Longtime Coach and Educator Returns Home to Lead
the Crimson Tide Football Program
The newest chapter in the history of Everett High School’s football program was written this week, as a longtime educator with unbreakable bonds to the city was appointed head coach of the Crimson Tide.
Robert DiLoreto, an Everett High School (EHS) graduate well-versed in the city’s long and proud football tradition, was named head coach on Wednesday afternoon. He will lead a program that has been fielding championship teams for generations, including 12 Super Bowl titles and more than 260 victories over the past 19 seasons.
“Words and emotions can’t explain how I feel,” he said. “I’m euphoric. This is literally a dream come true for me. I am honored and humbled, and I can’t wait to get started and do the best job I can for our kids.”
EHS Athletic Director Tammy Turner said the decision to offer the position to DiLoreto centered around basic but crucial considerations. “His coaching pedigree is clear. But what struck me most is how genuine and passionate he is about our school, our football program, and our city,” she said. “It is clear that he will put our players’ interests above all else, in every decision he makes.”
DiLoreto, a “proud product” of Everett’s Village neighborhood, attended the Adams School and Parlin Junior High before graduating from Everett High in 1984. He has vast experience as a head coach and an assistant, including a two-year stint as an offensive coach for the Crimson Tide in 2017 and 2018.
DiLoreto, who holds a bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame and a master’s degree in secondary education from Salem State, has been a teacher and an administrator at Arlington High since 1996. He has been a social studies teacher, Director of Athletics (2000-2006), and Dean of Students (2006-present). He is the father of four children — Robert, Kasey, Corey, Riley, and his beloved deceased son, Jason.
“We are hiring a first-rate teacher and coach who is equipped to handle all aspects of this position, from on-field performance to mentoring and community relations,” said Superintendent of Schools Priya Tahiliani. “To use his words, he is ‘All In’ on leading our football team and I look forward to watching him support the athletic, academic, and social development of our students.”
School Committee member Thomas Abruzzese echoed the Superintendent’s sentiments, saying, “I have known Rob for most of his life and he is a terrific man and a terrific coach. I can assure you that he is highly respected by his players, opponents, and officials. This is a great day for Everett football and our entire community!”
DiLoreto’s coaching career began at a level that is so important to Everett’s football prowess — Pop Warner. He coached in the Everett Huskies Pop Warner program for six years before embarking on his high school career. In 1994, he took Pope John’s program from the brink of extinction to the 1998 Division VI Super Bowl championship. That year, he was named a Coach of the Year by the Boston Globe.
After a two-year hiatus, he returned to the sideline to serve as Arlington High’s head coach from 2002-2004 and again in 2019, coaching in the competitive Middlesex League. After stints as an assistant at Austin Prep and Malden Catholic, he served as an assistant and then offensive coordinator at Reading High from 2008-2016. During that span, the Rockets boasted an incredible five perfect 11-0 regular seasons, won two Super Bowl crowns, and seven Middlesex League championships.
In 2017, he returned to Everett, serving for one year under Coach John DiBiaso and helping lead the undefeated Crimson Tide to an 11-0 record and the school’s 12th Super Bowl title.
Now, he says, “I’m in the job I want to have for the rest of my career. I completely respect how important this position is to the city of Everett.”
DiLoreto oversaw Everett High’s socially-distanced conditioning and training sessions during the summer of 2020. That, coupled with his experience as an assistant with EHS as recently as 2018, means that he is familiar with many current players and the existing coaching staff. While he said this helps ease his transition into the role of head coach, he added that he is committed to “earning the trust and respect of my players, building relationships in the community, and improving each and every day.”
Everett High’s involvement in the MIAA’s plans for interscholastic competitions during what is being called the Fall 2 season are yet to be finalized, but the hope is to get back on the field in April. “When we do,” DiLoreto said, “I will be gleaming with pride.”