams coordinator and assistant defensive line coach, head coach James Franklin announced today.
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Additionally, Franklin announced wide receivers coach and offensive recruiting coordinator Josh Gattis will now be the passing game coordinator and offensive line coach Matt Limegrover will handle run game coordinator responsibilities.
“We are thrilled to elevate Ricky to offensive coordinator and add Tyler and Phil to our staff,” Franklin said. “Ricky is one of the rising stars in college football. He is extremely sharp, driven and has a great rapport with our players. He has been very involved in our offensive scheme the last two years, which is why I anticipate our offense will continue to thrive under Ricky.
“Tyler is a young man I have known for many years, beginning as an offensive lineman at Maryland and then continuing our relationship while he was a student assistant at Maryland and as a graduate assistant at Penn State. He has a high football IQ and tremendous passion for the game that will impact our student-athletes on a daily basis. He has history with our offensive scheme, which will help this be a seamless transition.
“Phil brings a variety of experiences at both the college and professional levels as a special teams and defensive coordinator,” Franklin added. “He has been a valuable addition to our staff as a defensive consultant this season. Throughout his career, Phil’s special teams units have had success at all levels and I know he will bring our special teams unit to another level. He is another guy with Pennsylvania roots and I am happy to be able to bring him home.”
“Josh and Matt have played vital roles in our offensive success and I am excited to see how we evolve in their new roles. Josh has brought tremendous insight into our passing game on a weekly basis as he has continued to develop our wide receiving corps into one of the best in the country. Upon his arrival, Matt made an immediate impact on the guys in the offensive line room and we have a very bright future in the trenches with him at the helm.”
“I am extremely honored and grateful for the opportunity to be the offensive coordinator at Penn State,” Rahne, who replaces Joe Moorhead who took the head coaching job at Missippi State, said. “Ever since arriving on campus, I’ve hoped that one day I would earn a chance to lead the offense at Beaver Stadium. I’ve been blessed to learn from some of the best offensive minds in the game. That knowledge gives me confidence that our talented and hard-working players, combined with a terrific coaching staff, can continue to build on our recent success. We Are!”
“From the first time that my wife, Ginny, and I were on campus in 2014, we knew this was a special place full of special people, special players and special fans,” Bowen. “I am honored and privileged to be back at Penn State University, where we can continue to build on the foundation that Coach Franklin and this staff have cultivated.”
“As a kid that grew up as a Penn State fan, I always knew that this is a special place,” Galiano. “When I got into the coaching profession, working at Penn State was always a goal of mine. I am extremely grateful to Coach Franklin for believing in me. We have made some great steps in special teams this year and I am excited to continue to build upon that. It will be very special to have my wife and family become part of this Penn State family.”
Ricky Rahne Bio
Rahne has been the Nittany Lions’ passing game coordinator the past four seasons and has coached the quarterbacks (2014-15) and tight ends (2016-17) during his time at Penn State. Rahne also served as the interim offensive coordinator for the 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl. He was the primary recruiter for each of the current quarterbacks on Penn State’s roster.
Rahne has been on Franklin’s staff since 2011 when he was the quarterbacks coach at Vanderbilt. He also worked with Franklin at Kansas State in 2006-07. While at K-State, Rahne and Franklin recruited quarterback Collin Klein, who finished third in the Heisman voting in 2012 and won 2012 Big XII Athlete of the Year.
Rahne mentored Mackey Award finalist Mike Gesicki as he broke the Penn State career record for receptions (123), receiving yards (1,419) and touchdowns (15) by a tight end. Gesicki garnered first-team All-Big Ten accolades in 2017 after a second team bid last year. In 2016, Rahne’s tight end corps played an integral role in the Nittany Lions claiming their first Big Ten Championship since 1994 as Gesicki set the Penn State record for receptions (48 – broke again in 2017 with 51 receptions), receiving yards (679) and touchdown catches (5 – broke again in 2017 with 9 TDs) by a tight end.
Rahne worked with Christian Hackenberg, helping him break every major Penn State career passing records. At Vanderbilt, Rahne’s passing attacks helped Commodore wide receivers set SEC records and running backs post a pair of 1,000-yard seasons from 2011-13. He also spent five seasons at Kansas State, serving as the offensive graduate assistant (2006), where he worked with quarterback Josh Freeman, helping him become a first-round NFL draft choice.
