USD Football 1995

DIVISION Ill SCENE

LEGENDARYCOACHJOHNGAGLIARDI HIS ST. JOHN'S CLUB HOUSE AND HAPPY--ANDHIS PLAYERSTHANK HIM BYCONSISTENTLYWINNING.

coaching frate r- nity keeps players busy with agility drills and hard- hitting tackling during strictly reg- imented practice sessions, Gagliardi throws away his whistle, loosen s the re ins, and then laughs all the way to the win- ner's circle. Gagl i ar di began his coach- ing career at the age of 16, while he was a hig h school player. Now, some 52 years later, he's the nation's most successful player's coach. Keep the

ing him fourth among college coaches for most wins and second among active coaches behind Grambling's Eddie Robinson. As this season began, he need ed just seven wins to move into sec- ond place on the all-time win list, ahead of Bear Bryant (323) and Pop Warner (319). Gagliardi has led St. John 's to three NCAA Division III national cham- pionships (1963, '65 and '76) and 16 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athle tic Conference (MIAC) titles. But to dwell solely on Gagliardi's numbers would be to reduce Rick Barry to just an outstanding free-throw shoot- er, without speaking of his patented underhanded delivery. Gagliardi has achieved greatness and uniqueness at the same time. 'The biggest thing you learn here is you don't do thingsjust because other people do it," said Mark Mooney, one OF FOURSt. John's part-timeassistant coaches. Gagliardi got his start in I943, when his coach at Trinidad (Colo.) Catholic High School was drafted into the mili- tary. Gagliardi, a senior captain, per- suaded the administration, which was set to disband the team, to let him take over. He coached for four years at Trinidad, and then for two at St. Mary's High in Colorado Springs. Gagliardi, who won four conference titles in his six-year high school coaching career, graduated from Colorado College in 1949 with a degree and a dif- ficult career decision. But rather than join the family business-his fa ther owned a small auto body shop in CONTINUED

J O HN GAGLIARDl'S RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES HE ENTERED THIS SEASON FOURTH ON THE ALL·TIME WINS LIST

players happy, pre- pare them for the upcoming battle and get out of their way. It's the only way he knows. "What I feel is that these are college peo- ple, and that they sh ould have an oppor- tunityto exercise as much leadership role as possible," Gagliardi says. "Let the p lay- ers have a chance to have some input. You can learn a lot from asking them questions and getting their input." Who's to argue? Gagliardi entered the 1995 season with a career record of 317-98-10 (294-92-9 at St.John's), rank-

BY MICHAEL RUBIN ohn Gagliardi doesn 't need a lawyer to defend his coaching style. He has a record that speaks as eloquently and persuasively as any attorney. Since 1953, Gagliardi 's unortho- dox coaching methods have trans- lated into one successful season after another for the football team at St. Jo hn 's University of Col- legeville, Minn. So while the rest of the nation's college