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Pat Ruel

Position: Assistant Coach

PAT RUEL
Offensive Line

Pat Ruel, who has 34 years of college and NFL coaching experience, is in his fourth year at USC. He joined the Trojan staff in February of 2005 and works with the offensive line.

In 2008, he was picked as one of the country's top 25 recruiters by Rivals.com.

In 2007, offensive tackle Sam Baker was named an All-American first teamer for the third consecutive year (becoming just the third Trojan to do so), offensive guard Chilo Rachal made the All-Pac-10 first team and center Kristofer O'Dowd was a Freshman All-American first teamer. Baker was a first round NFL draft pick following the 2007 season, while Rachal was a second rounder.

In 2006, Baker was named an All-American first teamer for the second year in a row, while center Ryan Kalil-a Rimington Award finalist and the Pac-10 Morris Trophy winner-also was an All-American first team pick (he was a second round pick in the 2007 NFL draft).

In 2005, Baker and offensive guard Taitusi Lutui were All-American first teamers and Kalil was on the All-Pac-10 first team. Lutui and offensive tackle Winston Justice were second round picks in the 2006 NFL draft, while offensive guard Fred Matua was a seventh rounder.

USC played in the 2006 Rose Bowl (BCS Championship Game), 2007 Rose Bowl and 2008 Rose Bowl.

Ruel, 57, spent the 2004 season as an offensive line assistant with the New York Giants.

He worked on the college level for the first 26 years of his career before moving to the NFL for the next 5 years. His coaching career began in 1973 as a graduate assistant at Miami, his alma mater. He was promoted to a fulltime assistant handling the offensive line for the Hurricanes for the following 3 years (1974-76).

He next was the assistant offensive line coach at Arkansas in 1977 (USC head coach Pete Carroll was a member of that Razorbacks' staff and the team played in the 1978 Orange Bowl).

He then spent 4 years (1978-81) at Washington State, the first 2 seasons as the offensive line coach before adding offensive coordinator duties for his final two seasons. The 1981 Cougars played in the Holiday Bowl.

He was the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Texas A&M for the next 3 years (1982-84), then had similar duties (along with being the assistant head coach) at Northern Illinois for 3 seasons (1985-87).

He spent the next 9 years (1988-96) at Kansas, the first 3 as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, then adding assistant head coach to his title the final 6 years. The Jayhawks played in the 1992 and 1995 Aloha Bowls.

After spending 1997 in private business, he then was at Michigan State for 2 years (1998-99), the first year as the offensive line coach and then adding assistant head coach duties in the second season. The Spartans played in the 2000 Florida Citrus Bowl.

He moved to the NFL in 2000 as the offensive line coach with the Detroit Lions, then spent the next 2 seasons (2001-02) as the assistant offensive line coach for the Green Bay Packers. The Packers were in the NFC playoffs both seasons. He was the offensive line coach with the Buffalo Bills in 2003 before going to the Giants.

He lettered at offensive guard for Miami in 1971 and 1972. He received his bachelor's degree in psychology from Miami in 1972.

He prepped at Coral Gables (Fla.) High, where he starred in football.

He was born on Dec. 5, 1950. He and his wife, Marti, have a daughter, Sabra, 20, currently a student at USC. His full name is Golden Pat Ruel.

RUEL SNAPSHOT

BIRTHDAY: Dec. 5, 1950
FAMILY: Wife, Marti; Daughter, Sabra, 20
HIGH SCHOOL: Coral Gables (Fla.) HS
EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree, psychology, Miami, 1972
PLAYING EXPERIENCE:

Coral Gables (Fla.) HS Miami, offensive guard, 1971-72