As a student-athlete, Rahne was a three-year starter at quarterback at Cornell University. He left as Cornell’s all-time leader in completions (678), passing yards (7,710), touchdown passes (54) and total offense (7,994). Rahne earned honorable-mention All-America laurels in 2000 and was a two-time honorable-mention All-Ivy League pick. He was inducted into the Cornell Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014.
Tyler Bowen Bio
After two seasons at Fordham as the offensive line coach (2015-16) and offensive coordinator (2016), Bowen moved to Maryland as of the offensive line coach for the 2017 season. Under his tutelage, four Ram offensive linemen garnered All-Patriot League accolades and two earned All-America status.
During his time as offensive coordinator at Fordham, Bowen’s offense led the Patriot League and ranked four in FCS in total offense (498.2) and scoring offense (40.1). The Rams also paced the Patriot League in rushing offense (229.7), which was 12th in FCS. With Bowen at the helm of the offense, running back Chase Edmonds finished fourth in the voting for the 2016 Walter Payton Award and led the FCS in rushing yards per game (163.5). In 2015, Bowen directed All-American Garrick Mayweather Jr. and helped Fordham finish second in FCS in passing efficiency (168.3) and ninth in scoring average (36.8).
As a graduate assistant for the Nittany Lions in 2014, Bowen assisted primarily with the offensive line. He helped Penn State to a 7-6 record and a thrilling overtime win against Boston College in the 2014 New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Bowen also spent the 2013 season as the tight ends coach at Towson University where the Tigers advanced to the FCS Championship Game and finished No. 2 in the country.
Bowen played three seasons at the University of Maryland for Franklin, who was the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator, before injuries ended his career. He became a student assistant coach for Ralph Friedgen and Franklin in 2010, where he helped the Terps finish 9-4 and win the Military Bowl. Bowen stayed on staff as a graduate assistant for two seasons, working with the offensive line and wide receivers. He graduated from Maryland in 2011 with a degree in communication and in 2013 with a master’s in minority and urban education.
Phil Galiano Bio
Galiano is a veteran in the coaching ranks with 17 years of experience, including two seasons as an assistant special teams coach and one season as a special teams intern in the NFL. Galiano served as a defensive consultant for the Nittany Lions in 2017.
Galiano totaled eight years at Rutgers over three stints, most recently as the special teams coordinator and tight ends coach in 2015. Under Galiano’s tutelage, the Scarlet Knights ranked 12th in ESPN’s special teams efficiency ranking, including finishing 19th in FBS in kick return defense (18.75), 13th in punt returns (13.92) and scoring five special teams touchdowns in 2015. Kick returner Janarion Grant was second in FBS with three kickoff returns for touchdowns. In 2014, Galiano served as Rutgers’ director of recruiting operations where he helped the Scarlet Knights sign the No. 56 class in the country. Galiano also coached the Scarlet Knight defensive line (2011) and tight ends (2010). In his first tour with Rutgers, Galiano worked with the defensive ends (2005-06), linebackers (2004) and was a graduate assistant (2003). He helped the Scarlet Knights to the first back-to-back bowl appearances in school history. In 2006, Galiano guided Eric Foster to All-America honors and Jamaal Westerman to All-Big East second team honors as the Scarlet Knights finished fourth in the country in total defense (252.2) and eighth in scoring defense (14.3).
After 12 years at the collegiate level, Galiano jumped to the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two seasons in 2012 and 2013 as the assistant special teams coach. In 2012, the Buccaneers led the NFL with three blocked punts and finished ninth in punt return defense (11.0). In 2013, Tampa Bay led the NFL in kickoff return defense (18.8 ypr), seventh in punt return defense (11.2) and blocked a pair of punts.
Galiano served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at FIU from 2007-09. He also spent time at Villanova as an offensive assistant (2002), New Haven as outside linebackers coach (2001) and Dickinson as the outside linebackers coach (2000).
As a student-athlete, Galiano was a three-year starter at safety at Shippensburg and was a team captain as a senior. He helped the Raiders to three consecutive winning seasons from 1997-99. He graduated from Shippensburg with a degree in business administration and management in 2000.
A native of Norristown, Pennsylvania, Galiano and his wife, Kelly, have two sons, TJ and Andrew, and one daughter, Taylor.
