This former New England Patriot will lead La Salle football. Who is it?

Posted by author February 3, 2025 Football

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Koppen lives in Rhode Island with his family and has been an assistant at both Bishop Hendricken and La Salle.
Koppen’s goals include building a strong team culture and helping players reach their full potential both on and off the field.
Koppen was one of three coaches brought in for interviews. He was offered the job last week, and accepted.

PROVIDENCE — In the search for its new football coach, La Salle wasn’t trying to win a press conference. They were searching for someone who could win games and, more importantly, help their athletes grow on and off the field.

The school managed to do both.

After winning two Super Bowls — the NFL kind — with the New England Patriots, Dan Koppen is a name people in Rhode Island know. That alone wasn’t why La Salle had a press conference on Monday to name him as the football program’s next head coach.

“Our goal wasn’t a press conference,” La Salle athletic director Vin McGinn said. “Our goal was to hire the absolute best person we could to lead the program forward and build upon the legacy Geoff [Marcone] created the last 25 years.

“This wasn’t about flash — this was about substance and there’re few people I’ve been able to interview here at La Salle that have had more substance and character than Dan Koppen.”

“The school has a lot more than my name,” Koppen said. “It has a lot more to offer and hopefully a brighter future for the students here. I’m just a piece of it and our football program is a piece of it.”

The search began almost immediately after coach Geoff Marcone stepped down in late November. La Salle put together a search committee and received resumés from around the country — and more than a handful from in-state.

Koppen was one of three coaches brought in for interviews. He met with the search committee in mid-January before meeting with the administration the following week.

Last week, Koppen was offered the job and didn’t hesitate to accept.

“It was a quick yes,” Koppen said. “It wouldn’t have been a quick yes if my family wasn’t behind me on this. When I brought it up to them, I could see my kids were excited. My wife was excited and if I didn’t have their support we wouldn’t be here.”

Koppen’s hiring isn’t out of the blue.

He lives in Rhode Island with wife Amber and their three children. After retiring from the NFL in 2013, he joined Keith Croft’s staff at Hendricken on a volunteer basis before realizing the difficulties of coaching high school football with three young children.

Timing was key to his return to the sidelines. With his son at the school, Koppen returned to the sidelines in 2023 and helped with the Rams’ junior varsity program by working with the offensive linemen. Timing was also key in Koppen’s decision to go for the job.

“It’s easy to sell this place,” Koppen said. “We’ve had a great experience and now we’re just hoping to continue that in a different capacity.”

Koppen said his strength will be organization and preparation. He learned plenty from his lifetime in the sport and wants to apply those lessons to his own players. Fundamentals will be key and so will building a culture.

“I don’t want to say simple, but we have to do simple better,” Koppen said. “That’s what our focus is here — trying to play solid, physical football. I grew up with smart and tough and played well in critical situations and that’s not going to change.”

Koppen’s name will undoubtedly draw athletes to La Salle. His countless contacts from his playing days is also a benefit for the players who have the talent and drive to play at the college level. Koppen said he’d like to get the team up to Foxboro to see his former teammate, Mike Vrabel, and how things work at the professional level.

Prior to the introductory press conference, Koppen met with players and made his message clear.

“We’re in this together,” he said. “This isn’t about me — this is about La Salle and about them getting better on and off the field. I’m here for whatever they may need.

“We’ve got to do this thing right and I hope they’re as excited as I am to get this thing started.”

“It’s not just the accolades or the success he’s had at the college level,” McGinn said. “It’s his character and his commitment to developing and helping students to get that same character and become a leader like he is.”