ALL-TIME HEAD COACHES
DR. A. C. N. PETERSON
HARRY VAN KERSBERG
DR. EDWARD N. ANDERSON
1896-1897: 6-5-3
Peterson was a Worcester resident who starred
at tackle and on the rowing team at Penn State.
He coached in the controversial 1896 game with
Boston College in which Holy Cross claims a
6-4 win.
1913: 3-6
Van Kersberg lasted just one season at Holy
Cross, but counted a 13-0 defeat of Boston College among his victories.
1933-1938, 1950-1964: 129-67-8
Anderson took two turns at the helm of Holy
Cross football, and remains the all-time leader
in games coached and wins. He had a 47-7-4
record in his first tenure, including undefeated
marks in 1935 and 1937. In 1938, Anderson
led the Crusaders to a 9-1 record and a No. 9
national ranking. He then spent eight years at
Iowa from 1939-1942 and 1946-1949 (35-332), and in 1939 helped Nile Kinnick win the
Heisman Trophy while earning National Coach
of the Year honors. Anderson returned to Holy
Cross in 1950 and was 82-60-4 in his second
tenure, including 8-2 marks in 1951 and 1952.
Anderson graduated from Notre Dame, where
he played end and served as team captain under Knute Rockne. He also coached at Loras
(16-6-1) and DePaul (21-22-4), while earning
a medical degree from Rush Medical College
and playing professional football. Anderson’s
career record of 201-128-15 still ranks him 20th
all-time in Division I-A victories. Inducted into
the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971, he
passed away on April 26, 1974.
JOHN J. CORBETT
1898: 1-0
For reasons undetermined, Corbett coached but
one game at Holy Cross, defeating Massachusetts 23-0 in 1898.
MAURICE CONNOR
1898-1902: 27-15-4
An 1896 graduate of Harvard, Connor took over
during the 1898 season, and led the Crusaders
to a 7-1-1 mark in 1901. Connor later became
a lawyer, and passed away on March 22, 1939.
MAJOR FRANK CAVANAUGH
1903-1905: 16-10-2
Cavanaugh coached Holy Cross for three seasons, and also spent time as head coach at Cincinnati in 1898 (5-1-3), Dartmouth from 19111916 (42-9-3), Boston College from 1919-1926
(48-14-5) and Fordham from 1927-1932 (34-144). He compiled a 145-48-17 career mark with
105 shutouts in 210 games, and was inducted
into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.
A native of Worcester, Cavanaugh captained the
1898 Dartmouth team from his end position. He
earned the nickname ‘Iron Major’ from shrapnel
lodged in his head in World War I, and passed
away on Aug. 29, 1933.
GEORGE W. KING
1906: 4-3-1
A 1904 Holy Cross graduate and All-America
center, King coached but eight games. He died
on Feb. 6, 1961.
TIMOTHY F. LARKIN
1907-1912: 18-25-8
The first Holy Cross coach to post a losing record, Larkin was a 1905 graduate who played
quarterback and was inducted in the Holy Cross
Hall of Fame. Larkin also earned a law degree
in 1909, and later became a reporter for the
Worcester Gazette. He passed away on Jan. 14,
1960.
LUKE J. KELLY
1914-1917: 12-17-3
Kelly spent four seasons as head coach, with
his teams posting shutout victories over Boston
College in both 1914 and 1915.
BART F. SULLIVAN
1918: 2-0
Sullivan was called ‘Mr. Holy Cross’ for his 52year tenure as track coach, trainer and football
coach. A 1904 Olympian who later coached
three Olympians, he was inducted into the
Helms Foundation Hall of Fame in 1961 and the
Holy Cross Hall of Fame in 1959. Sullivan, who
finished third in the 1904 Boston Marathon,
passed away in 1968.
CLEO A. O’DONNELL
1919-1929: 69-27-6
A 1908 Holy Cross graduate, O’Donnell ranks
second all-time in victories (69), and third in
winning percentage (.706) and games coached
(102). He also spent time as the head coach at
Purdue from 1916-1917 (5-8-1) and St. Anselm
from 1935-1940 (27-11-1), leading St. Anselm
to two undefeated seasons. In addition, O’Donnell was Holy Cross’ athletic director from
1926-1935.
