By Harry Minium
If you live in a neighborhood close to Old Dominion University, the entire Monarch football coaching staff, along with venerable ODU mascot Big Blue, are more than likely headed your way Saturday afternoon.
A caravan of golf carts, convertibles and others driving family vehicles will drive through the Lamberts Point, Highland Park and Larchmont neighborhoods, as well as do a short drive-by in Monarch Way, the development on the east side of Hampton Boulevard that includes Chartway Arena.
By now, most of us have seen similar caravans celebrating graduations and birthdays. And in the case of head football coach Ricky Rahne in State College, Pa., caravans were used as a way to say goodbye. Two caravans of classmates and teammates of Rahne's two boys drove by holding signs a few days before the family moved to Norfolk.
Rahne was the Penn State offensive coordinator when he was hired at ODU in December.
Organized by John Vellines, an athletic development officer for the Old Dominion Athletic Foundation, this caravan is intended to reach out to ODU's neighbors and fans in a way that the coronavirus pandemic hasn't allowed.
Vellines, a Norfolk native, said he got the idea from seeing so many caravans for other events, including welcome home caravans for veterans returning from overseas.
"We're facing some major challenges in trying to engage with our fans and I thought this would be the best way to do that" and still maintain social distancing, he said.
"We're looking to connect with a lot of our existing fans, but we're also looking to cultivate more."
Vellines said the caravan will cover about 13 miles and will drive between five and seven miles per hour.
Rahne said this winter that he was looking forward to numerous receptions with fans this spring, where he could press the flesh and interact with Monarch supporters. Those receptions were quashed by the coronavirus pandemic.
He says the caravan is the next-best thing.
"This says we're thinking about the community, hopefully getting ODU football on their minds and giving them something to look forward to in the fall," he said.
ODU is scheduled to open its season Friday, Sept. 4 against Wake Forest from the ACC. While no final decisions have been made on the timing of games anywhere in college football, officials hope to open the season on time.
The caravan starts in Lamberts Point at 2:30 and then snakes into Larchmont at 2:50. At 4 p.m., it heads to Highland Park and the North Colley business area and then heads to Monarch way at 4:20. The caravan is scheduled to end at 4:30.
Rahne's wife, Jennifer, and sons Ryder and Jake, will be with him on the caravan, and given that they've only lived here briefly, "they are excited to be involved with this, and excited just to go out and explore things," he said.
The family is still in the process of opening boxes and settling into their new Norfolk home. But Rahne says that Jen "is dominating it right now. She's a very competitive person.
"She's hearing how fast others have unpacked, so she's trying to set a record pace."
There will be a ton of young kids in the caravan. Rahne has the youngest Football Bowl Subdivision coaching staff in America and their families have many newborns and toddlers. Defeisive coordinator Blake Seiler has three who ride in child protective seats in his car and thus he will drive his family car.
"This is very much going to be a family event," Vellines said.
Rahne asked, but did not require, his staff to take part in the caravan and was surprised that all said yes. "They really jumped on it quickly," he said.
So did his support staff, but because there is a limited number of people who can take part, he had to say no to them.
"Our coaches are really excited by this," Rahne said. "We want to get out and be among our fans."
The Rahne family is still mourning the death of Jen's father, Donald Neuberger, who passed away recently.
Coach Rahne reflected on Neuberger in a recent Tweet:
"Tonight the world lost a great man when my father-in-law, Donald Neuberger, passed away. He never met a person who wasn't his best friend, could make anything in his workshop & loved football. He also taught me more about being a good husband & father than I could ever imagine."
"He was the most positive man I ever met," Rahne said Friday, and added that Jen Rahne is dealing with her grief as her father would have wanted her to – she is reflecting on her father's life with a positive outlook and remembering all of his good works.
If you see her Saturday, be sure to wish her well.
Contact Minium: hminium@odu.edu
Map of the course is below:
Minium: ODU Football Coach Ricky Rahne and His Staff May Be Coming to a Neighborhood Near You
