Dan Dorazio

Dan Dorazio
Dorazio with the Toronto Argonauts in 2019
Born:(1952-01-22)January 22, 1952[1]
Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died:August 13, 2024(2024-08-13) (aged 72)
Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
Career information
Position(s)Offensive line coach
CollegeKent State
High schoolStow High
Career history
As coach
1972–1974Kent State
(Graduate Assistant)
1975–1977Hawaii
1978San Jose State
1979Washington
1980–1981Northern Iowa
1982–1983Georgia Tech
1984–1988Washington
1989–1991Holy Cross
1992–1996Maryland
1997Boston
1998–2002Calgary Stampeders
(Offensive line coach)
2003–2014BC Lions
(Offensive line coach)
2015Saskatchewan Roughriders
(Offensive line coach)
2016–2018BC Lions
(Offensive line coach)
2019Toronto Argonauts
(Offensive line coach)
2020UBC
(Offensive line coach)
2020Simon Fraser
(Co-offensive coordinator, offensive line coach)
2023UBC
(Offensive line coach)
Career highlights and awards

Daniel Joseph Dorazio (January 22, 1952 – August 13, 2024) was an American professional football coach who coached for 26 years in the NCAA, 22 years in the Canadian Football League (CFL), and for one year in U Sports. He was a four-time Grey Cup champion after winning with the Calgary Stampeders in 1998 and 2001 and with the BC Lions in 2006 and 2011. Under his direction as an offensive line coach, he had four players win the CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award.

Early life and education

Dorazio was born to parents Joseph and Helen Dorazio in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Pittsburgh.[1] When he was a teenager, his family moved to Stow, Ohio, where he attended Stow High School.[1] He then attended Kent State University, where he played college football for the Kent State Golden Flashes as a running back.[2]

Coaching career

NCAA

Dorazio began his coaching career as a graduate assistant on the Kent State Golden Flashes staff and was assigned to the offensive line by head coach Don James.[2] He then spent time with the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors from 1975 to 1977, the San Jose State Spartans in 1978, the Washington Huskies in 1979, the Northern Iowa Panthers from 1980 to 1981, and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets from 1982 to 1983.[3]

Dorazio spent a large part of his NCAA coaching career with the Huskies, and joined the team in 1982, reuniting him with head coach James.[4] In 1984, Dorazio's offensive line scheme helped the fourth-ranked Huskies to a victory over the Oklahoma Sooners in the 1985 Orange Bowl.[4] His tenure with the Huskies came to an end after a disappointing 1988 season and he was fired by James.[4]

Dorazio then coached for the Holy Cross Crusaders from 1989 to 1991, the Maryland Terrapins from 1992 to 1996, and the Boston University Terriers in 1997.[3]

Calgary Stampeders

After 26 years in college football, Dorazio was hired by Wally Buono of the Calgary Stampeders to serve as the team's offensive line coach in 1998.[5] In his first season, Fred Childress was named a CFL All-Star as well as the CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman and the Stampeders won the 86th Grey Cup.[5] After a loss in the 87th Grey Cup, Dorazio won his second championship in 2001 when the Stampeders defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 89th Grey Cup.[5] After a disappointing 2002 season, Buono resigned and Dorazio left the Stampeders.[6][7]

BC Lions (first stint)

After Buono was hired as the head coach of the BC Lions, Dorazio joined his coaching staff as the team's offensive line coach for the 2003 season.[6] Under his tutelage, Rob Murphy won the CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award in 2005 and 2006 and Dorazio won his third Grey Cup championship following the Lions' victory in the 94th Grey Cup.[6] He won his fourth title in 2011 with the 99th Grey Cup win, and Jovan Olafioye won the Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award in 2012.[6] Upon the hiring of Jeff Tedford for the 2015 season, Dorazio was not retained on the coaching staff.[8]

Saskatchewan Roughriders

On February 2, 2015, it was announced that Dorazio had joined the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Corey Chamblin's staff as the team's offensive line coach, reuniting him with former BC Lions offensive coordinator, Jacques Chapdelaine.[9] The Roughriders finished with a league-worst 3–15 record and the entire coaching staff was dismissed.[10]

