Football
Chance, Rod
Rod Chance
- Title:
- Cornerbacks
A six-year veteran of the Pac-12, SEC and Big Ten with experience as a defensive coordinator, Rod Chance returned to Oregon and Mario Cristobal’s staff in February 2020. Chance coaches cornerbacks after spending the 2018 season as a defensive analyst for the Ducks.
Selected to the AFCA 2020 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute, Chance spent one season at Minnesota between his two stints at Oregon. He helped the Minnesota defense finish No. 9 nationally against the pass in 2019 en route to earning a piece of the Big Ten West Division title.
Chance started his career coaching four seasons in the high school ranks in Georgia before landing his first collegiate job at Rhode Island, his alma mater. Chance spent a season with the Rams before moving to Vanderbilt for three seasons and Southern Utah for two.
OREGON (2018, 2020-present)
In his return to Eugene, Chance helped the Ducks to their second straight Pac-12 Conference championship and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl. He coached the corners in a secondary that lost three of its starters to opt-outs because of COVID-19, including Thomas Graham Jr., a three-year starter at cornerback.
Despite the absence of Graham, Chance coached a pair of corners in 2020 that earned all-league recognition. Mykael Wright, Graham’s replacement, claimed first-team All-Pac-12 recognition from both the league’s coaches and the Associated Press after leading the conference in passes defended with nine (Pac-12 best 1.29 per game). Deommodore Lenoir earned second-team honors from both the coaches and the AP.
Lenoir joined three other Oregon defensive backs selected in the 2021 NFL Draft. The San Francisco 49ers selected Lenoir in the fifth round, while opt-outs Graham, Jevon Holland and Brady Breeze all were drafted. Chance coached Graham (6th Round/Chicago Bears) and safeties Holland (2nd Round/Miami Dolphins) and Breeze (6th Round/Tennessee Titans) during the 2018 season as an analyst.
During that season, Chance brought defensive coordinator experience to Oregon’s staff as a defensive analyst. The defense continued its steady improvement to help the Ducks pick up nine wins, highlighted by a Redbox Bowl win in which they limited Michigan State to just six points. It marked the second-fewest points surrendered by Oregon in the program’s bowl history.
Oregon’s youthful secondary was a big part of the improvement on the defensive side of the ball. The Ducks tied for 11th nationally with 17 interceptions and fifth with four defensive TDs. Oregon was one of two FBS programs with four players that finished with at least three INTs. The Seattle Seahawks selected safety Ugochukwu Amadi in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft following the season.
MINNESOTA (2019)
Chance worked as the cornerbacks coach at Minnesota and his unit helped the Gopher defense go from No. 51 nationally (212.4) in passing defense in 2018 to No. 9 (184.2) this past season. Prior to Minnesota, Chance spent the 2018 campaign as a defensive analyst on Cristobal’s staff.
Chance’s guidance helped Minnesota’s defense finished tied for 10th nationally in passing TDs allowed (14), tied for eighth in fewest 20-yard pass plays allowed (30) and tied for 17th with 14 interceptions.
The Gophers limited opponents to 200 passing yards or less nine times, good for third most in the country, highlighted by 176 during a win over Auburn in the Outback Bowl. Minnesota finished No. 10 in the final Associated Press Top 25, good for its highest finish since 1962. The Gophers won 11 games for the first time since 1904 and their seven Big Ten wins were a program best.
Chance helped Minnesota’s starting cornerback duo of Coney Durr and Benjamin St-Juste earn All-Big Ten honorable mention honors. Durr and St-Juse tied for fourth in the Big Ten with 10 pass breakups each and finished as one of nine Power 5 defensive back duos with 10 or more pass breakups each. Opposing quarterbacks completed just 47-of-89 passes (52.8 pct.) against the duo, including just two TDs, according to Pro Football Focus. Minnesota was one of three Power 5 teams to hold two conference road opponents (Northwestern & Rutgers) under 100 yards passing.
SOUTHERN UTAH (2016-17)
Chance was the defensive coordinator at Southern Utah for two seasons prior to making his way to Oregon the first time. In 2017, Chance’s defensive unit finished third in the league in scoring defense to help lead SUU to a Big Sky Conference championship. His defense forced 29 turnovers (15 INTs) to help the Thunderbirds finish second in the conference in turnover margin.
