Rocky Seto
Encyclopedia
Haruki Rocky Seto, often referred to as Rocky Seto, (born March 12, 1976) is an American football
coach
; he currently serves as Defensive Quality Control for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks
.
; he is Japanese-American
Nisei
, son of Issei
parents. His father runs a gardening business and grew up going to USC football games; both father and son were fans of the Trojans. Seto attended Arcadia High School
, where he played numerous positions; he described himself as an "average player".
in the Los Angeles
area. He chose the college so he could play for head coach Bill Fisk
, who was an All-American at USC. Seto was a fullback
and defensive end
during the 1995 and 1996 seasons, but mostly played on special teams.
In 1997, he transferred to the University of Southern California
, hoping to walk-on to the football team. Although he was initially told he would be able to walk-on, he stopped getting mail from the program. Concerned, Seto staged an "accidental" meeting with head coach John Robinson who sorted out his situation, allowing him to walk-on. Seto was a reserve linebacker for the Trojans in 1997, seeing action on the scout team
. In 1998, new head coach Paul Hackett awarded him an athletic scholarship
, and he was later awarded USC's Black Shirt (scout team) Defensive Player of the Year Award for that season.
Seto received an Associate's degree
in general studies from Mt. San Antonio Junior College in 1997, a Bachelor's degree
in exercise science from USC in 1999, and a Master's degree
in public administration from USC in 2001. Once he had gained his Bachelor's degree, Seto initially planned to attend graduate school at USC to become a physical therapist. Although he had already placed his deposit, he found out about the possibility of a volunteer assistant position with the football program and opted to enter coaching.
Paul Hackett, working with the defense and special teams. In 2000 he served as an administrative graduate assistant, and with the arrival of head coach Pete Carroll
in 2001, he became a graduate assistant involved in the defense, working with the general defense in 2001 and safeties in 2002. In 2003 he became a full coach, in charge of safeties, and from 2004-2005 he coached linebackers. From 2006, he has coached the USC secondary. In 2008, former college teammate Kris Richard
joined the staff as a graduate assistant.
Seto has previously turned down a job to coach the secondary of the NFL's Buffalo Bills
. When USC offensive coordinator
Steve Sarkisian
departed to take the head coaching position at Washington
in late 2008, he offered Seto the position of defensive coordinator
. He opted to stay at USC and continue coaching the secondary, along with a raise and the additional title of assistant head coach for defense. On January 7, 2009, Carroll promoted Seto to USC Defensive Coordinator.
Seto was not retained when Lane Kiffin became the Head Football Coach at Southern Cal. He was replaced by Kiffin's father, Monte.
Seto has participated in an exchange program with Waseda University
in Tokyo, Japan to help teach American football coaching and playing strategy.
In 2010, Seto joined Pete Carroll's coaching staff for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks
.
, his brothers are named after Sonny Jurgensen
and Johnny Bench
. His nickname is "Rock".
Seto married Sharla (née
Chiang), who played soccer for USC and was on the Women of Troy's 1998 Pac-10 championship squad; she was originally from Seattle. They have two daughters (Kaylani & Mia) and a son (Troy). Seto is a devout Christian and considers his church community an important aspect of his life. He was featured in an episode of Trinity Broadcasting Network
's "More Than Conquerors" magazine show, which profiles Christian sports figures and shares their testimony.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
; he currently serves as Defensive Quality Control for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
.
Early years
Seto was born in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
; he is Japanese-American
Japanese American
are American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...
Nisei
Nisei
During the early years of World War II, Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated from their homes in the Pacific coast states because military leaders and public opinion combined to fan unproven fears of sabotage...
, son of Issei
Issei
Issei is a Japanese language term used in countries in North America, South America and Australia to specify the Japanese people first to immigrate. Their children born in the new country are referred to as Nisei , and their grandchildren are Sansei...
parents. His father runs a gardening business and grew up going to USC football games; both father and son were fans of the Trojans. Seto attended Arcadia High School
Arcadia High School (Arcadia, California)
Arcadia High School is a part of the Arcadia Unified School District and is a four-year comprehensive secondary school located on a site in Arcadia, California. Their motto is"Our Caring Makes a Difference."...
, where he played numerous positions; he described himself as an "average player".
College career
Seto began his college playing career at Mount San Antonio College, a junior collegeJunior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
in the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
area. He chose the college so he could play for head coach Bill Fisk
Bill Fisk
William G. Fisk was an American football offensive and defensive end who played in the National Football League and All-America Football Conference from 1940 to 1948. He served as head coach of Mt...
