250 Equals Zero To Marinelli

After New Canaan beat St. Joseph in football last Saturday, headlines from newpapers and websites around the area read, "Marinelli wins 250th for the Rams". The legendary coach reached a milestone that only three others in the history of Connecticut football have ever achieved.

In this day and age of perpatetic coaches looking for the next great job and a bigger paycheck, winning that many games at one school, is an impressive feat. While he received congratulation overtures from former players, coaches, and administrators, I can guarantee you that didn't bask in the glory of his achievment. In fact, he might not even have known that he had 250 wins.

In a sports world where athletes and coaches are defined by the numbers they accumulate, Marinelli has never let the number of wins or state championships define him. If you asked him where his coach of the year awards are he sincerely wouldn't know. They are more likely to be in a box somewhere in the garage, than on the tip of his tongue.

Marinelli doesn't look much different than when he did when he came to New Canaan in 1981, Father Time has been good to him. However, the football program sure looks a whole lot different than it did back then. was, for lack of a better work, ugly. In the three years prior to Marnelli's arrival, the Rams were 0-29-2. Since then, New Canaan has been a perenial power.

After Bob Birge's article on his 250th win last week, Patch reader Rich Mercado posted this comment:

"Best of all is how well he treats his players. He Is a teacher of the game of football that produces fine young players."

Marinelli came to New Canaan during an era when coaches yelled first and explained things later. Yelling and screaming was never part of Marinelli's make-up. Not then, not now. He is not a win-at-all-costs coach and he lives and acts it everyday in practice and on the sideline. It's why the Rams never panic when they fall behind in the fourth quarter. They see their coach cool under pressure, so they keep their poise when things seem to be fallng apart around them.

Coaches around the state are envious of what Marinelli has accomplished, but they are not jealous of him. He is not only one of the most respected coaches in the state, but one of the most liked. You'll be hard-pressed to find a person to say anything bad about the Rams head coach. That's because he's not a "look at me" type of guy.

Oh, sure, Marinelli has his detractors. That will happen when you work in a town where there are some who think they can coach better than Bill Belichick. Some might complain that he doesn't do enough to get his players scholarships. Coaches don't get players scholarships, players do. They make the passes, the catches, and the tackles. Marinelli gives them the best training, knowledge, and preparation to help get them there, but he can't plead with a college coach to give one of his players a scholarship. Like Marinelli, they have eyes, ears, and the ability to evaluate talent on their own.

Bill Mignault holds the Connecticut state record (321) for most wins by a football coach. Marinelli has a chance to shatter that mark. If and when he does, I can pretty much assure you the first things out of his mouth will be, "It's really not that big of deal.".