Newly named Roanoke College head football coach Bryan Stinespring has begun building his staff as he prepares for the Maroons to begin competition. Stinespring has announced the hiring of Mike Giancola as associate head coach and defensive coordinator for the Maroons.
“I’m very excited to announce Mike Giancola as our Defensive Coordinator and Associate Head Coach,” said Stinespring. “In pursuing this hire, Mike checked all the boxes. He is a terrific defensive minded coach whose defenses have consistently been a top tier unit. He has a wealth of knowledge in the ODAC conference, and is a tremendous recruiter. More importantly, he is a great person. He is detail oriented, and a great asset to me in many areas. I could not be happier to have Mike and his family joining us here at Roanoke College.”
Before coming to Roanoke Giancola spent seven seasons at Bridgewater College serving as the Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator, while also coaching multiple position groups in his tenure. In his time at Bridgewater the defense was routinely ranked near or at the top of the conference each season, and was recognized nationally in multiple years in major defensive statistical categories. In the 2019 season Giancola helped lead Bridgewater to a 10-1 record and the ODAC championship.
Before arriving at Bridgewater, Giancola spent six seasons as an assistant coach at Westfield High School in Chantilly, VA. During that time he served as the Defensive Coordinator, Special Teams Coordinator, Defensive Backs Coach and Defensive Line Coach. He is a three-time Virginia 6A State Champion, winning the state championship twice as a coach (2015, 2016) and once as a player (2003).
“My family and I could not be more excited to join the Roanoke College community,” said Giancola. “Helping to restart the football program at Roanoke was an opportunity we had a great desire to be a part of. My ties to the Roanoke Valley and Salem areas are strong. I graduated from Virginia Tech, and even did my student teaching here at both Northside High School and Andrew Lewis Middle School. Coming back here to contribute in such a substantial way is amazing. I want to thank Coach Stinespring, our Director of Athletics Curtis Campbell, and the entire community for welcoming us with open arms.”
Giancola and his wife, Michelle, have a son, Jonathan, and a daughter, Ophelia.