, who was an All-American at USC. Seto was a fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
and defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
during the 1995 and 1996 seasons, but mostly played on special teams.
In 1997, he transferred to the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, hoping to walk-on to the football team. Although he was initially told he would be able to walk-on, he stopped getting mail from the program. Concerned, Seto staged an "accidental" meeting with head coach John Robinson who sorted out his situation, allowing him to walk-on. Seto was a reserve linebacker for the Trojans in 1997, seeing action on the scout team
Scout team
In sports, the scout team, also referred to as a practice team, taxi squad, practice squad or practice roster, is a group of players on a team whose task is to emulate future opponents for the featured players. Frequently used in American or Canadian Football, these teams consist of less...
. In 1998, new head coach Paul Hackett awarded him an athletic scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
, and he was later awarded USC's Black Shirt (scout team) Defensive Player of the Year Award for that season.
Seto received an Associate's degree
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
in general studies from Mt. San Antonio Junior College in 1997, a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in exercise science from USC in 1999, and a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in public administration from USC in 2001. Once he had gained his Bachelor's degree, Seto initially planned to attend graduate school at USC to become a physical therapist. Although he had already placed his deposit, he found out about the possibility of a volunteer assistant position with the football program and opted to enter coaching.
Coaching career
After playing for the Trojans, Seto joined the coaching staff in 1999 as a volunteer assistant under then-head coachHead coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Paul Hackett, working with the defense and special teams. In 2000 he served as an administrative graduate assistant, and with the arrival of head coach Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll is the head coach and executive Vice-President of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the University of Southern California Trojans football team.-Early life:Carroll attended Redwood High...
in 2001, he became a graduate assistant involved in the defense, working with the general defense in 2001 and safeties in 2002. In 2003 he became a full coach, in charge of safeties, and from 2004-2005 he coached linebackers. From 2006, he has coached the USC secondary. In 2008, former college teammate Kris Richard
Kris Richard
Kris Richard is an American football coach for the Seattle Seahawks and former National Football League cornerback.-High school career:Richard prepped at Serra High School in Gardena, California....
joined the staff as a graduate assistant.
Seto has previously turned down a job to coach the secondary of the NFL's Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. When USC offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
Steve Sarkisian
Steve Sarkisian
Steve Sarkisian is an American football coach and former player of American and Canadian football. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Washington, a position he has held since the 2009 season...
departed to take the head coaching position at Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in late 2008, he offered Seto the position of defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
. He opted to stay at USC and continue coaching the secondary, along with a raise and the additional title of assistant head coach for defense. On January 7, 2009, Carroll promoted Seto to USC Defensive Coordinator.
Seto was not retained when Lane Kiffin became the Head Football Coach at Southern Cal. He was replaced by Kiffin's father, Monte.
Seto has participated in an exchange program with Waseda University
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
in Tokyo, Japan to help teach American football coaching and playing strategy.
In 2010, Seto joined Pete Carroll's coaching staff for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
.
Personal
Seto is named after boxer Rocky MarcianoRocky Marciano
Rocky Marciano , born Rocco Francis Marchegiano, was an American boxer and the heavyweight champion of the world from September 23, 1952, to April 27, 1956. Marciano is the only champion to hold the heavyweight title and go undefeated throughout his career. Marciano defended his title six times...
, his brothers are named after Sonny Jurgensen
Sonny Jurgensen
Christian Adolph "Sonny" Jurgensen III is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983....
and Johnny Bench
Johnny Bench
Johnny Lee Bench is a former professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983 and is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame...
. His nickname is "Rock".
Seto married Sharla (née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Chiang), who played soccer for USC and was on the Women of Troy's 1998 Pac-10 championship squad; she was originally from Seattle. They have two daughters (Kaylani & Mia) and a son (Troy). Seto is a devout Christian and considers his church community an important aspect of his life. He was featured in an episode of Trinity Broadcasting Network
Trinity Broadcasting Network
The Trinity Broadcasting Network is a major American Christian television network. TBN is based in Costa Mesa, California, with auxiliary studio facilities in Irving, Texas; Hendersonville, Tennessee; Gadsden, Alabama; Decatur, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Orlando, Florida; and New...
's "More Than Conquerors" magazine show, which profiles Christian sports figures and shares their testimony.