Cross & Crescent

Al Fracassa (Michigan State 1955) has long had a photo of the legendary Green Bay Packers Coach Vince Lombardi in his office.

He once attended a coaching clinic during which Lombardi lectured for two hours about just one play — the Packers’ famous power sweep.

Like Lombardi, Fracassa believes football success comes with discipline and character.

For the last 38 years, Fracassa has been building that character in his players at Brother Rice High School in Bloomfield, Michigan.

“You learn a lot about getting along with people, a lot about failure, little bit about winning,” Fracassa says. “It’s one of the best lessons a person can get from being on the football field. It lasts a lifetime.”

Fracassa is the all-time wins leader in Michigan high school football history and was named 2004 National High School Coach of the Year.

On last year’s state champions rings the team’s mottos, “Make a Difference,” was engraved, and Fracassa hopes to have this year’s motto, “Play with Passion,” engraved on new championship rings at the end of this season.

Not Just a Coach

Fracassa was a great athlete in high school, starring in football, basketball and baseball.

He was recruited to play football at Michigan State University, at the time a top-ranked college football program under College Football Hall of Fame coaches Biggie Munn and Duffy Daugherty.

Fracassa was on the MSU national championship team in 1952, and he went to the Rose Bowl in 1954, and got to be a part of the team’s 28-game winning streak.

He spent his college career as a back-up quarterback to All-Americans Tom Yewcic (1952-1953) and Earl Morrall (1954). “It was a great time in my life.”

Following graduation he went into the U.S. Army and played a couple more years of football with 13th Infantry Regiment. “We traveled all over Germany playing other Army personnel,” he says. “We were champions.”

After his military service, he became the assistant football coach in Rochester High School, where he taught social studies.

He then moved to Royal Oak Shrine High School, where he had nine successful seasons coaching players such as future college All-Americans Bill Simpson (Michigan State) and Jim Seymour (Notre Dame).

In 1968, he was offered the head football coaching job at Brother Rice High School.

Gridiron Classroom

Brother Rice High School is a Catholic, all-boy, college prep school located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The school maintains high academic standards. It has approximately 650 students and one of the most successful athletic programs in the state, with 45 state championships.

During Fracassa’s career at Brother Rice, he has developed a legendary reputation and outstanding winning record (342 wins, 89 loss, and 7 ties).

His success is due in large part to his ability to relate to the teenagers he coaches.

“When I was young, I wanted my players to play like the guys at MSU who won 28 straight games,” Fracassa says. “I was disappointed in the lack of discipline.”

But then he realized that each of his players had a different personality and he had to treat each of them differently.

“Some kids you can talk to and get angry at them if they’re not producing and they’ll shake it off (and respond),” Fracassa says. “Some kids who have great potential you have to be careful what button you push because you don’t want to turn the kid off.”

Fracassa also knows that some of life’s greatest lessons can be learned on the football field.

“You learn a lot about getting along with people, a lot about failure, little bit about winning.” Fracassa says. “There is a lot of teaching on the football field, different than the kind of instruction in the classroom. They learn how to become men.”

Many stories are told by former players about how Fracassa treats all players equally no matter what their talent level.

“It all comes down from how I was brought up, too,” he says. “Every kid on your team regardless if he’s the star or the last on the team, everyone of them is important.”

Over the last 30 years has tried instilling these lessons in his players by using team mottos, a signature of his idol Vince Lombardi.

The players who have graduated and are living successful lives say they still carry those mottos with them as they go through life.

Though you would not believe it by his record, but Fracassa is strict in his beliefs that the game is not about winning.

“Football is not how many games you win, it’s how many lives you touch. If they work hard and work with passion good things are going to happen to these kids.”

Brother Rice Forever

Fracassa has now retired from teaching and is exclusively coaching.

“When you get to be 73, going to be 74 in November, you have to slow down a little bit.” Fracassa jokes, “If Bobby Bowden (Florida State) and Joe Paterno (Penn State), who turns 80 years old in December can last, I guess I can to.”

If Fracassa did step away from the game, he would do so with his head held high for he accomplished most everything.

Beyond being Michigan’s all-time winningest coach, he has won numerous other state and national honors over the years.

“I been very blessed with a lot of honors that were bestowed upon me,” Fracassa says. “The thing I’ve enjoyed most in my lifetime is being around the kids.”

During the early 1980s, then-Michigan State coach Muddy Waters offered Fracassa the position of offensive coordinator.

Twice, Waters’ successor at MSU, George Perles, offered Fracassa jobs as an assistant coach and former Detroit Lions head coach Monte Clark asked Fracassa to interview for an assistant coaching vacancy.

Even with all the opportunity, Fracassa has stayed with where his heart is, with the young men at Brother Rice.

His dedication is being rewarded by the school naming the new field after him.

On September 15, the field at Brother Rice will be dedicated and named in Fracassa’s honor.

“It’s really a nice thing they’re going to do so I’m trying to see if I can enjoy that for a few years.”

Lambda Chi Teachings

While at school at Michigan State, Fracassa lived in dormitory for two years and then got asked to join Lambda Chi Alpha.

He was on ritual committee and says that was part of what he enjoyed most. He says he learned a lot from the ritual and those teachings have stayed with him through the years.

“There was a lot of camaraderie in the house which is what made the house such a great place to be.” Fracassa says. “I think that goes along with football. To have a good football team you have to have a team that cares for each other.”

“If I had a little problem with a class or something there was always somebody to me a helping hand,” he says. “That kind of carries over to a team and helping one and other.”

Years after Fracassa thought his fraternity days were behind him he had his two sons join the fraternity.

“It’s unbelievable,” he says. “They are two years apart. One joined and then low and behold two years later the other son joined.”

Because of his schedule, Fracassa does not make it back to Michigan State much but he says he does have a player who is the grandson of one of the guys who was with him in the chapter house.

“He comes out and watches his grandson,” Fracassa says, “He keeps me posted on the fraternity and what’s going on.”

He believes that whether in the fraternity or on the field, “If kids have a good experience being part of a team then it’s going to be with them the rest of their life.”