Susquehanna University Athletics

A three-year starter at offensive guard for Susquehanna University, Don anchored a line his senior year which achieved offensive records including rushing and passing for over 2,000 yards, and helping the team win the 1970 MAC Northern Division Championship. Led by head coach Jim Hazlett and offensive line assistant coach Bob Pittello, Don played alongside Hall of Fame teammates including quarterback Ernie Tyler and running backs Jeff Goria, Bob Veach, and Joe Palchak.  
 
Don considers Pittello to be his most influential coach. A master technician and a great motivator, Pittello inspired Don to follow in his footsteps. Upon graduating from Susquehanna, Don coached high school football for 15 years in four states, using Pittello's techniques and practice drills.  
 
Don began his coaching career as an assistant offensive line coach in Schenectady, New York, and later in Emerson, New Jersey. He was named head coach at Wallington High School in New Jersey when he was 26 years old. Before Don arrived, Wallington went the whole season without scoring until the last game of the year. Under Don's leadership, he turned around the football program in three years and won the first outright league championship in?the school's history giving Wallington its only back-to-back winning records. 

After a successful coaching run at Wallington, Don became head coach at Parsippany Hills High School in New Jersey in 1977. Parsippany Hills is a large school in one of the toughest conferences in New Jersey. Like Wallington, Parsippany Hills did not have much of a football tradition prior to Don arriving at the school. While at Parsippany Hills, Don launched a youth football program, and spent time personally training all the coaches, helping them install a simplified version of his hybrid offense and defense coaching techniques. 
 
In 1980, Don relocated to Florida to be closer to his aging parents and in-laws. Don returned to coaching the following year as the offensive line coach for Pasco Comprehensive High School in Dade City. Following that football season, Don became an assistant principal at the school for the next four years. In 1985, Don relocated to Ohio making a leap to pursue an interesting opportunity outside of secondary education…where he began to "coach" sales executives how to sell software. While pursuing this new career path, he still made time to serve as a part-time volunteer football assistant at Centerville High School, Dayton Christian High School, and Lehman Catholic High School.    
 
A fierce advocate for his players on and off the playing field, Don established weight training facilities where there were none, and provided academic counseling and college admissions support for all his players, regardless of their athletic ability or chosen vocation. Carrying on SU's tradition of giving back, Don inspired his players to making a positive impact in their communities by spearheading new service programs in those schools. 
 
Throughout the years, Don has kept close connections with his Susquehanna teammates, helping to coordinate the 20th and 50th reunions of the 1970 Championship team. During the pandemic, he organized zoom meeting "Huddles" to support and stay in touch with them.  

Don married his college sweetheart, Jane Brockway (Class of 1972). They have two daughters, Allison and Laura, and they recently celebrated 51 years of marriage. Don is the proud grandfather and "Coach" to his four grandchildren, Emma, Alex, Whitney, and Kelly.