TROY, N.Y. - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) director of athletics Jim Knowlton has announced the hiring of Bob Bodor as the defensive coordinator for the football team. A former assistant coach at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM), he will aide first-year head coach Tim Landis alongside newly appointed offensive coordinator, Guido Falbo.

“Bob has spent 23 years in coaching and 15 of those have been at the Division III level with a number of outstanding programs, including as the head coach at Colorado College,” said Landis. “He has also served on the coaching staffs at Columbia and Pennsylvania and his extensive background will be a tremendous help to myself and the program here at Rensselaer.”

“I am grateful for the opportunity to be a mentor within the RPI athletic community,” said Bodor. “It is a privilege to represent this outstanding institution. The traditions of the past and the potential of the future make this an equally exciting opportunity.”

Bodor comes to Rensselaer after serving as the special teams coordinator and defensive line coach at Colorado School of Mines for the past year. The Orediggers went 9-3 with an 8-1 conference record and won the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) title to advance to the NCAA Division II Tournament.  

Among the other highlights at CSM was coaching punter Taylor Accardi to second in the nation with a school single-season record for gross punting average (45.39; 57 punts). Accardi earned multiple year-end honors, including All-RMAC Second Team and NFF All-Colorado Second Team honors. 

Bodor's special teams unit finished second in the RMAC and eighth in the nation in net punting (37.58) and fifth nationally in kickoff return average (25.28 yards per return).

Bodor also mentored defensive linemen Blaine Sumner and Marc Schiechl, both of whom earned All-RMAC and All-Region recognition. Schiechl, who was an All-American and graduated as the NCAA Division II career leader in quarterback sacks (46.0), was runner-up for the Gene Upshaw NCAA Division II Lineman of the Year Award and was named the NFFCC and RMAC Defensive Player of the Year.  

Bodor spent the 2009 season as an assistant coach at Kapa'a High School in Hawaii, where he contributed to one of the school's most successful season in 20 years.

From 2003-08, Bodor was the head coach at Division III Colorado College, where he also served as the defensive and special teams coordinator. The Tigers' progress under his guidance saw the team post the state's best collegiate record during the 2006 campaign, going 5-5 with the most victories for the program in 13 years.

Among Bodor's many accolades with the Tigers included coaching tight end Nolan Swett, who became Colorado College's third All-American and was selected to play in the Aztec Bowl.

Bodor previously served as defensive coordinator at Albion College for five seasons. He coached the defensive secondary and special teams and helped guide the Britons to three Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships and a berth in the 1998 NCAA Division III Playoffs.

Prior to his stint at Albion, he spent three seasons (1995-97) as defensive coordinator at Hartwick College, where he also coached the inside and outside linebackers, along with the defensive secondary. In 1997, the Hawks ranked 27th nationally in total defense.

Bodor also has experience at the Division I-AA level. He coached the offensive line and running backs at the University of Pennsylvania, helping the Quakers go undefeated and win the Ivy League title in 1994. He also coached the defensive line, secondary and special teams for two years at Columbia University and entered the college ranks at Johns Hopkins University as defensive line coach in 1991.

A 1988 graduate of Denison University with a Bachelor of Arts in Geology, Bodor was a three-year letterwinner on the Big Red football team.