CAPTAIN JOHN J. MCEWAN
1930-1932: 21-5-1
A 1914 All-American at Army, McEwan was
called the greatest center in the history of college football at the time. He coached at Army
from 1923-1925 (18-5-3) and Oregon from
1926-1929 (20-13-2), before moving to Holy
Cross where he compiled a .796 winning percentage. He was fired with three games left in
the 1932 season after a sideline fight with Bart
Sullivan over the use of a player. A colonel in
the Army and later the chairman of the New
York Touchdown Club, McEwan also coached
the Brooklyn Dodgers of the NFL and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in
1962. He passed away on Aug. 9, 1970.
JOSEPH L. SHEEKETSKI
1939-1941: 15-11-3
Sheeketski came to Holy Cross in 1933 and
coached the backfield for six seasons before
taking over for Eddie Anderson, earning the
head coaching job on a secret ballot of the players. Sheeketski’s 1939 team went 7-2, while his
1941 squad posted a 19-13 win at Louisiana
State. He later coached at Nevada from 19471950 (24-18). A 1933 graduate of Notre Dame,
Sheeketski played halfback for Knute Rockne.
He passed away in 1996.
ANTHONY J. SCANLAN
1942-1944: 16-8-3
Scanlan served as the Crusaders’ head coach for
three seasons, and led Holy Cross to one of the
greatest upsets in college football history, the
55-12 demolition of unbeaten and No. 1-ranked
Boston College in 1942. Prior to his time with
the Crusaders, Scanlan coached at St. Joseph’s
Prep in Philadelphia. Oddly, Scanlan never
moved to Worcester and continued his position
with his own textile firm in Philadelphia, commuting to some practices and games.
ARTHUR CORCORAN
1932: 0-1-2
An assistant to O’Donnell and McEwan, Corcoran finished the 1932 season, but his teams did
not win a game or score a point.
2016 HOLY CROSS FOOTBALL FACT BOOK
93
ALL-TIME HEAD COACHES
JOHN DAGROSA
TOM BOISTURE
1945-1947: 17-10-2
DaGrosa came to Holy Cross in 1942 as backfield coach, and worked under Ank Scanlon for
three years, serving as day-to-day head of the
team while Scanlon traveled in his other position. He then took over as head coach for three
years, and in 1945 guided Holy Cross to a sterling 8-2 mark and an Orange Bowl appearance.
A graduate of Colgate, DaGrosa coached the
line at Georgetown while studying law, and also
served as an assistant at Temple and with the
Philadelphia Eagles. Throughout his tenure at
Holy Cross, he also held a federal appointment.
1967-1968: 8-11-1
Boisture took over as the Crusaders’ head coach
in 1967, serving for two years. His top season
came in 1967, when he led Holy Cross to a 5-5
record. Prior to his time as head coach, Boisture served as the Crusaders’ defensive coordinator in 1966, and as offensive backfield coach
at Houston for four years. A native of Detroit,
Mich., he went on to spend several years as the
New York Giants director of player personnel.
Boisture was a 1955 graduate of Mississippi
State, where he was a two-way guard. In addition, his son, Dave, played quarterback at Holy
Cross from 1979-1981. Boisture passed away
on March 11, 2011.
DR. WILLIAM T. OSMANSKI
1948-1949: 6-14-0
A 1939 Holy Cross graduate, Osmanski led the
Crusaders for two seasons from 1948-1949.
A native of Providence, R.I., he scored touchdowns on his first and last carries at Holy Cross,
and is the only player in school history to have
his jersey number (25) retired. Osmanski then
joined the Chicago Bears, and in 1939 became
the NFL’s first rookie to earn all-league honors. He studied dentistry at Northwestern while
playing for the Bears, and accumulated five
world championship rings. Following a stint in
the Navy, he returned to the Bears as backfield
coach. Osmanski was inducted into the College
Football Hall of Fame in 1973, and passed away
on Dec. 25, 1996.
