Derby Honors Lou DeFilippo
Mayor Schlesigner also presented Coach DeFilippo
with a commemorative plaque. |
Mayor Alan Schlesinger presents Lou with the city's official
proclamation |
Some of Lou's former captain's watch as the new sign naming
the field is unveiled. |
Family, friends and former players joined Coach DeFilippo. |
Scenes
from the dedication of
Lou DeFilippo Football
Field Saturday
September 13, 1997 |
Bradley School principal Bill Duggan served as master of
ceremonies. |
Derby High's football team christened the newly named field
with a 28-15 win over East Haven. |
Lou DeFilippo Field is part of the Leo F. Ryan
Sports Complex. |
D.H.S. Principal Charlie DiCenso congratulates Coach DeFilippo. |
The city of Derby honored legendary football coach Lou DeFilippo on Saturday, September
13, 1997 by naming the football field within the Leo F. Ryan Sports Complex as the
"Lou DeFilippo Football Field." Lou compiled an incredible 116-30-8 record at
the smallest football playing school in the state of Connecticut during the course of his
illustrious 15 year tenure in Derby. His teams were undefeated five times during that
period ('68. '69, '72, '73, & '75) and finished as Connecticut's top ranked team twice
('69 & '72). This larger-than-life figure who had such a positive impact on
the lives of his students and players passed away on March 5, 2000.
A graduate of Fordham University where he captained Fordham's 1941 Cotton Bowl Team,
DeFilippo went on to play with the New York Giants from 1945 through 1947. His other
coaching assignments included assistant positions with Purdue, Fordham and Columbia as
well as the Baltimore Colts. He was the head coach at East Meadow High School on Long
Island from 1961 to 1968 and in seven years compile a 46-9-1 record winning five straight
league championships from 1963-1967 and a Long Island championship in 1964.
DeFilippo also found time to coach lacrosse at East Meadow and later as the freshman
coach at Yale University.
Lou was honored many times over with a variety of "Coach of the Year
Awards" including those presented by the Long Island press, National Football
Foundation, the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference and the Connecticut Sports
Writers. He is a member of Fordham University's Athletic Hall of Fame as well as the
Connecticut Coaches Hall of Fame.
Lou DeFilippo Field is part of the Derby's Leo F. Ryan Sports Complex which is named
after another legendary Derby coach, Leo F. "Nuggy" Ryan who was a three sport
coach at Derby winning state titles in both football and basketball.
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