Over his two seasons at Southern Utah, three different players earned first-team Big Sky All-Conference honors while eight others were named to different all-conference teams. In 2017, cornerback Jalen Russell was named a Freshman All-American by Phil Steele.
VANDERBILT (2013-15) & RHODE ISLAND (2012)
Chance’s two seasons at Southern Utah were preceded by three years in the SEC at Vanderbilt. After a short stint at his alma mater (Rhode Island) as cornerbacks coach, Chance was hired by James Franklin at Vanderbilt in 2012, for a defensive quality control position. He spent his first season under Franklin and the last two under Derek Mason.
HIGH SCHOOL COACH (2009-12)
His coaching career started at Alpharetta High School just north of Atlanta. For four seasons, he served as special teams coordinator and coached defensive backs and wide receivers. Following the 2012 season, 12 players from Alpharetta signed Division I NLIs with several players going to Power 5 programs.
PLAYING CAREER
A native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Chance was a four-year letterwinner at Rhode Island after a standout high school career at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Over his final three seasons as a starter at Rhode Island, Chance had 138 tackles, six interceptions and nine pass breakups.
COACHING CAREER
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
2020 Pac-12 Conference – Oregon (Cornerbacks)
2019 Big Ten West Division* – Minnesota (Cornerbacks)
*-Co-Champions
BOWL GAMES
2021 Fiesta Bowl – Oregon (Cornerbacks)
2020 Outback Bowl – Minnesota (Cornerbacks)
2018 Redbox Bowl – Oregon (Defensive Analyst)
2013 BBVA Compass Bowl – Vanderbilt (Defensive Quality Control)
NFL DRAFT PICKS COACHED (6)
2021 (RD 2) S Jevon Holland – Oregon – Miami Dolphins
2021 (RD 5) CB Deommodore Lenoir – Oregon – San Francisco 49ers
2021 RD (6) S Brady Breeze – Oregon – Tennessee Titans
2021 (RD 6) CB Thomas Graham Jr. – Oregon – Chicago Bears
2020 (RD 7) CB Chris Williamson – Minnesota – New York Giants
2019 (RD 4) S Ugochukwu Amadi – Oregon – Seattle Seahawks
ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS COACHED
2021 CB Mykael Wright – Oregon – Pac-12 (AP – 1st, Coaches – 1st)
2021 CB Deommodore Lenoir – Oregon – Pac-12 (AP – 2nd, Coaches – 2nd)
2019 CB Coney Durr – Minnesota – Big Ten (Coaches – HM, Media – HM)
2019 CB Benjamin St-Juste – Minnesota – Big Ten (Coaches – HM, Media – HM)
2018 S Ugochukwu Amadi – Oregon – Pac-12 (AP – 2nd, Coaches – HM)
2018 CB Thomas Graham Jr. – Oregon – Pac-12 (AP – 2nd)
2017 DT Anu Pole’o – Southern Utah – Big Sky – (Coaches – 1st)
2017 OLB Michael Needham – Southern Utah – Big Sky (Coaches – 1st)
2017 CB Jermaine Doubs – Southern Utah – Big Sky (Coaches – 1st)
2017 DT Robert Torgensen – Southern Utah – Big Sky (Coaches – 2nd)
2017 ILB Chinedu Ahanonu – Southern Utah – Big Sky (Coaches – 2nd)
2017 DE Taylor Pili – Southern Utah – Big Sky (Coaches – 3rd)
2017 ILB Taylor Nelson – Southern Utah – Big Sky (Coaches – 3rd)
2016 DT Robert Torgerson – Southern Utah – Big Sky (Coaches – 1st)
2016 OLB Mike Needham – Southern Utah – Big Sky (Coaches – 1st)
2016 CB Joshua Thornton – Southern Utah – Big Sky (Coaches – 2nd)
2016 S Kyle Hannemann – Southern Utah – Big Sky (Coaches – 3rd)
2012 CB Jamaal Bess – Rhode Island – CAA Football (Coaches – 2nd)
Selected to the AFCA 2020 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute, Chance spent one season at Minnesota between his two stints at Oregon. He helped the Minnesota defense finish No. 9 nationally against the pass in 2019 en route to earning a piece of the Big Ten West Division title.
