Football
Ligashesky, Bob
Bob Ligashesky
- Title:
- Special Teams Coordinator
- Email:
- raligash@syr.edu
- Phone:
- 4817
A 38-year coaching veteran, Bob Ligashesky enters his second season overseeing Syracuse's special teams units after the team saw immediate impact in year one.
In his first year with the Orange, Ligashesky had the Orange's return units producing at one of the best rates nationally. 'Cuse ranked third in the FBS with a kickoff return average of 26.16 yards. Return man Trebor Pena finished second in the ACC and 23rd nationally in combined kick return yardage (508) and was in the top-20 in punt return average (8.7). The Orange also finished tied for fourth in the ACC and 36th nationally with a pair of blocked kicks on the season.
Before joining Syracuse, Ligashesky had already spent nearly 40 years in coaching, including 12 seasons in the National Football League, where he won a Super Bowl as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Special Teams Coordinator in 2008. He also has a pedigree of developing some of the best kickers in college football. He most recently spent the 2021 season at Bowling Green, where Falcons’ kicker Nate Needham led the nation in field goal percentage (.950), before coming to 'Cuse.
Prior to his time at BGSU, he spent the 2016-2020 seasons on the Illinois staff as the Special Teams Coordinator for all five seasons and also coached tight ends in 2016-17. While with the Illini, he mentored Blake Hayes to be the 2019 BIG Ten Punter of the Year and Chase McLaughlin to earn the 2018 Bakken-Anderson Big Ten Kicker of the Year award.
In his 12 years in the NFL, he coached the Texans (2013-15/Special Teams Coordinator), Buccaneers (2012/Special Teams Coordinator), Raiders (2011/Special Teams Assistant), Broncos (2010/Tight Ends), Steelers (2007-09/Special Teams Coordinator) Rams (2005-06/Special Teams Coordinator) and Jaguars (2004/Assistant Special Teams Coach).
Ligashesky worked with some top NFL talent, most notably kicker Sebastian Janikowski in the season in which he set the then NFL record for longest made field goal (63 yards). He connected on 89-percent of his field goals that season as well. He later coached Connor Barth in Tampa Bay for one season. That same year, Barth talled a career-high 123 points, connecting on 28 of his 33 field goals and going a perfect 39-of-39 on PATs.Â
Before coaching in the pro ranks, he spent 19 seasons in the college game. He was the tight ends coach and Special Teams Coordinator at Pittsburgh from 2000-03, where he and Babers overlapped for one season (2003). Prior to joining the Panthers, he spent nine seasons at Bowling Green, serving as the Assistant Head Coach (‘99), and coaching linebackers and special teams. For the 1989-90 seasons, he was at Kent State as the Special Teams Coordinator and coached outside linebackers. He also had graduate assistant stops at Arizona State (1986-88) and Wake Forest (1985).
THE LIGASHESKY FILE
Experience: 38th season/2nd at Syracuse
Alma Mater:Â IUP
Family:Â wife, Shelley; daughter, Sydney
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
Indiana University of Pennsylvania (1982-84)
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POSTSEASON COACHING EXPERIENCE
1987 Rose Bowl
1987 Freedom Bowl
1991 California Raisin Bowl
1992 Las Vegas Bowl
2000 Insight.com Bowl
2001 Tangerine Bowl
2002 Insight Bowl
2003 Continental Tire Bowl
2007 NFL Wildcard Round
2008 Super Bowl
2015 NFL Wildcard Round
2019 Redbox Bowl
2022 Pinstripe Bowl
PROMINENT PLAYERS COACHED
Steelers
Jeff Reed, Kicker
Buccaneers
Connor Barth, Kicker
Raiders
Sebastian Janikowski, Kicker
Texans
Shane Lechler, Punter
Jon Weeks, Long Snapper
Illinois
Blake Hayes, Punter
Chase McLaughlin, Kicker
Bowling Green
Nate Needham, Kicker
Â
In his first year with the Orange, Ligashesky had the Orange's return units producing at one of the best rates nationally. 'Cuse ranked third in the FBS with a kickoff return average of 26.16 yards. Return man Trebor Pena finished second in the ACC and 23rd nationally in combined kick return yardage (508) and was in the top-20 in punt return average (8.7). The Orange also finished tied for fourth in the ACC and 36th nationally with a pair of blocked kicks on the season.
