New Fairfield Prep Football Coach Tom Shea Looks To Rebuild Program

Following one of the worst seasons in the storied history of its football program, Fairfield Prep decided to go in a  different direction.

The school parted ways with former coach Bill Pinto, who went 0-10 in his only season last year, and named Tom Shea, a 1973 Fairfield Prep graduate, as his successor.

An English teacher at Fairfield Prep, Shea officially was hired in January after serving as the freshman coach last  season.
 
"This is a great school with great tradition," Shea said. "I was honored they put their faith in me."

"We were excited when we learned that he was going to be our new head coach," junior Dean Duffy said, "He was our freshman coach, so now we know the whole experience as a team is headed for a better atmosphere."

Shea has been coaching at Fairfield Prep - on and off - for about 15 years since the late 1970s.

"The good thing about coach Shea is that there is respect going both ways, what you do for him, he will do for you," junior running back and strong safety Kyle Vignone said.

Shea also has served as Fairfield Prep's head junior varsity coach and varsity assistant.

"I'm going to give to the school in whatever way I can," he said. "The job does not come without its consequences. During the season, I would say I spend about 25-40 hours a week either coaching or preparing for games."
 
Like most coaches, Shea puts in the long hours, but unlike some coaches, he is not a yeller. He thinks screaming is not the best way to get through to players.

"It is better to show them they are doing something wrong and show them how to correct it," he said. 

However, Shea's players know better than to cross the new coach. 
 
"Do not make him angry or he will have you running into the ground," Duffy said.

After graduating from Fairfield Prep, Shea received his Bachelor of Arts in American history from Harvard in 1977. He  played football for both the Jesuits and Crimson.

An English teacher at Prep since 2005, Shea has been married to his wife, Jana, for 22 years, and they have two sons.

Brendan is a sophomore at Wake Forest and a fellow Fairfield Prep alumnus.  Their younger son, Conor, is a junior at  Prep.