New Place: New Face

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Created on Tuesday, 29 October 2013 17:25

Written by Adam Donnelly

ST.JOHNSBURY- There is a new face roaming the halls and football field at St. Johnsbury Academy as new Head Coach and Assistant Athletic Director Rich Alercio has found himself a new home. As a player and coach at both the high school and collegiate level, Alercio has made football a major part of his everyday life.

For the past 25 years Alercio could be seen roaming the collegiate football fields in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Now he finds himself once again coaching high school amidst one of the biggest high school football rivalries in the country. While he is aware of the historic rivalry that St.Johnsbury Academy and Lyndon Institute holds, Alercio says that he don't feel like he is apart of the rivalry just yet.

Coaching at the high school level is nothing new to Alercio, as his first football job out of college was as a high school coach in New Jersey. But after being in the collegiate ranks for 25 years Alercio says that there is a big difference in coaching the younger and inexperienced high school players comparative to coaching collegiate players.

"It's my first year back as a high school coach in 25 years and [I'm] absolutely loving it. It is a bit different, but the opportunity to have an impact on young peoples' lives far exceeded any opportunity you have at college. The high school level is outstanding," Alercio said.

Alercio, an offensive lineman in his playing days, held many different positions throughout the coaching ranks on his way to becoming a head coach. While at his first college job at West Chester University in Pennsylvania, Alercio found himself working on both sides of the ball as a defensive/offensive line coach as well as a defensive backs coach. After getting his feet wet at West Chester he moved onto East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania where he was their offensive line coach.

After his time there, Alercio found himself moving up the ranks as he was then hired as the offensive coordinator at College of New Jersey (formerly Trenton State College.) After spending most of his career there, Alercio was hired at Castleton State College where he helped found the football program and was made their first ever head coach. Following his four-year tenure at Castleton State, he now finds himself as the head coach at St. Johnsbury Academy.

Despite now being a high school football coach Alercio says that he "Runs the football program like a college football program. There is no difference in our expectations in the kids. Their strength training, video training, their commitment to their meeting schedule, commitment to their academics, and their commitment to football."

If you ask Coach Alercio what his favorite and least favorite things about football are, the lists tend to be very different. The list of dislikes is a very short one, as Alercio says that the only aspect of football that he doesn't like is the time spent away from his family. On the other side of the coin, the list of likes is headed by how much he loves the chess match that is the game of football, as well as seeing the reactions of the young players that say they did a good job.

"I absolutely love it," said Alercio about being at SJA, "It has reenergized me as a coach. I have moved around a lot from high schools to colleges, but this is a great place. It is a great place to be if you are a student as well. The place is outstanding and the facilities are great. The genuine care that the faculty and administration have for our kids truly exceeds any place that I have been. But for me personally, the support here from the administration is the best I have ever had. It is a great place to be, personally and professionally."