BC Lions (second stint)

After Tedford resigned as the Lions' head coach and Buono returned as head coach, Dorazio was hired back to his coaching staff for the 2016 season.[11] He spent three seasons in his second stint as the Lions' offensive line coach.[6] He was not retained for the 2019 season by the team's new head coach, DeVone Claybrooks.[12]

Toronto Argonauts

On February 7, 2019, it was announced that Dorazio had joined the Toronto Argonauts as the team's offensive line coach, with Chapdelaine and Chamblin also serving on the team's coaching staff, the latter as head coach.[3] After a disappointing season for the team, Chamblin was fired and replaced by Ryan Dinwiddie,[13] who subsequently hired Stephen McAdoo as the new offensive line coach to replace Dorazio for 2020.[14]

Canadian university football

Dorazio was hired as the offensive line coach for the UBC Thunderbirds, but only spent spring training with the team as the 2020 U Sports football season was cancelled.[15] He was then hired by Simon Fraser on August 29, 2020, by interim head coach Mike Rigell, to serve as the team's offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator.[16] However, their 2020 season was also cancelled and he did not coach for Simon Fraser.[17]

On March 22, 2023, it was announced that Dorazio had re-joined the Thunderbirds as their offensive line coach.[17] In 2023, offensive linemen Theo Benedet and Giovanni Manu were named to U Sports All-Canadian teams with the former winning the J. P. Metras Trophy and the latter being selected in the 2024 NFL draft.[18] The Thunderbirds also played in the 58th Vanier Cup that year, but lost to the Montreal Carabins.[19]

Personal life and death

Dorazio was married to Lisa Caroglanian Dorazio, and they had three children and four grandchildren.[1]

Dorazio died of pancreatic cancer in Abbotsford, British Columbia, on August 13, 2024, at the age of 72.[1][4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Daniel Joseph Dorazio". dignitymemorial.com. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Iain MacIntyre: Back where he belongs, Dorazio still Lion king coaching players twice his size". Vancouver Sun. June 6, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "Argos unveil 2019 coaching staff". Toronto Argonauts. February 7, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d "Ex-Husky Offensive Line Coach Dan Dorazio Dies at 72". Sports Illustrated. August 16, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "Stamps mourn death of Dan Dorazio". Calgary Stampeders. August 15, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Lions mourn loss of legendary coach Dan Dorazio". BC Lions. August 14, 2024.
  7. ^ "Buono era ends in Calgary". Canadian Football League. January 13, 2003. Archived from the original on June 18, 2003.
  8. ^ "Tedford names Lions coaching staff". BC Lions. January 22, 2015.
  9. ^ "Riders Announce Coaching Staff". Saskatchewan Roughriders. February 2, 2015.
  10. ^ "Riders Announce Coaching Staff". Saskatchewan Roughriders. December 16, 2015.
  11. ^ "Damn Daniel! Back at it again with the Lions". Montreal Alouettes. April 19, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  12. ^ "Lions announce seven members of coaching staff not coming back for 2019". Oak Bay News. December 13, 2018.
  13. ^ "Argos dismiss Chamblin; name Dinwiddie head coach". CFL.ca. December 12, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  14. ^ "Argos announce 2020 Coaching Staff". Toronto Argonauts. February 6, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  15. ^ "No one came close to challenging Lions OL Giovanni Manu". Detroit Free Press. May 3, 2024.
  16. ^ "Dorazio brings his nearly 50 Years of Experience to Simon Fraser University". Simon Fraser Red Leafs. August 29, 2020.
  17. ^ a b "UBC Thunderbirds add former Saskatchewan QB Mason Nyhus, legendary CFL OL guru Dan Dorazio to coaching staff". UBC Thunderbirds. March 22, 2023.
  18. ^ "Montréal's Jonathan Sénécal wins 2023 Hec Crighton Award". U Sports. November 24, 2023.
  19. ^ "Football boxscore". U Sports. November 25, 2023.