Before joining Syracuse, Ligashesky had already spent nearly 40 years in coaching, including 12 seasons in the National Football League, where he won a Super Bowl as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Special Teams Coordinator in 2008. He also has a pedigree of developing some of the best kickers in college football. He most recently spent the 2021 season at Bowling Green, where Falcons’ kicker Nate Needham led the nation in field goal percentage (.950), before coming to 'Cuse.
Prior to his time at BGSU, he spent the 2016-2020 seasons on the Illinois staff as the Special Teams Coordinator for all five seasons and also coached tight ends in 2016-17. While with the Illini, he mentored Blake Hayes to be the 2019 BIG Ten Punter of the Year and Chase McLaughlin to earn the 2018 Bakken-Anderson Big Ten Kicker of the Year award.
In his 12 years in the NFL, he coached the Texans (2013-15/Special Teams Coordinator), Buccaneers (2012/Special Teams Coordinator), Raiders (2011/Special Teams Assistant), Broncos (2010/Tight Ends), Steelers (2007-09/Special Teams Coordinator) Rams (2005-06/Special Teams Coordinator) and Jaguars (2004/Assistant Special Teams Coach).
Ligashesky worked with some top NFL talent, most notably kicker Sebastian Janikowski in the season in which he set the then NFL record for longest made field goal (63 yards). He connected on 89-percent of his field goals that season as well. He later coached Connor Barth in Tampa Bay for one season. That same year, Barth talled a career-high 123 points, connecting on 28 of his 33 field goals and going a perfect 39-of-39 on PATs.Â
Before coaching in the pro ranks, he spent 19 seasons in the college game. He was the tight ends coach and Special Teams Coordinator at Pittsburgh from 2000-03, where he and Babers overlapped for one season (2003). Prior to joining the Panthers, he spent nine seasons at Bowling Green, serving as the Assistant Head Coach (‘99), and coaching linebackers and special teams. For the 1989-90 seasons, he was at Kent State as the Special Teams Coordinator and coached outside linebackers. He also had graduate assistant stops at Arizona State (1986-88) and Wake Forest (1985).
THE LIGASHESKY FILE
Experience: 38th season/2nd at Syracuse
Alma Mater:Â IUP
Family:Â wife, Shelley; daughter, Sydney
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
Indiana University of Pennsylvania (1982-84)
Â
| COACHING LEDGER | ||
| Years | School/Team | Position |
| 1985 | Wake Forest | Graduate Assistant |
| 1986-88 | Arizona State | Graduate Assistant |
| 1989-90 | Kent State | Outside Linebackers/Special Teams Coach |
| 1991-98 | Bowling Green | Linebackers/Special Teams Coordinator |
| 1999 | Bowling Green | Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers/Special Teams Coordinator |
| 2000-03 | Pittsburgh | Tight Ends/Special Teams Coordinator |
| 2004 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Assistant Special Teams Coach |
| 2005-06 | St. Louis Rams | Special Teams Coordinator |
| 2007-09 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Special Teams Coordinator |
| 2010 | Denver Broncos | Tight Ends |
| 2011 | Oakland Raiders | Special Teams Assistant |
| 2012 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Special Teams Coordinator/Safeties |
| 2013-15 | Houston Texans | Special Teams Coordinator |
| 2016-17 | Illinois | Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends |
| 2018-20 | Illinois | Special Teams Coordinator |
| 2021 | Bowling Green | Special Teams Coordinator/Safties |
| 2022-present | Syracuse | Special Teams Coordinator |
POSTSEASON COACHING EXPERIENCE
1987 Rose Bowl
1987 Freedom Bowl
1991 California Raisin Bowl
1992 Las Vegas Bowl
2000 Insight.com Bowl
2001 Tangerine Bowl
2002 Insight Bowl
2003 Continental Tire Bowl
2007 NFL Wildcard Round
2008 Super Bowl
2015 NFL Wildcard Round
2019 Redbox Bowl
2022 Pinstripe Bowl
PROMINENT PLAYERS COACHED
Steelers
Jeff Reed, Kicker
Buccaneers
Connor Barth, Kicker
Raiders
Sebastian Janikowski, Kicker
Texans
Shane Lechler, Punter
Jon Weeks, Long Snapper
Illinois
Blake Hayes, Punter
Chase McLaughlin, Kicker
Bowling Green
Nate Needham, Kicker
Â
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