MELVIN G. MASSUCCO
1965-1966: 8-10-2
Massucco served as Holy Cross’ head coach for
two years, with his 1966 team going 6-3-1. He
was previously an assistant coach for 11 years,
in addition to serving as hockey coach, a freshman baseball and lacrosse assistant, recruiting
coordinator and assistant to the athletic director. A 1954 graduate of Holy Cross, Massucco
was a three-year starter at halfback and punter,
earning All-East and Catholic All-America honors. Massucco also served as the head coach at
Worcester Polytechnic Institute from 1967-1977
(25-60-1), and was a color commentator on Crusader football radio broadcasts. He passed away
on March 23, 2002.
94
BILL WHITTON
1969-1970: 0-12-1
Named the Crusaders’ head coach in 1969,
Whitton’s first team played and lost two games
before an outbreak of infectious hepatitis ended
the season. The next year was not much better,
as the team went 0-10-1. Prior to his time with
the Crusaders, Whitton served as an assistant
coach at Lehigh for six years and at Princeton
for 13 seasons. Born in Scotland in 1920, Whitton had a three-year football career as two-way
end at St. Lawrence University, graduating in
1947. He passed away on Nov. 1, 2007.
ED DOHERTY
1971-1975: 20-31-2
Doherty spent five years as Holy Cross’ head
coach from 1971-1975. During the 1971 season,
he became the first man to earn New England
Coach of the Year honors with a losing record,
as his team went 4-6 following an 0-10-1 campaign in 1970. Prior to his time with the Crusaders, Doherty served as the head coach at Arizona
State from 1947-1950 (25-17), Rhode Island in
1951 (3-5), Arizona from 1957-1958 (4-15-1)
and Xavier from 1959-1961 (15-15). Doherty
graduated from Boston College in 1944, and
was a two-time All-East quarterback. He passed
away on Jan. 2, 2000, in Tucson, Ariz.
NEIL WHEELWRIGHT
1976-1980: 20-35-0
Wheelwright served as the Crusaders’ head
coach for five seasons, from 1976-1980. His
teams posted victories over Boston College in
both 1977 (35-20) and 1978 (30-29), marking
Holy Cross’ last two wins over the Eagles. A
1954 graduate of Springfield College, Wheel-
2016 HOLY CROSS FOOTBALL FACT BOOK
wright came to Holy Cross after posting a 4137-2 record as the head coach at Colgate from
1968-1975. He also spent time as an assistant at
Hofstra and Colgate.
RICK CARTER
1981-1985: 35-19-2
Carter spent five seasons as the Crusaders’ head
coach from 1981-1985, laying the groundwork
for the success Holy Cross would achieve in
the late 1980s and early 1990s. His 1983 team
was ranked No. 3 in the nation, and was the first
Holy Cross team to ever qualify for the NCAA
Division I-AA playoffs. The Crusaders also won
the Lambert Cup and were named the ECAC
Team of the Year in 1983, as Carter took home
National Coach of the Year honors. Carter came
to Holy Cross after compiling a 39-7-2 record
in four seasons at Dayton (1977-1980). In 1980,
he led the Flyers to the Division III national title, posting a 14-0 record and earning National
Coach of the Year honors. Carter also went 3611 in five years as head coach at Hanover (19721976), and 27-21-3 in six years at Earlham College (1966-1971). A 1964 graduate of Earlham,
Carter was an All-America quarterback on the
football team. He passed away on Feb. 2, 1986.
MARK DUFFNER
1986-1991: 60-5-1
Named head coach on Feb. 8, 1986, Duffner
took over a team in a state of emotional despair
and quickly transformed it into the nation’s most
successful Division I-AA program. He guided
the Crusaders to a 60-5-1 record in six seasons,
including 11-0 marks in 1987 and 1991. Holy
Cross won five Patriot League championships,
four Lambert Cups and four ECAC Team of
the Year awards during Duffner’s tenure, and
also earned the No. 1 ranking in the final 1987
NCAA Division I-AA poll. In addition, he was
named National Coach of the Year three times.
Duffner left Holy Cross following the 1991 season to become head coach at Maryland, where
he went 20-35 in five seasons. A native of Annandale, Va., Duffner was a standout defensive
tackle at William & Mary, graduating in 1975.
He also served as an assistant coach at Ohio
State, defensive coordinator at Cincinnati and
defensive coordinator at Holy Cross. Inducted
into the Holy Cross Hall of Fame in 2008, Duffner has spent a number of years coaching in the
National Football League, and is currently the
linebackers coach for the Miami Dolphins.
