Retired Brother Rice football coach Al Fracassa sits down with a Michigan Catholic reporter in his office, every square inch of which is covered with memorabilia from his 54-year coaching career.What makes Al Fracassa tick?
Students don’t care who you are, what you do, how important you are in society, but they care about you if you care for them. I think that’s the basic thing I would like to express. I believe you can get a whole lot accomplished in how you treat kids — anybody, even adults — if you put yourself in their place. Be honest with them. I think that’s part of my life. I learned that from my three older brothers — and they’re still alive today. They’re all older than me: Guido is 92, Romeo 87 and Angelo 84. I’m the baby, 81. They taught me a lot. My parents were very hard-working people. My mother, it just was unbelievable how hard she worked. They came from Italy with my two older brothers. My other brother, Angelo, and I, we were born in Detroit. We lived in the Gratiot-Mt. Elliott area.
“What makes him special, what’s remarkable, is not his won-lost record, but his ability to elevate the human spirit. He gets so much out of every single player in practice as well as games. He makes every single boy know how important he is. He appreciates the scout team and the third stringers. He tells the team how proud he is of good grades. Once he celebrated a boy who reached Eagle Scout status in front of the team.” —Jerome Malczewski, 1981 Rice grad and former Rice football player who is writing two books about Fracassa — one about leadership and life lessons and the other, biographical.
What about your family?
I met (Phyllis Secontine, his wife) in middle school, in the seventh grade. I wasn’t the ladies’ man. I was afraid of ladies. I didn’t do a lot of dating. I didn’t have too much money. We went to the prom together in high school. We went to the same college, Michigan State. (After graduation from MSU, Al joined the Army). We were married six months after I joined (in 1956). She came with me to Germany. I got out of the Army in about 1958, did some substitute teaching. My first job (teaching history and physical ed and coaching football) was at Shrine High School (in Royal Oak). I was there for nine years. I have two sons and two daughters, and seven grandchildren. One son, Rick, lives in Auburn Hills; the other, David, lives in Troy. Both are manufacturers’ reps. One daughter, Susan, is a caterer in Berlin, Germany; she’s been there for about 15 years. My other daughter, Kathy, lives in Omaha, Neb. I haven’t been to Germany; my wife has. Now that I’m not coaching anymore, I’ll be able to go to Germany to see my daughter.
In your first year coaching at Shrine, players complained about how hard you drove them.
When I was at Michigan State we had won 28 straight games. We won the national championship. When I was coaching high school, I wanted everybody to work like at Michigan State, how hard these guys worked, and I wanted to transmit that working-hard attitude, to be good football players, to be good people, to make something of yourselves. That was something I stressed. The harder you work, the luckier you get. Biggie Munn had a great saying that the difference between good and the best is a little bit of extra effort.
“I remember our first week of practice, he was like a young Marine drill sergeant. I looked over and some of our seniors couldn’t get off the field, they were so tired from the conditioning drills. He’s a no-nonsense guy ... I’ve still never heard a former player of his say even one negative word about Coach. We idolized that man.” —John Goddard, football coach at Royal Oak Shrine.
What has kept you at Brother Rice all these (45) years? You had offers from the Detroit Lions and Michigan State.
(Lions coach) Monte Clark called me one day and asked me how I would like to become the offensive coach. I said, “This is really an honor that you asked me.” But I was at the age where I hadn’t even had experience (coaching) college football. He thought highly of me. I did a lot of praying, really. The money wasn’t that great, but I would have had a car to drive and insurance and all that. I decided I should stay in high school. The next year Monte Clark got fired.
Was it the kids that made you stay at Rice? I heard you once say you’re getting older, but the kids all stay the same age.
I enjoy the kids. They’re growing up. They need love and attention. Their parents certainly give it to them. Some of them too much. But it’s an all-boys school, and I like the challenge of an upper division (Catholic League Central Division, regarded among the top three in the state). When I came here, I didn’t know I made the right decision or not because I was happy at Shrine High School. I took a chance and still was uncomfortable for a year or two, then got better and better. When you win a lot, people think you’re a genius, but the kids on my team, they’re the ones who make you look good.
“Everyone talks about how valuable Al Fracassa is to the Brother Rice community. He is just as valuable to the Catholic League. For over 50 years he has mentored players and coaches for roles of leadership, not only at Rice but throughout the league and community. When college coaches call him about prospective players, he tells them about players from other schools in addition to his own at Rice. He equally promotes talent from the Catholic League. He is a class act. He will be missed.” —Vic Michaels, Catholic League director of athletics.
Who was the influence in your life, in formulating your coaching philosophy?
It all started way back in (Northeastern) high school. I had a coach named Art Carty. He was an All American basketball player at Alma College. He used to have us come in at 6 a.m. to play basketball to get ready for the season. But there was something he said that stuck in mind all these years in coaching. I try to remind myself of this philosophy every day when I go out to practice. It’s very simple. He used to say to me: I’d like you to do things better than you’ve ever done them before. I listened to that: Do things better than you’ve ever done them before. That’s a hard thing to do. Boy, oh, boy. You have to be tough mentally, be strong physically, be able to handle situations with all your might. So Mr. Carty influenced me on that alone. He practiced what he preached. Duffy Daughterty and Biggie Munn at Michigan State, they were the same. They all taught me great.
“It’s his leadership; his coaching ability. Obviously, he’s a great coach; he’s going to be missed. He’s one of the best people I’ve ever met in my life. It’s going to be tough saying goodbye to him. I know it’s tough for him to say good-bye.” —Alex Malzone, junior Rice quarterback who completed 20 of 24 passes for 263 yards and four TDs and ran for a TD in Rice’s state title game victory against Muskegon, Fracassa’s last game.
How is your health?
I had a double by-pass surgery seven or eight years ago. It was during the summer, before the football season. I was able to recuperate and get on the field. I didn’t miss a game.
Tell me about the 1974 team.
We were 9-0. We were declared the “mythical” state champions (the MHSAA didn’t begin football playoffs until 1975). I had 10 boys from that team that played Division 1 football. It was unbelievable. Some people call it the best team ever in Oakland County.
“We had six more games to go. We said we’re going to go undefeated and win the state championship. So we decided to buy championship rings for the coaches. We passed the hat and collected $50 or $60 from each player — that was a lot of money then — and ordered the rings from Josten’s. If the coach found out, he would have killed me.”—Kevin Hart, All State and captain of the 1974 team, and currently coach of the Rice freshman football team.
You take care of the physical and mental life of the kids. Tell me about your spiritual life.
We belong to Our Lady of Grace Church in Warren. I have a rosary with me all the time. (He pulls a rosary out of his pocket).When I’m on the football field, it’s in my pocket. I hold it in my hand. (Then he shows a plastic stone with the inscription, “Believe”). One of my grandsons gave it to me when I had a gall bladder operation. I don’t pray for victory. I pray the Good Lord to take care of me on the sidelines and for the kids to play to their best ability. I don’t ask the Lord to take sides because they’re Catholic, too.
