Ron Whitcomb | University at Buffalo

Ron Whitcomb is in his third season as an assistant on Linguist's staff. After serving as tight ends coach in 2021 and 2022, he will coach the quarterbacks beginning in 2023. He also serves as UB's recruiting coordinator.

In 2022, tight ends combined for 32 receptions for 300 yards on the season, led by Robbie Mangas who had 16 catches for 141 yards - the most receptions by a UB tight end since 2019.

Tight ends Trevor Borland and Nicholas Fronczak were both named to the Academic All-MAC team.

He helped lead the Bulls to a victory over Georgia Southern in the Camellia Bowl for UB's third bowl win in program history.

Under Whitcomb in 2021, there was an increase in productivity from the tight end position over the previous two seasons. Tight ends accounted for 27 receptions for 276 yards and three touchdowns in 2021 - their highest output since the 2018 campaign.

Tight ends Jake Molinich and Trevor Borland were both named to the Academic All-MAC team.

Whitcomb began his career at UB in 2020 as the team's scouting coordinator and offensive analyst. The Rochester native spent the previous 12 seasons as quarterbacks coach at Old Dominion.

Whitcomb guided quarterback Blake LaRussa to a 3,000-yard season that saw the junior signal-caller finish No. 14 in FBS with 274.1 passing yards per game. That number jumps to 300 yards per game when taking out the two games where he played sparingly. In ODU’s 49-35 stunner over No. 13 Virginia Tech, LaRussa passed for 495-yards and four touchdowns. The 495-yards was a C-USA high in 2018 and the second most ever allowed by a Tech defense. LaRussa earned multiple National Player of the Week awards and was named C-USA Player of the Week. LaRussa finished second in C-USA with 274.1 yards per game and led league quarterbacks with six, 300-yard passing games.

LaRussa was the second quarterback in ODU history to throw for 3,000 yards in a single-season, throwing for 3,015, and joining current NFL QB Taylor Heinicke in that regard. LaRussa earned C-USA honorable mention honors, becoming the third ODU quarterback in the Monarchs’ five years in the league to earn All-C-USA honors, joining Heinicke and David Washington.

A year after graduating senior quarterback David Washington, the ODU offense was taken over by true freshman Steven Williams in 2017. Williams’ first career start came at Virginia Tech and the improvement each week from the then 17-year old was noticeable. In the final four games of the year, Williams completed 68 percent of his passes for 664 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers, while rushing for 101 yards and two more touchdowns. Williams was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team.

Whitcomb groomed quarterback David Washington to the second-best touchdown to interception ratio in the country in 2016 to help ODU to a 10-3 overall record and victory in the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl. Washington passed for 2,836 yards and 31 touchdowns in his first full season as a starter, after playing wide receiver most of the previous two seasons.

Whitcomb guided current Washington Football player Taylor Heinicke to a tremendous four-year career as 2015 was the first time since 2011 that Heinicke was not behind center.  Shuler Bentley and David Washington split the QB duties, combining to complete 234-for-432 for 2,2587 yards and 20 touchdowns.  Bentley started the year at quarterback and led a come-from-behind win at Eastern Michigan in the opener and a win over Norfolk State before Washington came in vs. Charlotte for the second series, going 25-of-43 for 365 yards and four touchdowns for a dramatic 37-34 win over the 49ers.  Washington led ODU to wins over UTSA and UTEP before suffering a season-ending injury at Southern Miss.

Whitcomb guided four-year starting quarterback Taylor Heinicke to one of the best statistical careers of any Division I quarterback ever.  Heinicke ranks third all-time among FBS quarterbacks in total yards of offense with 16,279 and sixth in career passing yards with 14,959.  Heinicke’s 132 career touchdown tosses is fourth most all-time, just two behind Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell for third place.

In 2012, the Monarchs led the FCS in scoring offense with 45.15 points per game, passing offense at 393.85 and total offense with 548.23 yards per game. Whitcomb helped lead Taylor Heinicke to the most prolific season by a quarterback in FCS history. Heinicke led the nation in passing yards, passing yards per game, touchdown passes, total TD’s, total offense and points responsible for. Heinicke set FCS single-season record for passing yards and completions. Heinicke threw for 5,076 passing yards surpassing Steve McNair’s record of 4,863 he set for Alcorn State in 1994. Heinicke’s 398 completions broke Brett Gordon’s mark of 385 he set in 2002 for Villanova.  Heinicke won the Walter Payton Award given to the Best Player in the FCS, becoming just the second sophomore ever to win the award.  The 2012 season also saw Heinicke earn CAA Offensive Player of the Year honors and first-team All-CAA honors. He received First-Team All-America honors by seven organizations and won the Dudley Award for the best Division I Player in the state of Virginia.

Under Whitcomb’s watch, the Monarchs had a two-time Walter Payton Watch List member in Thomas DeMarco in 2010 and 2011 and the College Football Performance Awards FCS National Performer of the Year, Jerry Rice Award Runner-Up, and the Payton Award Winner in Heinicke.

Before joining the Old Dominion staff, Whitcomb was a four-year starter at the University of Maine from 2003-2006.

Whitcomb, departed as the Black Bears’ all-time leader in completions (755), total offense (8,801) and touchdown passes (68). His 8,183 passing yards ranked second, as did his .592 completion percentage. One of three senior captains at Maine in 2006, Whitcomb was named the Atlantic-10 and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Rookie of the Year as a redshirt freshman after passing for 2,428 yards and 21 touchdowns. The passing yardage was the most by a freshman in Atlantic-10 history and he also established a new school record with touchdown passes in 11 straight games.

A standout off the field as well, Whitcomb was honored as the 2006-07 Atlantic-10 Student-Athlete of the Year. He earned his B.S. in education from Maine in 2006 and a M.S. Ed. in educational leadership at Old Dominion University in 2009.

For the last three seasons, Whitcomb has participated in the annual Lauren’s First and Goal Football Camp at Lafayette College. The one-day clinic features nearly 275 college coaches who volunteer their time to teach aspiring football players the in-and-outs of the game and raise money for Lauren’s First and Goal, a charitable organization created to support pediatric brain tumor research and support local pediatric cancer services.