ALL-TIME HEAD COACHES / COACHING RECORDS
PETER VAAS
1992-1995: 14-30
A native of Westwood, Mass., Vaas spent four
seasons as the Crusaders’ head coach from
1992-1995. His only winning season came in
1992, when he led his squad to a second place
finish in the Patriot League. A 1974 Holy Cross
graduate, Vaas started at quarterback for three
seasons. He was also the head coach at Allegheny College from 1986-1989 (29-11-1), leading
his team to the 1987 NCAA Division III playoffs. Currently a private football consultant,
Vaas also spent time as an assistant coach at Allegheny, Duke, Miami (Ohio), New Hampshire,
Notre Dame and South Florida.
DAN ALLEN
1996-2003: 26-63
Allen spent eight seasons as head coach at Holy
Cross from 1996-2003. He earned New England
Coach of the Year honors in 2000 after leading
the Crusaders to a 7-4 record and a second place
finish in the Patriot League. Prior to his time
with the Crusaders, Allen served as head coach
at Boston University from 1990-1995, leading
the Terriers to a 35-34 record. He was named
the Division I-AA National Coach of the Year
in 1993 after leading his squad to a 12-1 record,
and guided Boston University to NCAA playoff
appearances in 1993 and 1994. Previously, Allen spent eight seasons as an assistant coach at
Holy Cross under Carter and Duffner. He passed
away on May 16, 2004.
ALL-TIME HOLY CROSS HEAD COACHING VICTORIES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
8.
9.
11.
12.
13.
15.
16.
17.
18.
20.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
Name
Seasons as Coach
Edward N. Anderson 1933-1938, 1950-1964
Cleo A. O’Donnell
1919-1929
Tom Gilmore
2004-present
Mark S. Duffner
1986-1991
Rick E. Carter
1981-1985
Maurice Connor
1898-1902
Dan Allen
1996-2003
John J. McEwen
1930-1932
Ed Doherty
1971-1975
Neil Wheelwright
1976-1980
Timothy F. Larkin
1907-1912
John (Ox) DaGrosa
1945-1947
Anthony J. Scanlan
1942-1944
Frank Cavanaugh
1903-1905
Joseph L. Sheeketski
1939-1941
Peter J. Vaas
1992-1995
Luke L. Kelly
1914-1917
Melvin G. Massucco
1965-1966
Tom Boisture
1967-1968
A.C.N. Peterson
1896-1897
William T. Osmanski
1948-1949
George W. King
1906
Harry Von Kersberg
1913
Bart F. Sullivan
1918
John J. Corbett
1898
Arthur Corcoran
1932
Bill Whitton
1969-1970
Totals
Yrs
G
21 204
11 102
12 135
6
66
5
56
5
46
8
89
3
27
5
53
5
55
6
51
3
29
3
27
3
28
3
29
4
44
4
32
2
20
2
20
2
14
2
20
1
8
1
9
1
2
1
1
1
3
2
13
120 1183
W-L-T
Pct.
