New Football and Boys Varsity Soccer Coaching Staff

July 6, 2021 - 10:38 am

July 2, 2021

St. Paul Catholic High School is excited to announce its new coaching staff for Football and Boys Varsity Soccer in the 2021 season.

Football Coaching Staff

St. Paul Athletic Director, Dave Dennehy reflected on last year’s football season; “Thank you to our senior class for their leadership and commitment last fall. Losing their senior season was disappointing, but it was certainly not a loss. Our seniors led the charge by holding practices, conditioning, working through offensive and defensive schemes, reviewing the fundamentals of the game, and had a number of great 7 v 7 and lineman challenge events. Having a productive fall season will allow the 2021 football team to be prepared and ready for the road ahead. I am excited to welcome our new head football coach as well as other new members of the staff along with our returning coaches and am looking forward to getting back on McPhee Field and for some Friday night football.”

Head Coach – Joe Cianciolo

Joe has been at St. Paul since 2015 as an Assistant Football Coach and the Athletic Department Strength and Conditioning Coach. Starting in 2018 he joined the St. Paul faculty as a Health and Physical Education Teacher. He attended Springfield College were during his football career he was named 1st team USA College Football All-American, 1st Team All ECAC, 1st team All New England and was part of 2 ECAC championships and a program NCAA rushing title in 2011.

Defensive Coordinator – Mike Guy

Mike has been with St. Paul since 2017. He is a SCSU graduate where he received his degree in Physical & Health Education and was a 4-year member of the football program. He has over 48 years of coaching experience on both sides of the ball. At different points of his career he has been an Offensive Coordinator, Defensive Coordinator, and a Special Teams Coordinator. His experience also includes 28 years as the Head Football Coach at Housatonic High School.

Offensive Coordinator – Ollie Gray III

Coach Gray joins the St. Paul staff with over 30 years of coaching experience. He spent the past 4 seasons at Naugatuck High school as a Head Assistant Coach and Offensive Coordinator and helped to lead the Greyhounds to the State Playoffs in 2017 and 2018, he also served as their Intern Head Coach from 2020-2021. Coach Grey has also spent time as an Assistant Coach at Crosby High, Nonnewaug High School, Torrington High School and Sacred Heart High School.

Assistant Coach – Bruce Cianciolo

Coach Cianciolo joins the St. Paul staff with a wealth of football experience. He is a graduate of Susquehanna University where he was a 4-year member of the football team, upon graduation he was invited to a tryout by the Cleveland Browns and the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL. He started his career at New Fairfield High School where he was a part of 3 state playoff berths and spent the past 21 years at his Alma Mata Watertown High School.

Anthony Mazzarella – Assistant Coach

Coach Mazzarella – St. Paul class of 1973. He has been a valuable part of the coaching staff at St. Paul Catholic for the past 17 years, in working with our Offensive and Defensive Lines he has helped the St. Paul program establish exception running attacks over the past decade. He also served as the Defensive Line Coach under Jude Kelly at Southington High School for 7 years prior to his time at St. Paul.

We would like to wish Coach Christopher Kennedy great success in leading the CREC Colts (tri-op football program) as their new Head Coach and in the next step of his career serving as a Behavioral Specialist for CREC. We also look forward to his continued leadership of the St. Paul Boys Lacrosse Program – Go Falcons!

Any students who are interested in playing football who have not yet been in touch with Coach Joe should reach out to him as soon as possible at jcianciolo@spchs.com.

 

Boys Varsity Soccer Coach

Dave Dennehy had this to say about the boys soccer program; “We graduated just a handful of seniors and we have a young core group of talented, returning players who are excited about the upcoming season. I am excited to welcome a new head coach whose soccer acumen and leadership will create a strong foundation for the program to excel for years to come. Welcome Home Joe Campos!”

Joe Campos joins the St. Paul family with over 30 years of experience coaching soccer, this past year he was the head coach at Sacred Heart High School in Waterbury. In 2019 after leading Chase Collegiate High School to a HVAL championship and a semifinals appearance in the New England Prep School Athletic Conference Class D tournament Campos was named Connecticut Prep School Soccer Coach of the Year. Coach Campos also led the Highlanders to a New England Prep Conference Semifinal appearance in 2017.

Other recent coaching accomplishments include being selected to coach in the Western Connecticut Prep School All-Star game in 2017 and being named Connecticut Junior Soccer Coach of the Year in 2015. And in 2014, Campos guided the Naugatuck Legends U-19 boys team to the Connecticut Cup state championship, and the U-19 girls and the U-16 boys to the semifinals.

Information about registration for other fall sports will be forth coming. Make sure to keep an eye on your emails.

Go Falcons!