Central Bucks South names Rackovan football coach

Dave Rackovan, formerly the offensive coordinator at Princeton University, has been tabbed as the head football coach at Central Bucks South.

"In the interview process, he had a real good understanding of what it takes to be an effective coach," C.B. South principal Rod Stone said. "He has a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of experience."

Rackovan, 58, could not be reached for comment.

Rackovan, of Doylestown, was Princeton's offensive coordinator for the last 10 seasons, working mostly with the running backs and quarterbacks.

He was relieved of his duties when head coach Roger Hughes was fired in November after guiding the Tigers to their third straight 4-6 campaign. Hughes compiled a 47-52 record in 10 years.

Before going to Princeton with Hughes, Rackovan spent eight seasons at Dartmouth and six at Penn. He was Dartmouth's running-backs coach and special-teams coordinator.

From 1976 to 1983, Rackovan, a wide receiver and quarterback at Millersville in the early 1970s, was the head coach at Purchase Line High, a PIAA Class A football school about an hour northwest of Altoona.

Stone said Rackovan would also serve as C.B. South's athletic director, effective July 1. He will replace the retiring Mike Dougherty.

Rackovan's daughter, Anita, was a star lacrosse player at Central Bucks East in the early 2000s and played that sport at Princeton. She teaches middle-school English and coaches girls' lacrosse at Norfolk Academy in Virginia.

Dave Rackovan replaces Bart Szarko, who resigned for personal reasons in December after compiling a 24-38 record in six seasons. In 2007, the Titans posted an 11-1 mark and went undefeated in the Suburban One League's National Conference.