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Pete ThamelESPN
In the wake of Old Dominion’s second bowl bid in the football team’s history, the school has agreed to a contract extension with coach Ricky Rahne, according to ESPN sources. Sources told ESPN that Rahne has agreed to a one-year extension that will take him through 2026.
The 2022 season will be Rahne’s third year at the helm of the Monarchs but just the team’s second season after ODU sat out the 2020 season because of the pandemic. Rahne took over a program that parted ways with coach Bobby Wilder after a 1-11 season in 2019 and managed to capture a bowl bid in Rahne’s first season on the field last year.
In 2021, ODU finished 6-7, went 5-3 record in Conference USA and ended up losing to Tulsa 30-17 in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. After starting last season 1-6, the Monarchs rattled off five straight league wins to get bowl-eligible. They became just the third team in the modern era to win six games after starting 1-6 or worse.
Old Dominion is transitioning from Conference USA to the Sun Belt and will compete in that league in 2022 for the first time. ODU opens with Virginia Tech at home on Sept. 2. The Monarchs return 19 starters, including 10 on offense.
Rahne came to Old Dominion from Penn State, where he was offensive coordinator for his final two seasons, passing game coordinator for four years and coached quarterbacks for four years.