TROY, N.Y. - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) director of athletics Jim Knowlton has announced the hiring of Guido Falbo as the offensive coordinator for the football team. A former assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, he will aide first-year head coach Tim Landis.

“Falbo comes to RPI from one of the elite FCS football programs in the country at UMass. He has coached in the National Championship game and has helped develop players that have moved onto the professional level,” said Landis. “He has also coached at both the FBS level at Syracuse and in Division III level. All of those experiences have prepared him very well for his role here at RPI.”

“I am extremely excited about being at such a fine academic institution with a rich athletic tradition,” said Falbo. “This is a tremendous opportunity for myself and my family and we are looking forward to working with the fine people of the Rensselaer community.”

Falbo came to Rensselaer after serving as an assistant coach at UMass for the past seven seasons. During his time, he coached the tight ends, running backs and most recently the offensive line. Falbo also assumed the role of recruiting coordinator for the Minutemen in January of 2006, helping UMass to one of the top recruiting classes in the nation each of the last four years.

As a team, the Minutemen went 54-30 during Falbo's tenure with a 36-20 conference record. UMass had a number of outstanding seasons, winning the conference title and advancing to the NCAA Championship title game in 2006. UMass repeated as league champions the next season, appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.

Among the other highlights during his time was coaching two student-athletes to the 100-yard rushing plateau seven times during the 2009 season. He also tutored UMass's sixth straight 1,000-yard rusher during the 2008 season in Walter Payton Award candidate, Tony Nelson.

Falbo also mentored star running back Matt Lawrence and fullback Breyone Evans, both of whom signed NFL contracts with the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers, respectively. Additionally, he worked with Steve Baylark, an All-American who became the third I-AA/FCS player to gain 1,000 yards in four consecutive seasons, before signing with the Arizona Cardinals.

While working at UMass, Falbo also spent the summers of 2007 and 2008 as a guest coach with the Calgary Stampeders and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL), respectively.

Prior to his arrival at UMass, Falbo spent two seasons at the University of Rhode Island (2002-03), where he was the wide receivers coach for two years, and the recruiting coordinator in 2003.  Falbo previously spent one year at St. Lawrence University, where he served as defensive coordinator, special teams coordinator and head strength and conditioning coach.

Falbo also worked as a graduate assistant coach at Syracuse University in 2000 and spent the 1999 season at Western Connecticut State, where he was the linebackers coach and helped the Colonials to a 10-2 record, the Freedom Football Conference title and the second NCAA playoff berth in school history.