Paul Pasqualoni
Encyclopedia
Paul Pasqualoni is the current head coach
of the University of Connecticut
football team
. On January 13, 2011, Pasqualoni was named to lead the Huskies, two weeks after former coach Randy Edsall
left for the University of Maryland
.
Pasqualoni was formerly the defensive coordinator of the NFL
's Miami Dolphins
, and most recently as the defensive line coach and interim defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys
. He is perhaps most notable, however, as the former head coach of the Syracuse University
football team from 1991 to 2004.
, Pasqualoni attended Cheshire High School
, where he lettered in football and basketball. Following graduation, he continued to Bordentown Military Institute
, also lettering on the football squad, and graduating in 1968. Pasqualoni then enrolled at Penn State
, where he was a walk-on and subsequent letterman, as a linebacker
under head coach Joe Paterno
. In 1972, he received a B.S
in health
and physical education
, then finished his education at Southern Connecticut State
, receiving a M.S.
in physical education and human performance.
Pasqualoni began his coaching career in 1972, while a graduate student at Southern Connecticut, as an assistant at his alma mater, Cheshire High School, where he remained for four seasons. After completing his master's degree, he was hired in 1976 as an assistant at Southern Connecticut by then-head coach, and future Syracuse assistant under both Dick MacPherson
and Pasqualoni, George DeLeone
. Pasqualoni was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1980, a position which he held for two seasons.
In 1982, Pasqualoni was hired away from Southern by in-state rival Western Connecticut
, as its head coach and athletic director
. In five seasons with the Colonials, he amassed a 34-17 record, and coached the team to a 1985 New England Football Conference
championship and appearance in the NCAA Division III playoffs.
, who left for the NFL to coach the New England Patriots
. The Orange (then known as the Orangemen) enjoyed a number of successful years with Pasqualoni at the helm. The team won the Fiesta Bowl
over Colorado in 1992 and defeated Clemson 41-0 in Gator Bowl
in 1995, Donovan McNabb
's freshman year. The team had a 6-3 record in bowl games under Pasqualoni. Pasqualoni's 14-year record with Syracuse was 107-59-1. His only losing season was in 2002 with a 4-8 record. Most seasons of his tenure saw Syracuse competing in the Top 25 in the country.
While coach of the Orangemen, Pasqualoni's roots in Connecticut led him to recruit many star players from Connecticut high schools, including Bloomfield
's Dwight Freeney
, New Britain
's Tebucky Jones
and the McIntosh brothers from Cheshire High School
.
At the conclusion of the 2004 season the team lost the Champs Sports Bowl
51-14. New athletic director Daryl Gross
fired Pasqualoni on December 29, 2004, despite the fact that Syracuse's president, Nancy Cantor
, publicly stated that Pasqualoni would be on the sidelines the next season. He was replaced by Greg Robinson
, who had been serving as the defensive coordinator at the University of Texas. During the 2005 season, the first season in 14 years without Pasqualoni leading the team, the Orange football team posted a record of 1-10, the worst record in the 117-year history of Syracuse University football.
s for the 2005 season
, where he is credited for the continued development of Jason Witten
leading to his second consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl
. In 2006, Pasqualoni became the coach of the linebackers, being influential in Demarcus Ware
's success in that position.
On November 8, 2010 Pasqualoni was promoted to interim defensive coordinator resulting from the firing of Wade Phillips
, as Phillips served as both head coach and defensive coordinator for the Cowboys.
Pasqualoni was fired by the Miami Dolphins on January 11, 2010.
He was subsequently hired as the defensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys
.
He is also the author, with Jim McLaughlin, of the book Coaching Youth Football, ISBN 0-07-137219-9.
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
football team
Connecticut Huskies football
The Connecticut Huskies football team is a collegiate football team that competes in NCAA Division I-A and the Big East Conference. Connecticut first fielded a team in 1896, and participated in Division I-AA until 1999. The Huskies began their two-year Division I-A transition period in 2000, and...
. On January 13, 2011, Pasqualoni was named to lead the Huskies, two weeks after former coach Randy Edsall
Randy Edsall
Randy Douglas Edsall is an American college football coach. He is currently the head coach at the University of Maryland. Edsall was the head coach at the University of Connecticut from 1999 until the 2011 Fiesta Bowl, and oversaw the program's promotion from the NCAA Division I–AA level to...
left for the University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
.
