Feb. 13, 2006
ANNAPOLIS, Md.-Navy head coach Paul Johnson announced today that he is elevating Danny O'Rourke to linebackers coach. O'Rourke replaces Kevin Kelly, who was named the head football coach at Georgetown on Jan. 9.
"I think Danny brings a lot of enthusiasm and energy to the program and he's very familiar with our defensive schemes having coached here the last four years," said Johnson.
"I'm extremely appreciative and excited about the opportunity that Coach Johnson has given me," said O'Rourke. "I am looking forward to coaching a great group of young men and continuing to work for the finest head football coach in the country."
O'Rourke has been at Navy for the past four seasons as the assistant secondary coach and two seasons as the head JV coach. He led the JV team to an 11-0 record in his two years at the helm.
This past season, O'Rourke helped tutor a young secondary that continued to improve throughout the year as Navy finished 8-4, earned a school-record third-consecutive bowl bid, won a school-record second-straight bowl game and won the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy for a third-straight season.
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), go to back-to-back bowl games for the second time in school history, win the Emerald Bowl (just the fifth bowl win in school history) and win the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy.
One of O'Rourke's pupils, Josh Smith, was named First-Team All-East and played in the Gridiron Classic All-Star game.
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 coaches 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, live in Annapolis.