129-67-8.652
69-27-6.706
66-69-0 .489
60-5-1.916
35-19-2.643
27-15-4.630
27-62-0.303
21-5-1.796
20-31-2.396
20-35-0.364
18-26-7.421
17-10-2.621
16-8-3.648
16-10 -2.607
15-11-3.569
14-30-0.318
12-17-3.422
8-10-2.450
8-11-1.425
6-5-3.536
6-14-0.300
4-3-1.563
3-6-0.333
2-0-0 1.000
1-0-0 1.000
0-1-2.333
0-12-1.036
620-509-54 .547
COACHING HONORS
AFCA NATIONAL
COACH OF THE YEAR
NEW ENGLAND FOOTBALL WRITERS
COACH OF THE YEAR
NEW YORK FOOTBALL WRITERS
COACH OF THE YEAR
1983 Rick Carter
1987 Mark Duffner
1971
1986
1991
2000
2009
1987 Mark Duffner
1990 Mark Duffner
CHEVROLET NATIONAL
COACH OF THE YEAR
1983 Rick Carter
1991 Mark Duffner
PATRIOT LEAGUE
COACH OF THE YEAR
1986
1987
1989
1991
2006
2009
Mark Duffner
Mark Duffner
Mark Duffner
Mark Duffner
Tom Gilmore
Tom Gilmore
Ed Doherty
Mark Duffner
Mark Duffner
Dan Allen
Tom Gilmore
USA TODAY MASSACHUSETTS
ALL-SPORTS COACH OF THE YEAR
1987 Mark Duffner
GRIDIRON CLUB OF GREATER BOSTON
COACH OF THE YEAR
1986
1987
1989
1991
Mark Duffner
Mark Duffner
Mark Duffner
Mark Duffner
2016 HOLY CROSS FOOTBALL FACT BOOK
AFCA DISTRICT I
COACH OF THE YEAR
1983
1986
1987
1991
Rick Carter
Mark Duffner
Mark Duffner
Mark Duffner
GEORGE CARENS AWARD
(Contributions to New England Football)
1960 Dr. Eddie Anderson
JOHN BARONIAN AWARD
(Lifetime Contributions to Football)
2003 Dan Allen
95
ALL-TIME COACHING RECORDS
ALL-TIME HOLY CROSS ASSISTANT COACHES
Addessa, Mike (1975-1977)
Allen, Bob (1992-1995)
Allen, Dan (1982-1989)
Allosso, Dakota (2011-2012)
Anderson, Richard (1997)
Andreoli, John (1982)
Attaway, Jim (1992)
Bachia, Paul (2001-2002)
Ball, Tony (1992-1994)
Bandy, Jeremy (2006-2011)
Barry, Jack (1939)
Beise, Sheldon (1942)
Boisture, Tom (1966)
Boozer, Neal (2009)
Bowes, Jim (1993-1995)
Bradley, Bob (1984,1987-1991,1996-2003)
Bresner, Alex (2014-2015)
Brumbaugh, Carl (1948-1949)
Burns, Robert (1967-1968)
Caito, Tom (1994)
Campiglia, Bob (1970)
Carter, Andrew (1996-2000)
Cervini, August (1928-1931)
Christensen, Clyde (1989-1990)
Collins, Isaac (2004)
Connolley, Harry (1960-1964)
Coppola, Bob (2006-2007)
Corcoran, Arthur (1928-1931)
Corrao, Pete (1981-1983)
Cox, Johnny (2007)
Coyle, Kevin (1982-1990)
Crea, John (1981)
Cully, Steve (2014-present)
DaGrosa, John (1944)
Dee, Robert (1959)
DeLeone, George (1984)
Devore, Hugh (1942)
DiMeco, Rocco (2013)
Doherty, Peter (1972-1974)
Donaher, Fran (1965-1972)
Donnahoo, Roger (1967-1968)
Donner, Wayne (1978-1980)
Dorazio, Dan (1989-1991)
Doyle, Chris (1992-1995)
Duffner, Mark (1981-1985)
Duggan, David (1992-1995)
Erhardt, Bobby (2004)
Fanning, Leo (1996-2003)
Fanning, Matt (2008,2011-present)
Faulkner, Thomas (1969-1970)
Filkovski, Jeff (1992-1995)
Fipp, David (1998-1999)
Fleming, Dave (2004)
Foley, Mike (1980)
Fox, Jim (1970)
Franklin, Jeff (2014-present)
Fraser, Bob (1992-1995)
Gebbia, Mike (1987-1988)
Gentry, Curtis (1971-1972)
Golden, Dennis (1967-1968)
Goldman, Dennis (1986-1988,1990)
Griffin, Robert (2000-2005)
96
Gronda, Rick (1996-1997)
Guynes, Jon (2008,2015-present)
Haggerty, Jim (1931)
