WAYNE, N.J. – After two successful decades spent at other nearby institutions,
Greg Lusardi will return to the William Paterson football coaching staff in 2014 as the outside linebackers coach as well as the program's recruiting coordinator and special teams coordinator.
With nearly four decades of coaching experience under his belt, Lusardi comes back to WP after previously serving as the team's defensive coordinator and assistant head coach from 1989-94. He was instrumental to the Pioneers establishing their best five-year record in school history (31-20-1), including bids to the 1993 NCAA Playoffs and the 1991 ECAC Playoffs.
In his current role, Lusardi will coordinate all of the Pioneers' recruiting efforts, and will be responsible for Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic, Gloucester and Salem counties.
"I am very excited to be back at William Paterson," said Lusardi. "I am very impressed with the job that Coach Flora has done with regard to the direction of the program. He has assembled a staff comprised of knowledgeable and committed coaches who check their egos at the door. It is evident from the contact that I have had with the players making up the team, that Coach Flora expects us to recruit young men with great character as well as the ability to succeed on the football field and in the classroom. I am looking forward to contributing to that effort."
Lusardi spent the last nine years as the head football coach at Morris Catholic High School, where he helped develop six all-state, 24 all-county and 28 all-conference players during his tenure. In 2007, he was honored as the Morris County Coach of the Year by the Star Ledger.
From 1994-2005, Lusardi served as the head coach at Pace University and achieved a top-10 ranking among Division II non-scholarship schools during nine of his 11 seasons. He also mentored 28 All-Americans during his time at the helm.
"We are pleased to add Greg to our staff," said
Jerry Flora, who just completed his sixth season as William Paterson's head coach. "He has a wealth of knowledge and experience as a Division III assistant and as a Division II and New Jersey high school head coach. He knows what it takes to be successful, and his work ethic is unparalleled."
Prior to WP, Lusardi was the offensive coordinator at The Defiance College from 1988-89, and the head (1984-88) and assistant (1977-84) coach at Morris Catholic High School where he led the program to the state finals in 1987.
Lusardi earned a bachelor of science in health and physical education from Slippery Rock State College in 1975, where he spent two seasons as a player and one year as a student assistant for the football team, and completed a master of arts degree in athletic administration at Montclair State in 1985.
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