Chance started his career coaching four seasons in the high school ranks in Georgia before landing his first collegiate job at Rhode Island, his alma mater. Chance spent a season with the Rams before moving to Vanderbilt for three seasons and Southern Utah for two.
OREGON (2018, 2020-present)
In his return to Eugene, Chance helped the Ducks to their second straight Pac-12 Conference championship and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl. He coached the corners in a secondary that lost three of its starters to opt-outs because of COVID-19, including Thomas Graham Jr., a three-year starter at cornerback.
Despite the absence of Graham, Chance coached a pair of corners in 2020 that earned all-league recognition. Mykael Wright, Graham’s replacement, claimed first-team All-Pac-12 recognition from both the league’s coaches and the Associated Press after leading the conference in passes defended with nine (Pac-12 best 1.29 per game). Deommodore Lenoir earned second-team honors from both the coaches and the AP.
Lenoir joined three other Oregon defensive backs selected in the 2021 NFL Draft. The San Francisco 49ers selected Lenoir in the fifth round, while opt-outs Graham, Jevon Holland and Brady Breeze all were drafted. Chance coached Graham (6th Round/Chicago Bears) and safeties Holland (2nd Round/Miami Dolphins) and Breeze (6th Round/Tennessee Titans) during the 2018 season as an analyst.
During that season, Chance brought defensive coordinator experience to Oregon’s staff as a defensive analyst. The defense continued its steady improvement to help the Ducks pick up nine wins, highlighted by a Redbox Bowl win in which they limited Michigan State to just six points. It marked the second-fewest points surrendered by Oregon in the program’s bowl history.
Oregon’s youthful secondary was a big part of the improvement on the defensive side of the ball. The Ducks tied for 11th nationally with 17 interceptions and fifth with four defensive TDs. Oregon was one of two FBS programs with four players that finished with at least three INTs. The Seattle Seahawks selected safety Ugochukwu Amadi in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft following the season.
MINNESOTA (2019)
Chance worked as the cornerbacks coach at Minnesota and his unit helped the Gopher defense go from No. 51 nationally (212.4) in passing defense in 2018 to No. 9 (184.2) this past season. Prior to Minnesota, Chance spent the 2018 campaign as a defensive analyst on Cristobal’s staff.
Chance’s guidance helped Minnesota’s defense finished tied for 10th nationally in passing TDs allowed (14), tied for eighth in fewest 20-yard pass plays allowed (30) and tied for 17th with 14 interceptions.
The Gophers limited opponents to 200 passing yards or less nine times, good for third most in the country, highlighted by 176 during a win over Auburn in the Outback Bowl. Minnesota finished No. 10 in the final Associated Press Top 25, good for its highest finish since 1962. The Gophers won 11 games for the first time since 1904 and their seven Big Ten wins were a program best.
Chance helped Minnesota’s starting cornerback duo of Coney Durr and Benjamin St-Juste earn All-Big Ten honorable mention honors. Durr and St-Juse tied for fourth in the Big Ten with 10 pass breakups each and finished as one of nine Power 5 defensive back duos with 10 or more pass breakups each. Opposing quarterbacks completed just 47-of-89 passes (52.8 pct.) against the duo, including just two TDs, according to Pro Football Focus. Minnesota was one of three Power 5 teams to hold two conference road opponents (Northwestern & Rutgers) under 100 yards passing.
SOUTHERN UTAH (2016-17)
Chance was the defensive coordinator at Southern Utah for two seasons prior to making his way to Oregon the first time. In 2017, Chance’s defensive unit finished third in the league in scoring defense to help lead SUU to a Big Sky Conference championship. His defense forced 29 turnovers (15 INTs) to help the Thunderbirds finish second in the conference in turnover margin.
Over his two seasons at Southern Utah, three different players earned first-team Big Sky All-Conference honors while eight others were named to different all-conference teams. In 2017, cornerback Jalen Russell was named a Freshman All-American by Phil Steele.
