Jerome Riase

Jerome Riase joined Georgia Tech’s football staff as defensive line coach on Jan. 26, 2018.

Riase (pronounced RIZE) came to The Flats after four seasons as defensive line coach at Wofford.

Wofford led the NCAA Division I FCS Southern Conference in rushing defense each of the four years that Riase coached the Terriers’ defensive linemen. In 2017, Wofford held its opponents to less than 100 rushing yards six times in 13 games and did not allow a 100-yard rusher all season while all three of his starting defensive linemen earned all-conference recognition. In all, he coached eight all-conference honorees during his four seasons with the Terriers, highlighted by 2017 FCA all-American Miles Brown.

In four seasons with Riase on the coaching staff, Wofford made two NCAA Division I FCS playoff appearances (2016, 2017), advancing to the national quarterfinals each year, and won a Southern Conference championship (2017).

Riase’s four seasons at Wofford followed two campaigns at Butler (2012-13), where he coached four all-conference performers and helped lead the Bulldogs to 17 wins, a pair of Pioneer Football League championships and the school’s first-ever FCS playoff berth.

Riase also spent four seasons as the defensive line coach at Ashland (2008-11), where he developed 10 all-conference linemen, an NCAA Division II all-American and two future NFL players, one season as offensive coordinator at Savannah State (2007) and one season as run game coordinator and offensive line coach at Central State (2006). He began his coaching career as defensive line coach at Talawanda H.S. in Oxford, Ohio (2005).

A Cleveland, Ohio native, Riase graduated from Miami (Ohio) University in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He has a son, L.J.