RPI coach Tim Landis talks about the Dutchman Shoes rivalry, from the Nott Building on Union's campus on Wednesday afternoon.



Union coach John Audino talks about the rivalry.

Today was a chance for the RPI football team to jump in front of the cameras and talk about the upcoming season.

The Engineers have a scrimmage on Wednesday, Aug. 31, home vs. Springfield and open the 2011 campaign against Alfred, on Saturday, Sept. 10.

I've talked a few times with new coach Tim Landis (below) and like his ideas for where he will go with the team.


In Saturday's paper, you can read about Landis' focus on running the ball more this year.

With junior quarterback Mike Hermann (below) back, RPI could certainly win the Liberty League. It seems like a wide open race this season.


The team will have to replace the talented Pat McCarthy at receiver and also the leadership provided by running back Nick Costa.

On defense, the biggest replacements will be at linebacker, where Colin King and Jeff McCormick have vacated and the pass rushing of Darryl Brown.

They may have found a new mascot though. Below is the Landis family's new bulldog, Brutus.

TROY - If anyone knows about playing a tough schedule it's newly hired Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute football coach Tim Landis.

Last season, while at San Jose State, Landis coached at Alabama (Capital One Bowl winners), at Wisconsin (Rose Bowl participants) and against Boise State (MAACO Bowl winners).

Alfred, Union and Hobart don't seem as tough, in comparison.

“When the whistle blows, it’s really about football,” he said in some of his first official statements as RPI's new head coach.

Landis brings a lot of experience as he's been a head coach at Bucknell, Saint Mary's (CA) and Davidson.

“We expect Tim to take us to a championship and to build on what Coach (Joe) King has done all these years,” said Institute president, Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson.

Landis is a Division III football junkie.

On Saturday's, he prefers to look at the scores in the ODAC (where he played at Randolph-Macon), the Empire 8, the Liberty League and the Centennial Conference.

"This is where my calling is," he said of the Division III game.

The blend of RPI's commitment to academics and athletics was a perfect one for Landis.

“I’ve been at quality academic institutions,” he said. “When I saw the combination of the academics and the success level and then I saw the facilities, I thought this was almost too good to be true, in terms of small college football.”

Landis' hiring ends a two-month period since King stepped down in January.

“It’s definitely a weight lifted off everyone’s shoulder,” said sophomore quarterback Mike Hermann.

Tim Landis is introduced as the new football coach at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Wednesday, March 23.

TROY — It’s been a long and busy week at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

On Sunday, the men’s ice hockey team was chosen to participate in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1995.

The school has also found someone to succeed veteran football coach Joe King, who stepped down in January.

Early Tuesday, a school spokesman confirmed that Tim Landis has been hired to lead the Engineers for the 2011 season.

The 46-year-old comes to Troy from San Jose State University, where he was the offensive coordinator and coached the tight ends.

Landis, a native of Yardley, Pa., spent one year with the Spartans.

He also has head coaching experience at Bucknell, Saint Mary’s (CA) and Davidson.

King won 152 games in 22 seasons for the Engineers and posted a winning percentage of 71.8 percent (152-59-2).