Thank You, Coach DiBiaso

When Supt. of Schools Frederick Foresteire calls John DiBiaso “the greatest coach in Massachusetts high school football history,” it’s hard to comprehend the magnitude of that statement.

When you think of the more than 150 years of football in Massachusetts and some of the great players such as Harry Agganis and Dick Jauron and our own Everett legends such as Charlie Brickley, Bobby Leo, Dan Ross and the Nuzzos, Frank Jr., Frank III, and Matt –  who have played the game, it makes you stand in awe of John DiBiaso’s accomplishments all the more.

But Mr. Foresteire is right on the mark. No coach in Massachusetts football has enjoyed a longer period of sustained excellence than John DiBiaso. Winning three Super Bowls in a row on two separate occasions and leaving the program with back-to-back state championships and a 19-game winning streak – it makes you marvel at what the city of Everett has produced in its football program that has more wins (799) than any other in Massachusetts.

Through all the success, John DiBiaso remained humble and gracious. His players always represented our city well. His teams never “ran up the score” or focused on individual statistics or all-time records.

John DiBiaso also had the distinct pleasure of coaching his son, former All-Scholastic quarterback Jonathan DiBiaso, in the program and that tremendous four-year run of success had to be rewarding for the coach, the father, and the entire DiBiaso family. Jonathan, like many of the Everett stars, went on to attend Dartmouth College and graduated from Tufts University.

So many Everett players have received scholarships and continued their careers in college. Most notably, Everett alumnus and Boston College junior defensive back Lukas Denis was recently named to the Walter Camp All-American Team. Offensive lineman Pat Sullivan became an All-American player at UMass/Dartmouth and there are so many others who achieved great things in NCAA football.

But while the victories were plentiful and the winning percentage (close to 90 percent) is extraordinary, what we’ll remember most is the joy of coaching and love of football that John DiBiaso exhibited each day at practice and in the games.

What a remarkable legacy John DiBiaso leaves in the EHS football program. We have all benefited from his presence in our city and his work at our high school.

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