VANDERBILT (2013-15) & RHODE ISLAND (2012)
Chance’s two seasons at Southern Utah were preceded by three years in the SEC at Vanderbilt. After a short stint at his alma mater (Rhode Island) as cornerbacks coach, Chance was hired by James Franklin at Vanderbilt in 2012, for a defensive quality control position. He spent his first season under Franklin and the last two under Derek Mason.
HIGH SCHOOL COACH (2009-12)
His coaching career started at Alpharetta High School just north of Atlanta. For four seasons, he served as special teams coordinator and coached defensive backs and wide receivers. Following the 2012 season, 12 players from Alpharetta signed Division I NLIs with several players going to Power 5 programs.
PLAYING CAREER
A native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Chance was a four-year letterwinner at Rhode Island after a standout high school career at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Over his final three seasons as a starter at Rhode Island, Chance had 138 tackles, six interceptions and nine pass breakups.
COACHING CAREER
| 2020-present | Cornerbacks | Oregon |
| 2019 | Cornerbacks | Minnesota |
| 2018 | Defensive Analyst/Secondary | Oregon |
| 2016-17 | Defensive Coordinator | Southern Utah |
| 2013-15 | Defensive Quality Control | Vanderbilt |
| 2012 | Cornerbacks | Rhode Island |
| 2009-12 | Defensive Backs/Wide Receivers/Special Teams | Alpharetta HS (Georgia) |
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
2020 Pac-12 Conference – Oregon (Cornerbacks)
2019 Big Ten West Division* – Minnesota (Cornerbacks)
*-Co-Champions
BOWL GAMES
2021 Fiesta Bowl – Oregon (Cornerbacks)
2020 Outback Bowl – Minnesota (Cornerbacks)
2018 Redbox Bowl – Oregon (Defensive Analyst)
2013 BBVA Compass Bowl – Vanderbilt (Defensive Quality Control)
NFL DRAFT PICKS COACHED (6)
2021 (RD 2) S Jevon Holland – Oregon – Miami Dolphins
2021 (RD 5) CB Deommodore Lenoir – Oregon – San Francisco 49ers
2021 RD (6) S Brady Breeze – Oregon – Tennessee Titans
2021 (RD 6) CB Thomas Graham Jr. – Oregon – Chicago Bears
2020 (RD 7) CB Chris Williamson – Minnesota – New York Giants
2019 (RD 4) S Ugochukwu Amadi – Oregon – Seattle Seahawks
ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS COACHED
2021 CB Mykael Wright – Oregon – Pac-12 (AP – 1st, Coaches – 1st)
2021 CB Deommodore Lenoir – Oregon – Pac-12 (AP – 2nd, Coaches – 2nd)
2019 CB Coney Durr – Minnesota – Big Ten (Coaches – HM, Media – HM)
2019 CB Benjamin St-Juste – Minnesota – Big Ten (Coaches – HM, Media – HM)
2018 S Ugochukwu Amadi – Oregon – Pac-12 (AP – 2nd, Coaches – HM)
2018 CB Thomas Graham Jr. – Oregon – Pac-12 (AP – 2nd)
2017 DT Anu Pole’o – Southern Utah – Big Sky – (Coaches – 1st)
2017 OLB Michael Needham – Southern Utah – Big Sky (Coaches – 1st)
2017 CB Jermaine Doubs – Southern Utah – Big Sky (Coaches – 1st)
2017 DT Robert Torgensen – Southern Utah – Big Sky (Coaches – 2nd)
2017 ILB Chinedu Ahanonu – Southern Utah – Big Sky (Coaches – 2nd)
2017 DE Taylor Pili – Southern Utah – Big Sky (Coaches – 3rd)
2017 ILB Taylor Nelson – Southern Utah – Big Sky (Coaches – 3rd)
2016 DT Robert Torgerson – Southern Utah – Big Sky (Coaches – 1st)
2016 OLB Mike Needham – Southern Utah – Big Sky (Coaches – 1st)
2016 CB Joshua Thornton – Southern Utah – Big Sky (Coaches – 2nd)
2016 S Kyle Hannemann – Southern Utah – Big Sky (Coaches – 3rd)
2012 CB Jamaal Bess – Rhode Island – CAA Football (Coaches – 2nd)
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