Dom Rosselli spent almost 40 years at Youngstown State and did a little of everything. He coached in 977 basketball games yet somehow found time to be head baseball coach for 31 years and an assistant football coach for 20+ years. His basketball teams appeared in 4 NAIA national tournaments and he was named Ohio College Coach of the Year in both 1957/1964. He retired in 1982 with the 10th-most wins in NCAA history and was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Dom’s son about his father’s coaching success/philosophy. Today is the 13th anniversary of Dom’s passing on 10/7/08 so we take this time to reflect on his life/legacy.
(photo credit: vindyarchives.com)
Your father played 3 sports at Geneva College: which sport was he best at, and which 1 did he enjoy the most? My dad enjoyed every sport but football probably topped his list, hence the “Dom Rosselli Day” at Geneva College which celebrated his legacy on the football team. The Geneva experience meant a lot to my dad. As a young guy from Smoky Hollow he left home for Pennsylvania and traveled miles from home: he valued the opportunity to be there. Geneva College had a spiritual component of learning/sport/spirit, which describes what he valued.
After college he served in the Air Force for 4 years during WWII: what impact did the war have on him either on or off the court? All 4 of his siblings served at one time or another. Knowing him as I did he undoubtedly worried about his family. He thought that luck played into his experience. A general once asked dad when he was a Captain to work with him in “morale support”, such as setting up sport sites for the troops in California. Our mother was able to join him, which made for a very different experience than his counterparts. He was a new husband after getting married in 1940. Being able to stay involved in sports in that environment surely kept his love of sports alive.
He was born/raised in Youngstown: how did he enjoy spending 40 years at his hometown school? He was pleased/proud to be in Youngstown: watching and being a part of the school’s growth from Youngstown College to Youngstown University and finally to Youngstown State University meant a lot to him. He was very close to his brothers and I am sure that being close to home during his career meant a lot to him.
He coached football/baseball/basketball: how was he able to juggle so many different sports at the same time? That is what he did for the love of sports. He also started the collegiate baseball and intramural sports programs. I think that he really did know how to juggle: you cannot be that dedicated unless you truly love all of the sports. I remember being on vacation with the family 1 time when we were passing through Washington, DC, and we stopped at a local playground to watch Jeff Covington play. Considering the technology at the time I am unsure how he even knew when/where to be to watch Jeff play!
YSU did not have a gym during most of his career: how did he feel about having practice/games at Youngstown South High Fieldhouse? That is just what you did! He actually liked these fieldhouses: South High, Struthers High, and Fitch High…but there was something significant about eventually having a home at Beeghly Center. He was humbled when the court was later named after him.
He was voted the top college coach in the state of Ohio in both 1957/1964: what did it mean to him to receive such outstanding honors? As a coach he always felt and expressed his strong belief that it was a team award/honor and not his individually. He often expressed how YSU gave him the opportunity to do this work that he loved: that was a reward in itself.
In 1976 he became the 13th D-1 coach to ever win 500 games: how big a deal was it at the time? It was a very big deal: success always seems to need a measurement. Dad was always very humble though. He enjoyed working with the players and I know that helping them succeed meant more to him than any number of victories.
He was once quoted as saying, “My idea has always been to play to win, but I’ve never felt you had to win or die”: was he the same person at home depending on whether his team won/lost? Yes: he was quiet and unassuming. Part of winning was hard work: you might not win the game but you could still win at life. After every home game he would stop on the way home to bring us pizza. We would all sit around and talk about the game, both the good and the bad.
He always gave the credit for his success to his players/administration and his coaching philosophy was to be honest with his players and not do anything shady to win: how do you think that his value system would have worked in today’s era of college basketball? I can only reflect on this based on the values he taught us. At any cost he would always stress ethical behavior. If I could ask him that question I know that he would say, “You should always do what is right.” Good coaches can act ethically and still survive the test of time.
He passed away in 2008: when people look back on his career, how do you want him to be remembered the most? I think that people will remember him differently depending on how he touched their lives. Each year there is a group of basketball/baseball players who get together for a long weekend. I visit with them as often as I can: everyone has a story about dad but all would agree that he had a great sense of humor. I think that he would be proudest of the fact that this group of players still stays in touch and gets together to remember him fondly. As busy as he always was he still made time for his family because we were important to him. In addition to coaching he was a carpenter in the summers and always worked hard. His coaching skills are well known. What I have learned in the past few years while sorting through his boxes of memorabilia is how great of an athlete he was. Most children never get to appreciate something like that about their parents.