A Farewell to Coach Cas

After 23 amazing years as the head football coach at Nyack, John Castellano has finally decided it was time to move on. Castellano will always be remembered as one of the most successful coaches in the school’s long history of athletics. He compiled a record of 180-48-1, winning two state titles to go along with countless section and league titles. Castellano will now be coaching the defensive line at Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey, a football powerhouse that is ranked number 1 in the nation this season by most of the major polls. The football fans and members of the Nyack community will always remember and appreciate the success and joy that Coach Cas brought to MacCalman Field every fall. He will be replaced by former assistant coach Mike Ramponi, who spent the last few seasons as the varsity basketball coach. One senior on the team said that, “Cas was a legend that will be hard to replace,” but also thought that Ramponi’s experience with the team the last few years should help him.
Two of the traditions that Castellano established at Nyack besides winning were a powerful rushing attack and a lockdown defense. Cas helped develop numerous unstoppable fullbacks, from the record-setting Jermaine Harris during his early years, to Eddie Evans and Neil Anderson in the ‘90s, to Judin Pierre-Louis, Alonzo Powell, and Anthony Davis in the 2000s. Several of Castellano’s players went on to play big-time college football, including Nigel Morris at the University of Toledo and Terrence Baltimore at UConn. Cas helped make Nyack into a premier football power in Rockland and in Section 1. Nyack didn’t lose a regular season game from October 4th, 1997 to October 11th, 2003, and went 72-6 from 1998 through 2004. Night games at MacCalman became a major event for the community and a popular attraction for students. The success of Coach Castellano and the football team even convinced fans to follow them to the freezing climates of playoff games at Mahopac and Kingston.
Castellano and his teams did exceptionally well under the pressure of high expectations, but one of his most impressive teams was when the expectations weren’t as high. In 2008, after a tough regular season loss to Ossining, Nyack was able to defeat unbeaten Somers and Ossining on the road in the playoffs to become the improbable section champs. They proceeded to knock off Cornwall and their record-setting quarterback before finally bowing out in the state semifinals. The team may not have won it all, but they were a great representation of Castellano’s undying spirit and persistence. The whole Nyack community wishes him the best of luck in his coaching future.