Moon Township, Pa. – The
Robert Morris University Department of Athletics mourns the loss of former football coach Dan Radakovich, who passed away Thursday. He was 84 years old.
Born Nov. 26, 1935, and a native of Duquesne, Pa., Radakovich was the first coaching hire made by head coach Joe Walton when the RMU football program was established in 1993. He spent 13 years on the sideline in two different stints (1994, 1996-2007) with the Colonials as both defensive coordinator and assistant head coach.
Known as the patriarch of "Linebacker U" at alma mater Penn State, Radakovich, affectionately known as "Bad Rad," left his undeniable mark at the position for RMU. A quick glance at the all-time leaders at Robert Morris for career tackles and eight of the top 10 marks, including each of the top five, are linebackers.
Radakovich was instrumental in the development of former linebacker James Noel (2002-05), who was named the 2002 Northeast Conference Defensive Rookie of the Year as well as the 2004 NEC Defensive Player of the Year and owns the career school record for tackles with 437.
In addition to his work with the linebackers, Radakovich's fingerprints are all over the top performances in RMU history on defense. In 1994, the first season the Colonials fielded an NCAA Division I-AA (now the Football Championship Subdivision) program, Robert Morris led NCAA Division I in turnover ratio (+17). He was also at the helm of a Robert Morris defense in 1996 that shut out each of its first three opponents. In 1999, the Colonials allowed just 15.6 points per game, which ranked sixth in the country.
The 2006 RMU defense led NCAA I-AA in total defense under the watchful eye of Radakovich, allowing an average of 289.3 yards per game. That total ranked second in all of NCAA Division I, trailing only Virginia Tech (219.5 ypg). Three times under the tutelage of Radakovich the Colonials led NCAA I-AA in pass defense (1999, 2002 and 2006).
In addition to his 13 years at Robert Morris, Radakovich also coached collegiately at Penn State (1957-69), Cincinnati (1970), Colorado (1972-73), North Carolina State (1982) and Westminster (2014-19).
Radakovich also coached in the National Football League (NFL) with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1971, 1974-77), San Francisco 49ers (1978), Los Angeles Rams (1979-81), Denver Broncos (1983), Minnesota Vikings (1984), the New York Jets under Walton (1985-88), Cleveland Browns (1989-90) and the St. Louis Rams (1995). He won a pair of Super Bowl championships with the Steelers.
A 1957 graduate of Penn State, Radakovich played center and linebacker with the Nittany Lions from 1953-56 before his coaching career. His book, "Bad Rad Football Nomad," was published in 2012. Radakovich, who was inducted into the
RMU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015, is survived by his wife, Nancy, and daughters Lisa, Leslie and Lori.
What They're Saying About Dan Radakovich
Joe Walton
RMU Head Coach (1994-2013)
"Dan, as much as anybody, is responsible for the building of the Robert Morris football program," Walton said at the time of Radakovich's retirement from RMU in 2008. "Any success we had goes equally to him. He was the best on-the-field coach I've ever seen."
Chris King
RMU Vice President and Director of Athletics
"Along with head coach Joe Walton, Dan Radakovich helped legitimize a fledgling football program at Robert Morris in 1994," King said. "He was an integral part of building the program and helping the Colonials have instant success, both on the field and off. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time."
Scott Benzel
Westminster Head Football Coach
"Coach Rad touched so many people's lives in football," said Benzel, who coached at Robert Morris from 2002 to 2004 and again from 2005 to 2011. "I will miss my mentor and friend. His life will live on through the countless stories and memories he created. He was an original and nobody will ever forget Bad Rad."
Scott Farison
Duquesne Co-Defensive Coordinator
"I'm saddened to hear about the loss of Bad Rad," said Farison, who coached at Robert Morris from 2002 to 2017. "He was one of my mentors in both coaching and life, but he was also so much more. He taught me the game of football as I know it today, and my foundation as a coach was molded by his teaching. His stories and pure candor will remain with me forever. This is a big loss to all who knew him. His life will be recounted in storytelling for many years to come. Prayers to his wife, Nancy, and his family."
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