(February 27, 2006) ?C Fordham University head football coach Tom Masella announced the hiring of nine assistant coaches today. Joining Masella at Rose Hill are Ed Argast (Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line), Frank Forcucci (Defensive Coordinator/Outside Linebackers), Bryan Volk (Recruiting Coordinator/Quarterbacks), Matt Dawson (Special Teams Coordinator/Inside Linebackers), Malik Hall (Defensive Line), Custavious Patterson (Wide Receivers), Kieta Malloy (Running Backs), Charlie Pravata (Tight Ends) and Tim Cary (Assistant Defensive Backs). All, with the exception of Malloy and Dawson, were on Masella??s staff at Central Connecticut State University last fall. Argast spent the last two years as the Offensive Coordinator at Central Connecticut, helping the Blue Devils set a new school record in scoring with 261 points in 2004 as well as leading the Northeast Conference (NEC) in total offense in 2004 with 361.7 yards/game. During a five-game winning streak that season, Central Connecticut set a school record by scoring 28 points or more in each of the five games. Last fall, Argast??s offense scored 273 points in eleven games while leading the NEC in rushing offense, averaging 171.7 yards/game on the ground, and in passing efficiency with a 140.72 rating, 19th best in the NCAA I-AA. The Blue Devils had three players named to the NEC All-Conference Team as well as having their second straight NEC Offensive Rookie of the Year. A three-year letter winner at Colgate University, Argast earned a Bachelor??s Degree in political science in 1978 and received a Master??s in Education from Rutgers in 1985. He was inducted into the Seton Hall Prep Hall of Fame in 1997. Forcucci served as the defensive coordinator at Central Connecticut the past two years for Masella, helping the Blue Devils to back-to-back NEC titles. In his first season at Central Connecticut, the Blue Devil defense held opponents to under 20 points per game for the first time since 1989 and allowed only one first quarter touchdown the entire season, finishing second in the NEC in total defense, allowing 311.3 yards/game. Last fall, Forcucci saw four of his players named First Team All-NEC and three named Second Team while also having the NEC Defensive Rookie of the Year. Central Connecticut was fourth in the NEC in rushing defense, allowing just 117.1 yards per game, 18th best in the NCAA I-AA while having the second best red-zone defense in the conference. A 1987 graduate of the University of New Haven where he earned a Bachelor??s Degree in financial accounting, Forcucci was a four-year member of the New Haven baseball team. He earned Division II All-American honors in 1987 and helped the Chargers to four consecutive Northeast Regional championships and four appearances in the NCAA Division II College World Series. Volk was also a two-year member of the Central Connecticut staff, serving as the quarterbacks coach last fall after starting his tenure as the wide receivers coach. Last year, he helped freshman quarterback Aubrey Norris earn NEC Offensive Rookie of the Year honors while, in his first year, wide receiver Andre Smith earned the honor. Volk was a four-year letterman at Hope College where he graduated with a degree in biology in 2000, leading the team to two conference championships. Volk also has a pair of Master??s Degrees from Louisiana Tech, one in sports science and one in industrial and organizational psychology. Dawson comes to Rose Hill after spending the 2005 season on the staff at his alma mater, the University of Massachusetts, where he served as the assistant defensive line and outside linebackers coach. Dawson is a 2001 UMass graduate, with a bachelor??s degree in sport management. He earned four letters for the Minutemen from 1996-1999, serving as team captain during his senior season. A three-year starter at outside linebacker, Dawson helped UMass to the NCAA Division I-AA national championship in 1998 and an Atlantic 10 Conference title in 1999. Hall was the defensive line coach at Central Connecticut the past two years, helping the defensive line finish the year ranked 18th in the NCAA I-AA in rushing defense. A 2004 graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Hall played two years at Amherst before joining Masella??s staff at Central Connecticut. Patterson was the wide receivers coach at Central Connecticut last fall after spending 2004 on the staff at Leon High School in Tallahassee, Florida. Patterson earned a bachelor??s degree from Morgan State in 2004 and was a one-year starter at quarterback for the Bears. Prior to Morgan State, he was an All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-American quarterback at SUNY-Morrisville for two seasons, where he holds career records for passing touchdowns and total yardage. Malloy is the lone holdover from the previous staff, serving as the running backs coach at Fordham the past two years after coaching the tight ends in 2003. Under his guidance last fall, James Prydatko became the second Ram on the NCAA I-AA level to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season. A 1995 graduate of the University of Delaware with a degree in criminal justice, Malloy lettered for three years with the Blue Hens football squad, playing both defensive back and wide receiver. He is 14th on the school??s all-time career receptions list. Pravata was a member of the Central Connecticut staff the past two years, assisting the offensive line both seasons. A former head coach at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, he guided the Mariners to a 66-47-2 record over 12 years en route to becoming the Academy??s all-time winningest football coach. Pravata earned a bachelors?? degree in physical education from Adelphi University in 1972 and he received a master??s degree in physical education from Brooklyn College in 1976. Cary served as the defensive graduate assistant coach at Central Connecticut last year for Masella, his first coaching position. A 2005 graduate of Fairfield University, Cary earned a bachelor??s degree in economics. He was a member of the Stags football program for two seasons before the school discontinued the sport.