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Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 63F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
BILLERICA – When Pat Kelly decided to step down at the end of last season after eight years of coaching the Shawsheen Tech Boys and Girls Cross Country teams, the Rams were more fortunate than most teams who lose a long time, popular coach such as Kelly.
While many teams would struggle to find an adequate replacement, the Rams didn’t have to search very far at all to replace Kelly, as his long time assistant Dan Dorazio was waiting in the wings, After 13 years as an assistant coach to both Kelly and his predecessor, Tim Broadrick, as well as one year, back in 2014, as the interim head coach, Dorazio was more than ready, and more than capable of taking over the head coaching reins on a permanent basis.
Shawsheen Athletic Director Al Costabile knows how fortunate to Rams were to have a coach like Dorazio, who could easily transition from being an assistant to being a head coach.
“Dan has been with us for a number of years, and he has always been a big, big advocate for the kids,” Costabile said. “He has done a great job for us an assistant cross country and spring track coach. He has such a great knowledge of running, especially distance running, so I know he will be successful as a head coach.”
For Dorazio, who in addition to his role as assistant with Cross Country team, has also been an assistant with the Spring Track team for the past ten years, it was a thrill to be named head coach, but he also knows that Kelly will be missed.
“Well, for one thing it is very gratifying for me to be offered this position. Coach Kelly obviously will be missed greatly, because not only were we coaching cohorts, but we have become very good friends over the years,” Dorazio said. “So, it is a bittersweet experience for me in that regard,. The good thing about that is that he is always there to help me, so I have been relying on him heavily for his expertise as well as his ability to run a meet. He has great organizational skills.
“I have learned a lot along the way as well. I am happy and very excited for the opportunity to do this. This is my 13th year coaching here, so I feel like I am more than ready for it.”
Indeed he is, and with a large group of returning runners to this year’s team, particularly on the boys side, Dorazio has easily transitioned into his new role. A big reason for that for that of course is Dorazio’s familiarity with the team, as well has his years of coaching experience, but he says the biggest reason for the smooth transition has been the athletes on both the boys and girls squads.
“There has been no problem at all with the transition from assistant coach to head coach,” Dorazio said. “They know what to expect of me as a coach and they know what I expect and demand out of them, which a two-way street in terms of respect, and that I do hold them accountable. But with this group, that is not really an issue, because it is just such a great group of kids.”
Dorazio has a long history at Shawsheen in addition to his coaching career. After graduating from Billerica High, and then Middlesex Community College, Dorazio came to work at Shawsheen Tech in 1970 when the school opened. Apparently, it was a good fit for both parties, as Dorazio spent the next 32 years working at the Tech in the Buildings and Grounds Department, taking care of the fields he currently coaches on, or at least their pre-artificial term predecessors.
“These were all grass fields when I was working here and I took care of them by myself. It was a very rewarding career, but it just became time to do something else, so I took an early retirement,” Dorazio said. “And then a little ways down the road, I heard that the cross country team needed an assistant, and since I already knew Tim Broadrick, who was the assistant at the time, I thought it would be the perfect situation.
“That led to the position with the spring track team, so all in all, I have the dream retirement job. It is something that I love to do, and something where I can give something back to the kids, and that is just a great thing.”
According to Costabile, it is also a great thing for the Shawsheen athletes who are being coached by Dorazio.
“He as a way about himself that makes kids run and makes them want to compete,” Costabile said. “He is very patient with the kids and you never see him yelling or anything like that. He is just someone who inspires the kids, and they want to give their best effort for him.”
That word, ‘inspires’, may best describe what Dorazio sees as the most important part of his coaching philosophy, whether it be as an assistant or head coach.
“I expect the kids to show up and work hard. Respect your teammates, respect your coaches, and if you do that, that comes back to you many times over in terms of performance and growing,” Dorazio said. “My philosophy is to inspire both the body and the mind. I have said this many times, that if you can’t inspire, you shouldn’t be coaching.”
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