The Beaver County Times has been doing a Friday feature where they look back at an area great. Past Pitt players are heavy in this thing. This week, a look at former Pitt player and coach, Foge Fazio.
Fazio’s first stop at Pitt came in 1969 when he was named the defensive coordinator under coach Carl DePasqua. It was during his four years in that post he became familiar with Hopewell great Tony Dorsett.
“I was recruiting Tony and wanted to make him a free safety,” Fazio said. “That’s how smart I was.”
Dorsett ended up going to Pitt as a running back, eventually winning the Heisman Trophy. Fazio wasn’t there to share in Dorsett’s days with the Panthers. When Johnny Majors took over at Pitt in 1973, Fazio left for the University of Cincinnati.
After four seasons as the Bearcats’ defensive coordinator, Fazio returned to Pitt as an assistant under Jackie Sherrill. Following five years of coaching under Sherrill – the last three as defensive coordinator – Fazio was named Pitt’s football coach when Sherrill left for Texas A&M.
“It was a great honor, but with it comes pressure because being from the area, people know who you are and they expect a lot out of you,” Fazio said.
Added pressure came when Pitt was the preseason No. 1-ranked team in the country in 1982.
“I guess since we were 11-1 the previous three years with key players (like quarterback Dan Marino) returning, I guess we were the logical choice,” Fazio said.
Injuries to key receivers affected Marino, and Pitt ended 9-3 with a loss to SMU in the Cotton Bowl. The Panthers were 8-3-1 with a loss to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl the following year. Things went sour in 1984 as Pitt went 3-7-1.
“We lost some real good players and probably didn’t recruit as well as we had in the past,” Fazio admitted. “But I was the head coach. It was on my watch.
“We were taking kids who we were sure would graduate,” Fazio said. “A few years ago, Dean Billick, who was the assistant athletic director (at Pitt), told me I had the highest graduation rate of all the recent Pitt coaches. I said, ‘Well, that still didn’t save my job.'”
He may not have been a very good head coach, but he was a solid assistant, and remains a good interview.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, Aaron Smith of Gateway high will announce his choice of school live on FSN Pittsburgh in between the Pennsylvania Kickoff Classic II games being aired.
Although Pitt is considered the favorite, Gateway coach Terry Smith warned not to count out Maryland.
Aaron Smith visited the College Park campus last weekend, and the Terrapins are recruiting him as an athlete who could play receiver or defensive back.
“They’re neck and neck,” said Terry Smith, Aaron’s uncle. “They’re sending five or six handwritten letters a day. They’re all calling me, trying to reach me because they can’t call kids until Sept. 1.”
Anyone else wonder how the coaches at any program have that kind of time to write little notes to players. I have to believe that is the job of a cadre of student interns in the athletic department.
Also, September 1 is the first day written offers and telephone contact can be made by college coaching staffs for high schoolers of the class of 2007. According to the story the following local kids can expect lots of attention.
Hampton linebacker Steve Paskorz, receivers Toney Clemons of Valley, Jon Ditto of Gateway and Derek Moye of Rochester, Central Catholic lineman Stefen Wisniewski and Greensburg Central defensive back Nick Sukay.
Gentlemen, start your speed dial.
