Bergen Catholic Football The Official Home of the Bergen Catholic Crusaders

Coaching to win

Each day, leading up to Friday's state final game, Dan Long will break down key aspects of the game that are vital for a Bergen Catholic championship victory. Here is a look at BC's coaching staff, and how the Crusaders' coaching mentality will play a huge part on Friday night:

When you are a coach at a school that has a rich tradition of winning championships, the spotlight is always brighter compared to other schools. With that added attention comes a greater sense of pressure and higher expectations on coaches. You are expected to not only win, but to win consistently, and to win the biggest games against your biggest rivals. It takes a special type of person to be able to deal daily with those lofty demands and stresses, and to thrive on the biggest stage. Bergen Catholic Head Coach Nunzio Campanile and his entire coaching staff live for these challenges, and yearn for another chance to take on Don Bosco Prep in Friday's Non-Public Group 4 State Final.

In the past 10 years, Don Bosco Prep has become the 800 pound gorilla resting on the back of the BC football program, capturing 7 of the past 9 state titles in the group, including winning 5 straight state crowns. Not only have the Ironmen dominated the postseason, but DBP has had an answer for BC in 17 of the last 18 overall match ups, and this prolonged era of Ironmen dominance has created a collective feeling of frustration in Crusader Country. The pressure to win falls upon Coach Campanile and his staff, and Friday night presents another chance for the second year coach to carve out his own historic place in the tradition that is Bergen-Bosco.

Whether it is fair or unfair, Nunzio Campanile understands that even though he has only be in charge of the Crusader program for 3 games against the Ironmen, in a way he inherits the other losses over the past decade as the current face of the BC football program. Campanile is building a program, not just a team, and his sights are always set on being the top gridiron program in the Garden State. As much as he can game plan against his former employer, the results are produced by the players on the field, and he and his coaches can only put them in the best place to win the game.

Every great coach knows how to gain the trust and respect of his team, and that is clearly evident in Crusader Stadium with the BC program. The BC players respond to their fiery, passionate, and energetic coaches, feeding off their intensity and love of the game. In his second year in Oradell, Campanile has instilled a toughness, aggressive mentality, and sense of confidence in his players that can be seen in his quick results. His team has made the state final in his first two seasons, have won 18 of 22 games, and have embarked on a new age of football at BC by engaging in a demanding national schedule. The one thing that Campanile and his coaches need to accomplish next is to defeat their nemesis in a state final.

Campanile has taken on the persona of a gunslinger, a confident coach that is willing to take gambles because of his unwavering trust of his players. Part Les Miles, part Jim Harbaugh, Campanile's passion and fire is never questioned, but his outside-the-box choices have been. Whether it be his onside kicks, the call for a deep pass in the 4th quarter in the 2010 state final, or this year's decision to go for it on 4th down deep in his own end, Campanile's decisions have been controversial and easily second-guessed by a slew "Monday Morning Quarterbacks". That is Nunzio Campanile's personality, and the Crusaders love him for it, and that is why the Crusaders are in another state final under their young head coach.

The BC coaching staff staff employ an aggressive coaching style that demands perfection and effort every time the players step onto the field. The dedication that all of these men have displayed since the summer months is unwavering, and all their work and time have been spent to get the team to this weekend's game, and to take the next step as a program, as a school, and as a family. The pressure of coaching football at a place like Bergen Catholic would cripple many other coaches, but not Campanile and his staff. They have become accustomed to hearing the naysayers proclaim Bosco's invincibility and BC's futile chances of knocking off the Ironmen from their football throne. They have heard the cackles of critics who mock after each loss, and the sour grapes of others who still believe that BC is not as good as their record and rankings indicate. They have transformed these negatives into positive motivation for their players, and more importantly, they have taught them how to properly live their lives as young men.

Obviously you coach to win, and Nunzio Campanile and his coaches have put in the work, have prepared their players to the best of their abilities, and have taught their group what it means to play at Bergen Catholic. BC is in great hands with Campanile and his staff, as they all perfectly embody what it is to be part of the BC Brotherhood, and will bring home a significant amount of championships to Crusader Country.

ABOUT DAN LONG

Dan Long graduated from Bergen Catholic in 2003 where he was the Sports Director of BCTV and coined the immortal phrase "Crusader Crazies" for the raucous BC student section. He is currently the radio voice of Bergen Catholic football, the founder of DL Sports Media, and a weekly contributor to BergenCatholicFootball.com.