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Countdown to Kickoff: Happy Birthday Coach P!
8/16/2004 8:39:38 AM | Football
Four SU football student-athletes also celebrate their birthdays in the month of August. Diamond Ferri also celebrates his birthday today, turning 23, Matt Tarullo turned 22 on August 13 and freshmen Quinton Brown (Aug. 1) and Tony Fiametta (Aug. 22) will both turn 18 this month.
Pasqualoni’s success speaks for itself. Pasqualoni ranks 10th on the NCAA Division I-A list for total wins by an active coach (135) and is 14th on the list for active coaches by win percentage (.658 winning percentage). His 101 wins at SU rank second only to the legendary Ben Schwartzwalder (153). Also, Pasqualoni’s 58 BIG EAST victories are the most in league history. Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer is second.
In 1991, Pasqualoni’s first year as SU head coach, Syracuse finished with a 10-2 record and a Hall of Fame Bowl victory over Ohio State. Only three coaches have had more victories in their first season than Pasqualoni’s 10. He repeated the feat again his second year as the Orange defeated Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl and finished the season ranked in the top 10.
In 1996, Pasqualoni led the Orange to a share of its first BIG EAST Championship. Syracuse won the title outright the next two seasons and played in the Fiesta and Orange Bowls.
In 2001, Pasqualoni and the Orange defeated Kansas State in the Insight.com Bowl and by doing so, became just the sixth Syracuse team in school history to finish with 10 victories. It was the third time under Coach P.
Thirty-one SU players have been selected in the NFL Draft since Pasqualoni arrival, including seven first-round picks. Dwight Freeney was the latest first round pick during Pasqualoni’s tenure. The Indianapolis Colts made him the 11th overall selection in 2002. SU has produced at least two NFL draft selections in 11 of Pasqualoni's 13 years.
Just as important as the success that SU players have had on the football field under Coach P, is the success they have had in the classroom. The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) has recognized 10 of Pasqualoni’s 13 teams for having a graduation rate of 70% or higher. SU won the 1999 Academic Achievement Award for having a 100% graduation rate.
Syracuse begins the season on Sunday, September 5 at Purdue. The game kicks off at 1:30 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ABC. SU then plays at Buffalo on September 11 at 6:00 p.m. The Orange kicks off the home portion of the schedule on Saturday, September 18 against Cincinnati at 12:00 p.m. SU will also host Rutgers (Oct. 2 at 12:00 p.m.), Florida State (Oct. 9), Connecticut (Oct. 30) and Pittsburgh (Nov. 6).
For ticket information and prices, call the Carrier Dome box office at 1-888-DOMETIX. Tickets are available at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B), by telephone (888-DOMETIX) or on the Internet www.dometix.com