Pasqualoni was formerly the defensive coordinator of the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and most recently as the defensive line coach and interim defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. He is perhaps most notable, however, as the former head coach of the Syracuse University
Syracuse Orange football
The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision...
football team from 1991 to 2004.
Early life
A native of Cheshire, ConnecticutCheshire, Connecticut
Cheshire is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 28,543 at the 2000 census. The center of population of Connecticut is located in Cheshire. In 2009 Cheshire was ranked 72 in Money Magazine's 100 Best Places to Live.Likewise, in 2011 Cheshire was ranked 73 in...
, Pasqualoni attended Cheshire High School
Cheshire High School
Cheshire High School is located on Route 10 across from Bartlem Park in Cheshire, Connecticut. It is 15 miles north of New Haven and south of Hartford...
, where he lettered in football and basketball. Following graduation, he continued to Bordentown Military Institute
Bordentown Military Institute
The Bordentown Military Institute was a private high school in Bordentown, New Jersey from 1881 to 1973.-History:It was created in 1881 when Reverend William Bowen purchased the Spring Villa Female Seminary building and reopened it as the Bordentown Military Institute. In 1972 it was merged with...
, also lettering on the football squad, and graduating in 1968. Pasqualoni then enrolled at Penn State
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
, where he was a walk-on and subsequent letterman, as a linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
under head coach Joe Paterno
Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
. In 1972, he received a B.S
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in health
Health education
Health education is the profession of educating people about health. Areas within this profession encompass environmental health, physical health, social health, emotional health, intellectual health, and spiritual health...
and physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
, then finished his education at Southern Connecticut State
Southern Connecticut State University
Southern Connecticut State University is one of four state universities in Connecticut, and is located in the West Rock neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut...
, receiving a M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in physical education and human performance.
Pasqualoni began his coaching career in 1972, while a graduate student at Southern Connecticut, as an assistant at his alma mater, Cheshire High School, where he remained for four seasons. After completing his master's degree, he was hired in 1976 as an assistant at Southern Connecticut by then-head coach, and future Syracuse assistant under both Dick MacPherson
Dick MacPherson
Richard F. MacPherson is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 1971 to 1977 and at Syracuse University from 1981 to 1990, compiling a career college football record of 111–73–5...
and Pasqualoni, George DeLeone
George DeLeone
George DeLeone is an American football Offensive Coordinator for the University of Connecticut. He has 40 seasons of coaching experience, nearly all in college football. He also spent 4 years in the NFL with he San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins...
. Pasqualoni was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1980, a position which he held for two seasons.
In 1982, Pasqualoni was hired away from Southern by in-state rival Western Connecticut
Western Connecticut State University
Western Connecticut State University is a public university in Danbury, Connecticut. Founded in 1903, WestConn has an arts and sciences curriculum, a business school, and several professional programs including elementary and secondary education, nursing, music performance, and social work...
, as its head coach and athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
. In five seasons with the Colonials, he amassed a 34-17 record, and coached the team to a 1985 New England Football Conference
New England Football Conference
The New England Football Conference is an athletic conference which competes in football in the NCAA's Division III. Member teams are located in New England...
championship and appearance in the NCAA Division III playoffs.
Syracuse University
Pasqualoni was an assistant at Syracuse from 1987 until 1991, when he was promoted to head coach after the position was vacated by Dick MacPhersonDick MacPherson
Richard F. MacPherson is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 1971 to 1977 and at Syracuse University from 1981 to 1990, compiling a career college football record of 111–73–5...
, who left for the NFL to coach the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. The Orange (then known as the Orangemen) enjoyed a number of successful years with Pasqualoni at the helm. The team won the Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
over Colorado in 1992 and defeated Clemson 41-0 in Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
in 1995, Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
's freshman year. The team had a 6-3 record in bowl games under Pasqualoni. Pasqualoni's 14-year record with Syracuse was 107-59-1. His only losing season was in 2002 with a 4-8 record. Most seasons of his tenure saw Syracuse competing in the Top 25 in the country.
While coach of the Orangemen, Pasqualoni's roots in Connecticut led him to recruit many star players from Connecticut high schools, including Bloomfield
Bloomfield, Connecticut
Bloomfield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,626 at the 2009 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and 0.2 square miles is water.Bloomfield is bordered by Windsor to the...
