Carroll picks grad Rulli as football coach

CARROLL HEAD FOOTBALL COACHES

2014: Ben Rulli

2011-13: Bob Levy

1996-2010: Steve Bartlett

1993-95: Mark Ewald

1991-92: Don Greene

1967-90: Jim Spoerl

1961-66: Barney Otten

Carroll picked one of its own to revive the Patriots high school football program, Ben Rulli.

It was announced on Thursday that the former outstanding offensive lineman and kicker, a 2003 Carroll graduate, had been chosen as the new Patriots head football coach. He succeeds longtime Carroll football figure Bob Levy, who resigned last fall after three non-winning seasons.

“The good news is the culture has been there; we’ve just got to get it back up and going, which I know can be done,” said Rulli.

Rulli, 28, played for former Carroll coach Steve Barlett and was an All-Ohio punter as a senior. He lettered three seasons at John Carroll University.

A lot has changed since Rulli was at Carroll and played in the now-defunct Mid-Miami League.

Carroll won eight games combined in the last three seasons. The Patriots were 2-8 last season and haven’t posted a winning record since the 2010 team was 7-4 and advanced to the Division II playoffs.

Since then Carroll has dropped to D-III and has been surpassed by Alter, Chaminade Julienne and Fenwick in the Greater Catholic League Coed North Division. It hasn’t always been that way for the Red, White and Blue. The Patriots advanced to the D-II state semifinals in the 2004-05 seasons.

Rulli has been at Proctor Academy in Andover, N.H., for seven years, the past five as the head football coach. His 2012 team was unbeaten in the regular season.

“It’s a different world in Ohio,” he said. “Football’s a little bit different out there. Coming home is a dream come true, especially leading your alma mater I think is something most coaches would love to do at one point in their lives. I’m just fortunate to do it at such a young age.”

He’ll remain at Proctor for the remainder of this school year. A history teacher, he’ll likely land a teaching position at Carroll.

Rulli was chosen from 48 candidates and is the seventh head coach in the program’s 52 years. He’s the son of veteran Patriots assistant coach Tony Rulli and his mother Marylou Rulli is Carroll’s longtime athletic secretary.

Rulli is assembling a coaching staff of all “Carroll men,” he said.

“He has been successful at many levels of the game and is the right man to guide the Patriot football program in the winning tradition that we expect at Carroll High School,” said athletic director Scott Molfenter in a statement.