Tom Rogish
Whenever Dick LeBeau was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, no one questioned that he deserved the honor. The only question was whether he would be inducted as a player or a coach.
Bedford’s Tom Rogish falls into a similar category with his induction into the Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame.
The 1968 graduate of Bedford High School possesses outstanding credentials as a high school and college athlete as well as a coach, primarily at the collegiate level. People can take their pick as Rogish qualifies in both categories.
The rugged Bedford Bison was an UPI All-State performer in football and was a “Big 33” nominee his senior year. The highly-touted lineman went on to excel in football and wrestling at the Indiana
University of Pennsylvania.
He was a three-year starter on defense for the “Big Indians” and was a 50-win wrestler at IUP as well. Tom went on to become All-PSAC Conference as well as an NAIA All-American in football. He also advanced to the 1970 NCAA Division I National Tournament in wrestling his sophomore year.
Following his illustrious athletic career, Rogish became an undergraduate assistant coach at IUP, previewing what would eventually become part of the incredible success story that is the IUP football program in recent decades.
However, before Rogish’s remarkable coaching career at IUP took off, he had several other coaching jobs that helped lead him back to Indiana. Tom was an assistant football, wrestling, and track coach at Altoona High School, and later served as an assistant coach at Lehigh University. He also had a stint as a football coach at Southern Huntingdon High School before returning to his college alma mater. In the words of coach Frank Cignetti as Rogish returned to become his defensive coordinator in 1986, “the rest is history.”
The former IUP gridiron star not only coached 113 All-PSAC defensive selections, it was also under his tutelage that nine IUP defensive players were named AP All-Americans.
In 1990, Rogish was named IUP’s assistant head coach, and he and Cignetti teamed up to lead IUP into the record books.
In 1991, IUP was ranked second in the country in total and scoring defense as well as third in rushing defense.
In Rogish’s time, IUP advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs 14 times including four trips to the semifinals and two to the Division II Championship.
“Tommy was as responsible as anyone for IUP’s success,” said Cignetti. “He was loyal to the football program, to the university, and to the community. He’s a special guy and one of the mentally toughest men I’ve ever known.”
When Rogish left IUP, he became the head coach at Shepherd University. It didn’t take him long to build the Rams into a powerhouse as they made back-to-back trips to the NCAA playoffs in 2006 and 2007, advancing to the Division II Northeast Regional Championship in 2007.
He retired from college coaching in 2013, finishing his storied career at Frostburg State University. Tom and his wife Marcia, who is also a Bedford native, are the parents of two sons and three grandchildren.
Coach Rogish still finds time to serve as a volunteer at some Somerset County schools so the Rogish coaching legacy lines on and continues to impact young athletes here in 2015 and beyond.
.
Whenever Dick LeBeau was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, no one questioned that he deserved the honor. The only question was whether he would be inducted as a player or a coach.
Bedford’s Tom Rogish falls into a similar category with his induction into the Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame.
The 1968 graduate of Bedford High School possesses outstanding credentials as a high school and college athlete as well as a coach, primarily at the collegiate level. People can take their pick as Rogish qualifies in both categories.
The rugged Bedford Bison was an UPI All-State performer in football and was a “Big 33” nominee his senior year. The highly-touted lineman went on to excel in football and wrestling at the Indiana
University of Pennsylvania.
He was a three-year starter on defense for the “Big Indians” and was a 50-win wrestler at IUP as well. Tom went on to become All-PSAC Conference as well as an NAIA All-American in football. He also advanced to the 1970 NCAA Division I National Tournament in wrestling his sophomore year.
Following his illustrious athletic career, Rogish became an undergraduate assistant coach at IUP, previewing what would eventually become part of the incredible success story that is the IUP football program in recent decades.
However, before Rogish’s remarkable coaching career at IUP took off, he had several other coaching jobs that helped lead him back to Indiana. Tom was an assistant football, wrestling, and track coach at Altoona High School, and later served as an assistant coach at Lehigh University. He also had a stint as a football coach at Southern Huntingdon High School before returning to his college alma mater. In the words of coach Frank Cignetti as Rogish returned to become his defensive coordinator in 1986, “the rest is history.”
The former IUP gridiron star not only coached 113 All-PSAC defensive selections, it was also under his tutelage that nine IUP defensive players were named AP All-Americans.
In 1990, Rogish was named IUP’s assistant head coach, and he and Cignetti teamed up to lead IUP into the record books.
In 1991, IUP was ranked second in the country in total and scoring defense as well as third in rushing defense.
In Rogish’s time, IUP advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs 14 times including four trips to the semifinals and two to the Division II Championship.
“Tommy was as responsible as anyone for IUP’s success,” said Cignetti. “He was loyal to the football program, to the university, and to the community. He’s a special guy and one of the mentally toughest men I’ve ever known.”
When Rogish left IUP, he became the head coach at Shepherd University. It didn’t take him long to build the Rams into a powerhouse as they made back-to-back trips to the NCAA playoffs in 2006 and 2007, advancing to the Division II Northeast Regional Championship in 2007.
He retired from college coaching in 2013, finishing his storied career at Frostburg State University. Tom and his wife Marcia, who is also a Bedford native, are the parents of two sons and three grandchildren.
Coach Rogish still finds time to serve as a volunteer at some Somerset County schools so the Rogish coaching legacy lines on and continues to impact young athletes here in 2015 and beyond.
.
Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Class of 2015
Bedford County Sports
Hall of Fame
Class of 2015