Alma Mater: Auburn, 1967
Hometown: Daytona, FL
Coaching Experience: 20 years
Playing Career: played center and linebacker for
Auburn (1964-66)
One of the original members of this TCU staff, Charlie Rizzo has spent the past three seasons coaching the Horned Frogs' linebackers. In joining TCU's staff in 1992, Rizzo, a longtime football aide, left winning niches on several programs throughout the East Coast and Southeast.
Before TCU, Rizzo coached linebackers at Georgia Tech, a position he held during 1987 and 1988, before resigning to enter private business. Rizzo then cited his acquaintanceship with, and his respect for, Pat Sullivan in influencing his decision to return to coaching, spending the 1992 campaign at TCU as the defensive line coach.
Rizzo's coaching resume includes stints at Tech, Wake Forest, William & Mary, The Citadel, Maryland, Utah and Army, plus a short period with the Tampa Bay Bandits. Largely, he served in the capacities of linebacker coach, defensive line coach, defensive coordinator and assistant head coach during his 17 years as a college assistant, working for an impressive list of head coaches.
Rizzo is a product of Sea Breeze High School in Daytona, Florida, and he was a center and linebacker at Auburn in 1964-'65-'66. Upon his departure from Auburn as a distinguished ROTC graduate and a degree holder in speech, Rizzo spent two years assisting Army's football program at West Point, then a year of armed services in Vietnam (March of 1969 until March of 1970).
Rizzo, who has two sons -- Brian and Jason -- and is married to the former Paula Burkhardt of Fort Worth.