Harris, John (1934-1936,1938,1950-1962)
Harris, Bob (1978-1979)
Hickman, John (1971-1974)
Housman, Walt (2009-2010)
Hull, Lee (1998-2002)
Jauron, Robert (1968)
Joseph, Vin (1980-1981)
Julian, Alvin (1945)
Kacevich, Joe (1976)
Kashurba, Mike (2014-present)
Kellar, John (1940)
Kelly, Luke (1928-1929)
Kittredge, Paul (1928)
Kosciolek, Cazzie (2007-2014)
Kosky, Edwin (1947-1949)
Kotulski, David (2005)
Kuharchek, Pete (1979-1980)
Krause, Edward (1939-1941)
Lalli, Mike (1994)
Larkins, Aashon (2004)
Law, John B. (1947)
Leonard, James (1943)
Leonard, Mike (1991)
Leonard, Pete (2008)
Lezynski, Nick (2012-2013)
Locke, Joseph (1933)
Lofton, Oscar (1964-1966)
Long, Peter (1996)
Lynch, Carlin (1965-1967)
Luciano, Ecio (1963-1966)
Madar, Elmer (1950-1953)
Malone, Terry (1985)
Manske, Edgar (1941)
Marino, Vince (1996-1998)
Maslowski, Karl (2006-2007)
Massucco, Melvin (1954-1964)
Mattison, Ryan (2005-2006)
McCarthy, Bill (2009,2011)
McCarty, Peter (1986-1991)
McDaniel, Dan (1981)
McDonough, Mark (2005-2010)
McEvily, Mike (1982)
McEwan, John (1931)
McGinty, Aaron (2015)
McGovern, Bill (1986,1991)
McKenzie, Andy (2008-2014)
McNally, Vincent (1944,1946)
Miller, Brian (2010)
Mioli, Gary (1982-1985)
Mohler, Matt (2009-2010)
Monty, Mark (1975)
Moran, James (1949)
Murphy, Andrae (2016-present)
Murphy, Dennis (1976-1977)
Nesselt, Bill (2016-present)
Noonan, Charlie (2015-present)
Norton, Robert (1969)
Novak, Frank (1978-1983)
Nugai, Chris (2012-2013)
2016 HOLY CROSS FOOTBALL FACT BOOK
O’Boyle, Harry W. (1929)
O’Connor, Frank (1928)
O’Leary, Pat (2005-2009)
O’Melia, Edward (1938-1939)
O’Rourke, Charles (1950-1952)
Patenaude, Dave (2004-2006)
Pedone, Mike (1996-2010)
Perkovich, Tom (2005)
Peterson, John (1981)
Phenix, Pat (1987-1992)
Piepul, Milt (1966-1967)
Pincince, Chris (2004-2007)
Pinkham, Ed (1992-1995)
Plummer, Roderick (2014-present)
Poppe, Jon (2010)
Purnsley, Ernie (1995)
Quinn, Tom (1996-1998)
Radulski, Tom (2011-2014)
Rahne, Richard (2004)
Raymond, Ed (1981-1985)
Reardon, Josh (2011)
Redding, Mike (1983-1985)
Rega, Mike (1983)
Reed, Jack (1928,1930-1931)
Rock, Brian (2015-present)
Rodgers, Richard (2005-2011)
Roeder, Ryan (2004)
Rondeau, Andy (2012-2013)
Rossley, Tom (1986-1987)
Riopel, Albert (1933-1937,1939,1941,
1944-1963)
Ryan, Pat (1973-1974)
Salvucci, Gayton (1971-1975)
Samko, Bill (2011-present)
Santilli, Tony (1998)
Scarpino, David (1969)
Scanlan, Anthony (1946)
Schwenke, Cliff (1979-1980,1984,1986-1991)
Sgambati, Pat (1976-1978)
Shay, Harry (1965)
Sheeketski, Joseph (1933-1938)
Sherman, Mike (1985-1988)
Sinagra, Vince (1999-2003)
Smith, Antoine (2011-2013)
Smith, Howard (1947)
Smith, John P. (1940-1941)
Spence, Rob (1991)
Spencer, Sean (2004)
Stubljar, Michael (2001-2004)
Suazo, Phil (1989-1991)
Sweet, Chris (1998)
Swepson, Jason (1996)
Thompson, Luke (1999-2000)
VanderSea, Phil (1975-1978)
Whalen, Jack (1969-1979)
White, Chris (1993)
Williams, Jesse (1996-1997)
Wirth, Joseph (1968)
Wray, Ludlow (1942-1943)
Yewcic, Thomas (1969-1970)
Zeno, Joseph (1948)