Q & A with Head Football Coach, Phil Longo

Q:  Coach, after a year of laying a new foundation for the La Salle football program, do you feel you are where you want to be at this stage in the process?

A: After being hired so late in the process, it was a real challenge hiring new coaches, recruiting, and preparing for spring ball in such a short time.  This past season allowed our staff the opportunity to set and establish higher expectations for our players.  This is an outstanding group of young men that have responded by meeting those expectations in the weight room, in our meetings and on the practice field.  Our foundation has been laid and I know the coaches and the players are excited about taking the next step.

Q:  You speak very highly of Phil Petitte, your new Defensive Coordinator.  What made you decide that he was the right man for the job?

A:  Coach Petitte is a tremendous football coach; one of the best that I have had the pleasure of working with.  He is even more impressive as a person and as a mentor for our team, particularly the defensive players who work with him on a daily basis.  Coach Petitte is a great representation of the entire staff, one that I am very proud to be a part of. As our Associate Head Coach, Phil Petitte was a great addition to our staff last spring.  I am very confident that he will continue to do a great job as our Defensive Coordinator.  It is extremely evident that our players are excited about his appointment.  They believe in coach Petitte as a person and as a coach. 

Q:  How difficult will it be to replace Vernard Abrams, last year’s MAAC Offensive Player of the Year?

A:  Anytime you have a player of Vernard Abram’s caliber, you don’t really replace him.  Vernard was a great QB because he was a great leader, something we lacked in the past.  Aside from the obvious athletic ability that he brought to the position, Abrams possessed the ability to make big plays and he has established a new standard for future QB’s in this offense.  We won’t be able to replace him, but we do plan to reload and continue on.

Q:  How will you fill the shoes left by your big play running back, Ken Triboletti?

A:  Ken Triboletti was a warrior, an absolute throwback who played hard every single down.  Kenny made the players around him better.  Filling his shoes is a tall order because he was such a multi-talented player who could catch and pass protect in addition to his ability to run the football.  Fortunately for us, we have a number of big play running backs returning.  Josh Brumfield, our transfer from IUP has big play potential and has improved his receiving ability.  He has great vision, great open field running ability and he has become a solid pass protector.  Kevin Sullivan is another RB that could probably play at three or four different positions athletically.  He has exceptional running ability and has proven in the past that he can make the big play.  Steven Adelman, our Arizona native, spent the first half of the year learning the system, but he is truly a workhorse with a great combination of strength and speed.  Currently, I would have to say that he is the RB that has had the best Spring Ball to date. 

Q:  Finishing the season with the number two-ranked offense in Division IAA Mid-Major football has to have you feeling pretty confident.  How is the development with the defense coming along?

A:  The combination of offense, defense, special teams and the team’s work ethic win championships.  Football is the complete team sport and our primary focus in the off-season has been to improve our football team on defense to complement what we have established on offense.  We are very pleased with the development of the offense and our special teams.  Our returning defensive players have the potential to be an exceptional group, both athletically and from a work ethic standpoint.  They will provide the nucleus that is necessary to raise the level of play on defense.  Seniors like Nick Sipics (OLB), Chris Twardy (transfer MLB from Marshall Univ.), and Nate Moss (DE) bring experience to a young group of defensive players.  We feel that some of the defensive backs like Mario Palmieri (SS), Taylour Lauri (FS), and Billy Rhea (CB) provide us with some great athleticism in the secondary.  Corey Cannon (LB), Nick DePinto (LB) and Warren Reid (DT) have also shown tremendous promise.  Younger players like Florida native JJ Luney (DL), and playmaker EJ Williams (LB) can help solidify the new system that has been implemented by coach Phil Petitte.  Recruiting on defense has also been a major focus for our staff and we are very excited about the players who have committed to La Salle on defense.

Q:  After inheriting most of the schedule for the 2004 and the 2005 season, should Explorer fans expect any future changes looking ahead to 2006 and 2007?

A:  We are in the process of trying to book our schedules for ’06 and ’07.  Our main focus is to schedule as many NorthEast Conference (NEC) opponents as we can.  We are also currently looking into teams with open dates from the Patriot League and the Pioneer League.  In the meantime, our primary focus is to prepare our players to win the games we play in ’05. 

Q:  Do you feel that putting in a new defensive scheme will hamper the overall development of the defensive players? 

A:  Fundamentally, teaching tackling, block destruction and coverage technique won’t change much at all.  From a scheme standpoint, we have become much simpler and much more aggressive.  This allows the athletes on the defensive side of the football to pin their ears back and go play.  Defense is instinctive and our primary objective is to let our players compete without hesitation.  I am excited about our development on defense.  Coaches Petitte (DC/DL), Jesse Gambone (OLB) and Matt Peloso (Asst. DB’s) return and they will be joined by coach Archie Stalcup (ILB’s) who is obviously no stranger to La Salle football, and Coach Marty Moke (DB) who has done a great job with the secondary.

Q: Which players are you counting on to provide leadership heading into the 2005 campaign?

A:  There are numerous upperclassmen that have shown the potential to be great leaders for the Explorers this year.  Billy Rhea, Nick DePinto, and Nate Moss come to mind on defense.   Offensively, All-American John Zabel, Lou Russo, Josh Brumfield and Greg Vaccaro come to mind and have been very positive influences.  The most influential group has been the entire unit of offensive linemen.  They are second to none when it comes to commitment, work ethic and leadership.

Q:  Now that you are almost halfway through Spring Football, how has the team progressed and are there any surprise standouts?

A:  Spring football is progressing as planned.  Our players have very high expectations and their work ethic has been very indicative of those expectations.  Steven Adelman (RB), Mario Palmieri (SS) and Bill Kuchinsky (OL) have really been exceptional in camp.

Q:  Are you pleased with the results from the recruiting season? 

A:  As a staff, we are very pleased with the incoming class of recruits.  Obviously, every staff sets recruiting goals based on positional needs and we are no different.  As a staff, we feel that recruiting is the single most important aspect when developing consistent success with a football program.  There are some tremendous individual athletes who headline the class of 2009.  Overall, we have most of the players that we set out to recruit at each of the individual positions.  I look forward to meeting the entire group together when they report to camp in August. 

Q:  How has the development of the football alumni group been going?

A:  One of the most exciting things this off-season has been the positive support the program has received from past alumni.  Joe Defelice, a former player and graduate of La Salle University has spearheaded the effort to organize and develop the first support group for our program.  We are still a relatively young program in comparison to many of the teams on our schedule, but you couldn’t choose a better time for the football alumni to get involved with the program.  I look forward to working with them in the near future.  After all, they represent a growing number of the football family here at La Salle.