's Dwight Freeney
Dwight Freeney
Dwight Jason Freeney is an American football defensive end who currently plays for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted in the 1st round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse University.-Early years:Freeney attended Bloomfield High School...
, New Britain
New Britain, Connecticut
New Britain is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located approximately 9 miles southwest of Hartford. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 71,254....
's Tebucky Jones
Tebucky Jones
Tebucky Shermain Jones is a former American football safety in the National Football League. His career began when he was drafted out of Syracuse University in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He is best known for his role on the 2001 Patriots team that won...
and the McIntosh brothers from Cheshire High School
Cheshire High School
Cheshire High School is located on Route 10 across from Bartlem Park in Cheshire, Connecticut. It is 15 miles north of New Haven and south of Hartford...
.
At the conclusion of the 2004 season the team lost the Champs Sports Bowl
Champs Sports Bowl
The Champs Sports Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played in Orlando, Florida, at the Citrus Bowl. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group which also organizes the Capital One Bowl and Florida Classic...
51-14. New athletic director Daryl Gross
Daryl Gross
Daryl Gross is the athletic director for Syracuse University.Formerly, Gross coached and worked at the University of Southern California in intercollegiate athletics after being a graduate coaching assistant . While serving as senior associate athletic director, Gross was credited for bringing in...
fired Pasqualoni on December 29, 2004, despite the fact that Syracuse's president, Nancy Cantor
Nancy Cantor
Nancy Cantor is the 11th chancellor and president of Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. She received her A.B. in 1974 from Sarah Lawrence College and her Ph.D. in psychology in 1978 from Stanford University. She became chancellor upon the retirement of Kenneth "Buzz" Shaw...
, publicly stated that Pasqualoni would be on the sidelines the next season. He was replaced by Greg Robinson
Greg Robinson
-External links:**-References:...
, who had been serving as the defensive coordinator at the University of Texas. During the 2005 season, the first season in 14 years without Pasqualoni leading the team, the Orange football team posted a record of 1-10, the worst record in the 117-year history of Syracuse University football.
Dallas Cowboys
Before becoming linebackers coach in 2005, Pasqualoni served as the Cowboys' coach of tight endTight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
s for the 2005 season
2005 Dallas Cowboys season
The 2005 Dallas Cowboys season began with the team trying to improve on their 6–10 record in 2004. Despite a 7–3 start, the Cowboys ended the season with a 9–7 record and narrowly missed the playoffs.-Offseason:...
, where he is credited for the continued development of Jason Witten
Jason Witten
Christopher Jason Witten is an American football tight end who plays for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Tennessee....
leading to his second consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl
2006 Pro Bowl
The 2006 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 12, 2006 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. It marked the 27th consecutive time that the National Football League's all-star game was held in Honolulu...
. In 2006, Pasqualoni became the coach of the linebackers, being influential in Demarcus Ware
Demarcus Ware
DeMarcus Ware is an American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was drafted with the 11th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft out of Troy University...
's success in that position.
On November 8, 2010 Pasqualoni was promoted to interim defensive coordinator resulting from the firing of Wade Phillips
Wade Phillips
Wade Allen Phillips is the defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans and former head coach for the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, and Buffalo Bills. He was also an interim head coach for the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons...
, as Phillips served as both head coach and defensive coordinator for the Cowboys.
Miami Dolphins
Pasqualoni was named defensive coordinator of Miami Dolphins January 22, 2008.Pasqualoni was fired by the Miami Dolphins on January 11, 2010.
He was subsequently hired as the defensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
.
Head coaching record
‡ The Big East did not begin full round–robin play until 1993Personal life
Pasqualoni is married to the former Jill Fleischman, whom he met while coaching at Syracuse University. Together, they have two sons, Dante Paul and Tito Lucian, and a daughter, Cami Mae. He also has five grandchilren. Dullis and Chad are Dante's sons, Rachille is Tito's daughter, and Fred and Bonnie are Cami's two children. Dullis, age 14, is the oldest grandchild, while Bonnie is only a couple months old.He is also the author, with Jim McLaughlin, of the book Coaching Youth Football, ISBN 0-07-137219-9.
External links
- "After Tutoring TE's, Pasqualoni Returns To LB's", DallasCowboys.com, June 27, 2006
- It's defense first for Dolphins assistant Pasqualoni, Palm Beach Post, July 4, 2008