Former MC student making waves with Monarchs
Trending
NORFOLK, Va. -- Tristin Iannone gets to do what many people dream about and that is making an impact in Division I college football as the director of football operations at Old Dominion University.
The Mifflin County native graduated from Mifflin County High School as part of the 2016 class before moving onto Penn State University where Iannone graduated in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in park, recreation and tourism management.
Iannone then remained at Penn State working as an operations assistant for the Nittany Lions for a year and a half.
But, in 2020, Iannone's life changed forever as former offensive coach Ricky Rahne was named head coach at Old Dominion and asked Iannone to join him as the assistant director of football operations. Iannone jumped all over the opportunity. Coming from a small community like Mifflin County, Iannone quickly felt a major difference coming from Mifflin County all the way to Norfolk, Virginia.
"Mifflin County is a very rural area whereas ODU and its surrounding communities have a population of 1.7 million people," Iannone said. "The biggest difference is the amount of resources and things to do in the Hampton Roads area. Old Dominion is located right on the water so it is like living a vacation and is a very great area."
Iannone is currently in his fourth season with the Monarchs along with Rahne and according to Iannone, the experience has been amazing.
"Working for coach Rahne as the assistant director of football operations was an awesome experience. Coach Rahne is a great leader and constantly provided me with opportunities to grow and develop as a professional," Iannone said. "In my role as assistant director of football operations, I was in charge of the football team's daily schedule as well as our staff's schedule. I helped plan and oversee our football practices, helped oversee special projects and renovations to our football facility and assisted with team travel and meals."
All the hard work eventually paid off just recently. Iannone was named the director of football operations. From the first day that he came to Old Dominion, it became a goal for him to climb the ladder to where he is now. It was a moment that Iannone will cherish forever.
"Since coming to ODU I knew that my goal was to one day serve as the director of football operations on Coach Rahne's staff," Iannone said. "Over the past three years, I worked very hard in my various roles with the hopes of someday being promoted to DFO, so it has been a very exciting and surreal experience."
With this being his first season leading football ops, Iannone is ready to face the challenge of the upcoming college football season head on.
"As the director of football operations it is my responsibility to be looking ahead to make sure we are setting up our staff and student-athletes to be successful on and off the field," Iannone said. "Some of the main tasks are overseeing the long term schedule, setting up travel logistics and working with campus administrators to make sure our student-athletes have everything they need. There isn't a cookie cutter day in this role as each day poses new challenges and opportunities."
There have been plenty of fun experiences for Iannone throughout his time at Old Dominion University. But ultimately Iannone enjoys being a part of the comradery of college football and truly feels passionate about being up the student-athletes to the best of their abilities.
"The best moments being involved with the football program are when we get to see our student-athletes achieve their goals. Whether those goals are to play in the NFL, get into graduate school or accept a job in their field of interest. Helping these young men achieve their dreams is the best part about my career," Iannone said. "Obviously I love the game of football and everything that goes into it, but the most rewarding moments are seeing our student-athletes be successful in life and knowing that I got to play a small role in getting them where they want to be."
For anyone who is interested in being a part of college football or ever dreams about being involved with the sport, Iannone's advice is to stay true to who you are and constantly try to better your craft and stay humble throughout the process.
"My advice to that person would be to be persistent, have a great attitude no matter what and to stay true to who you are. The football industry is extremely hard to get into, so it is going to take a lot of hard work, sacrifice and volunteering," Iannone said. "It is very rare to start in this industry in a paid role, most people volunteer for the first two, three years of their career, if not longer. Since it is so hard to get into the career, it is crucial that you have a great attitude at all times, you can never feel like a task is below you."
"Don't ever feel entitled to anything because there are hundreds of people who would happily fill your role for nothing in return. Bringing energy every day, in every role is something that everyone will notice," Iannone continued. "Once someone makes it in the field and rises through the ranks, it is very important that they stay humble and remember where they started. Developing an ego and feeling comfortable is the easiest way to get left behind in this industry. The industry is ever changing and is very competitive so you need to be innovative and constantly find ways to get better."
Old Dominion opens its football slate at Virginia Tech on Sept. 2.