Robert Casciola
Encyclopedia
Robert F. "Bob" Casciola (born c. 1935) is an American former college football
coach, National Basketball Association
executive, banking executive, and broadcaster. He was the head coach at the University of Connecticut
from 1971 to 1972 and at Princeton University
from 1973 to 1977. He held assistant coaching positions at Princeton, Dartmouth College
. Casciola served as an executive vice president and the chief operating officer
for the New Jersey Nets
of the NBA from 1987 to 1991. He played college football at Princeton as a tackle
.
, Casciola attended Mineola High School in Garden City Park
. He attended college at Princeton University
, where he played on the football team
from 1955 to 1957. He was named to the All-Ivy League
team in 1957. He graduated in 1958.
and attained the rank of captain before being dischared in 1965. From 1966 to 1968, he spent three years mentoring the defensive end
s and linebacker
s at Dartmouth
under head coach Bob Blackman
from 1966 to 1968. From 1969 to 1970, he served as the defensive coach at Connecticut
. In December 1970, he was promoted to head coach in place of John Toner
, who remained at UConn as athletic director
. Casciola led UConn to a 5–3–1 record in his first season and a share of the Atlantic 10 Conference championship. After one additional season at UConn, he amassed a record of 9–8–1 during his tenure.
In March 1973, Princeton appointed Casciola as its head coach. He amassed a 14–30–1 record there, with 1976 being the only non-losing season at a mark of 4–4–1. In November 1977, Princeton athletic director Royce Flippin said that it would not renew Casciola's expiring contract and that "the football program will benefit from new leadership".
committee. In 1981, he led a football camp for high school quarterback
s and wide receiver
s at Mercer University
in Atlanta. He worked as a color analyst for Princeton football broadcasts starting in 1981, and later also announced for the New Jersey Generals
, Rutgers University
athletics
, and Ivy League athletics.
In 1987, he left his position with the First Fidelity Bank of New Jersey to take over as exectutive vice president and chief operating officer
for the New Jersey Nets
of the National Basketball Association
. Casciola held that post for five years. In July 1991, Casciola resigned from the Nets to become the executive director of the National Football Foundation
and College Football Hall of Fame
.
Casciola has four children with his wife, Janet.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coach, National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
executive, banking executive, and broadcaster. He was the head coach at the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
from 1971 to 1972 and at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
from 1973 to 1977. He held assistant coaching positions at Princeton, Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
. Casciola served as an executive vice president and the chief operating officer
Chief operating officer
A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
for the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
of the NBA from 1987 to 1991. He played college football at Princeton as a tackle
Tackle (American football)
Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions....
.
Early life
A native of New Hyde Park, New YorkNew Hyde Park, New York
New Hyde Park is a village in Nassau County, New York, United States, on Long Island.The population of the Village of New Hyde Park was 9,712 at the 2010 census...
, Casciola attended Mineola High School in Garden City Park
Garden City Park, New York
Garden City Park is a Town in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 7,806 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Garden City Park is located at ....
. He attended college at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, where he played on the football team
Princeton Tigers football
The Princeton Tigers football program represents Princeton University college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
from 1955 to 1957. He was named to the All-Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
team in 1957. He graduated in 1958.
Coaching career
After graduation, Casciola spent three years as the freshmen coach at his alma mater. He then joined the Princeton varsity coaching staff, where remained through the 1965 season. Casciola also served as an officer in the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and attained the rank of captain before being dischared in 1965. From 1966 to 1968, he spent three years mentoring the defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
s and linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
s at Dartmouth
Dartmouth Big Green football
The Dartmouth Big Green football team represents Dartmouth College in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Championship Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Ivy League...
under head coach Bob Blackman
Bob Blackman
Bob Blackman was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Denver , Dartmouth College , the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign , and Cornell University , compiling a career college football record of...
from 1966 to 1968. From 1969 to 1970, he served as the defensive coach at Connecticut
Connecticut Huskies football
The Connecticut Huskies football team is a collegiate football team that competes in NCAA Division I-A and the Big East Conference. Connecticut first fielded a team in 1896, and participated in Division I-AA until 1999. The Huskies began their two-year Division I-A transition period in 2000, and...
. In December 1970, he was promoted to head coach in place of John Toner
John Toner
-External links:...
, who remained at UConn as athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
. Casciola led UConn to a 5–3–1 record in his first season and a share of the Atlantic 10 Conference championship. After one additional season at UConn, he amassed a record of 9–8–1 during his tenure.
In March 1973, Princeton appointed Casciola as its head coach. He amassed a 14–30–1 record there, with 1976 being the only non-losing season at a mark of 4–4–1. In November 1977, Princeton athletic director Royce Flippin said that it would not renew Casciola's expiring contract and that "the football program will benefit from new leadership".
After coaching
In June 1978, Casciola became the assistant vice president for government banking at the First National State Bank of New Jersey (later known as the First Fidelity Bank of New Jersey). In 1979, he served as a member of the Garden State BowlGarden State Bowl
The Garden State Bowl was an annual post-season college football bowl game played at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, from 1978 to 1981...
committee. In 1981, he led a football camp for high school quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
s and wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
s at Mercer University
Mercer University
Mercer University is an independent, private, coeducational university with a Baptist heritage located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Mercer is the only university of its size in the United States that offers programs in eleven diversified fields of study: liberal arts, business, education, music,...
in Atlanta. He worked as a color analyst for Princeton football broadcasts starting in 1981, and later also announced for the New Jersey Generals
New Jersey Generals
The New Jersey Generals were a franchise of the United States Football League established in 1982 to begin play in the spring and summer of 1983. The team played three seasons from 1983-85, winning 31 regular-season games and losing 25 while going 0-2 in postseason competition...
, Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
athletics
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are the athletic teams that represent Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey...
, and Ivy League athletics.
In 1987, he left his position with the First Fidelity Bank of New Jersey to take over as exectutive vice president and chief operating officer
Chief operating officer
A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
for the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. Casciola held that post for five years. In July 1991, Casciola resigned from the Nets to become the executive director of the National Football Foundation
National Football Foundation
The National Football Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1947 by General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army Black Knights football coach Earl "Red" Blaik and journalist Grantland Rice...
and College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
.
Casciola has four children with his wife, Janet.