Old Dominion Football: Ricky Rahne takes reins in 2020, aiming for turnaround

Old Dominion football enters its seventh year in FBS with first-year coach Ricky Rahne. How much can the Monarchs improve from their one-win 2019 season?

College football preaches “what have you done for me lately?” as much as any other sport. It was only four years ago the Old Dominion Monarchs won 10 games and the Popeyes Bahama’s Bowl in only their third year in FBS.

Good times don’t last, however.

The Monarchs began their time in FBS with a 21-17 record their first three years.

After going 10-26 over the last three seasons, Old Dominion said goodbye to Bobby Wilder — who had been head coach since the team’s transition to FBS — and hired former Penn State offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne.

Rahne and his staff inherited a team that threw just five touchdown passes all of last season. That is not a typo. The Monarchs, who do not run a triple-option offense, threw five touchdowns to 12 interceptions last season scoring under 17 points per game.

Inheriting a rebuild amid a pandemic cannot be easy either. You are not around your players, you can’t recruit and you have a shortened offseason. This is a zero-year for Rahne.

There are positives in the long-term, however. Old Dominion has one of the richest recruiting areas along the eastern seaboard. Coastal Virginia — Norfolk, Newport News, Virginia Beach — has produced players like Michael Vick and Ronald Curry. There is bound to be enough local talent for Rahne to build a talent-rich roster.

This year, however, could be tough. Here is a look at the offense, defense and a preview of their schedule with a final prediction.