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| Ron Dolciato gets his first head coaching position. |
Saint Vincent announced today that Ron Dolciato, associate head coach and offensive coordinator at John Carroll, whose 24-year career includes 19 winning seasons, has been named SVC's head football coach.
He replaces Bob Colbert, who restarted the Bearcats program but was let go in November after the team's second consecutive 0-10 season.
In 2013, John Carroll went 9-1, went to the NCAA Division III
playoffs and ranked 13th in the country in D-III. As offensive
coordinator since 2001, Dolciato (DOL-see-ah-toe) led a
unit that set two national offensive records and 59 team and
individual school records, produced six conference Players of the
Year and four D3football.com All-Americans, and made an appearance
in the national semifinals. He was named 2011 Ohio Athletic
Conference OAC Assistant Coach of the Year, 2002 Assistant Football
Coach of the Year by the Ohio Chapter of the National Football
Foundation, and was a featured offensive coordinator in
American Football Monthly magazine in fall 2012.
Dolciato has built a reputation as a coach who is committed to his
students-athletes and sets high standards for academics, behavior
and participation in the community.
"We are gratified by Ron Dolciato's commitment to helping
student-athletes succeed in all aspects of life," said Br. Norman
Hipps, O.S.B., president of Saint Vincent. "We look forward to his
establishing a winning tradition in the football program, and
beyond."
Under his leadership as offensive coordinator, the 2012 John
Carroll team set the school record for most passing yards in a
season (3,352), and allowed the least amount of sacks in the OAC
for four of the last five years (2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013). His
teams also hold the John Carroll records for scoring offense, total
offense and yards per game. During Dolciato's tenure, his offense
has produced more than 4,000 yards in six seasons and more than 30
points per game in seven seasons. Additionally, Dolciato has
coached five current NFL professionals: two offensive coordinators,
two general managers and a director of player personnel.
Dolciato earned a doctorate in administration and leadership in
higher education from Capella University, and holds a master's in
education in exercise science from Cleveland State. He previously
earned associate's degrees in business management and marketing
from the Toledo, and a bachelor of arts in physical education from
John Carroll, where he was a four-year letter winner and was named
a GTE Academic All American and All-OAC in 1989. He then served as
a graduate assistant coach before joining the staff full-time in
1992.
Encouraging strong academics has been a hallmark of his tenure;
Dolciato served as academic adviser at John Carroll, where the 2012
team amassed a 3.0 GPA among its 180 players. He also taught
classes and served as director of the exercise science program.
A resident of Russell Township, Ohio, Dolciato
and his wife, Elana, have three daughters, Sabrina, 19; Francesca,
16; and Lily, 14.
After a search for a new coach was announced Nov. 19, Saint
Vincent athletic director Fr. Myron Kirsch, O.S.B., led a thorough,
swift process that drew more than 200 applications.