GENEVA, N.Y.—Hobart College Head Football Coach Kevin DeWall '00 recently announced two additions to his coaching staff. Chris Rippon will serve as the Statesmen's special teams coordinator and also work with the safeties and specialists while Jared Leake '22 will serve as the cornerbacks coach.
 
Rippon comes to Hobart with four decades of coaching experience, most recently serving as the special teams coordinator of the 2021 Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League.
 
Prior to the pandemic, Rippon coached at the University of Mississippi. He held a variety of positions at Ole Miss, serving as the defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator from 2005 to 2007. After coaching stints at Rutgers, Marshall and Columbia, Rippon returned to Oxford, Mississippi, in 2015 as an assistant athletic director for recruiting operations and later served as an associate athletic director for community relations and special teams consultant.
 
A graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, Rippon played football for the Owls while earning a bachelor's degree in physical education. He was a graduate assistant coach at Western Connecticut State University while earning a master's degree in agency counseling.
 
Rippon was promoted to West Conn's defensive coordinator and assistant director of athletics, and later to head coach. He led the Wolves for three seasons before joining the coaching staff at Boston University. After four seasons with the Terriers, he moved to Central New York, coaching at Syracuse for 11 seasons. During that time, Rippon and the Orange won four Big East championships and played in seven bowl games.
 
Rippon has coached nearly two dozen players that have been drafted by National Football League teams, including five first round picks.
 
Leake returns to his alma mater after an all-star career for the Statesmen. He was a three-time All-Liberty League selection at cornerback, including first team honors in 2019 and 2021. Leake also earned D3football.com all-region honors in each of his final two seasons. In 39 career games, he produced 127 tackles, 27 pass breakups and seven interceptions.
 
Leake generated a career-high 55 tackles in 2019, helping the Statesmen go 9-2 with a 30-10 win at Cortland in the New York State Bowl. Last season, he had 31 tackles and notched a career-high 11 passes defended as Hobart again went 9-2 and won the Asa S. Bushnell Bowl at Westminster.
 
Leake earned a bachelor's degree in psychology. He was invited to the New York Giants' rookie minicamp earlier this year.
 
Hobart will kick off the 2022 season under the lights on Boswell Field. The Statesmen will host Alfred at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2.