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The last time Pat DiPilla was involved with local high school sports, Neumann was still an all-boys school at 26th and Moore streets.
Now known as Neumann-Goretti, the 1965 Bishop Neumann grad is busy setting up shop at 10th and Moore streets, where he is settling into his new post as the Saints athletic director, replacing Chip Reitano, who resigned following the 2008-09 school year.
"It feels good to be back with Neumann," DiPilla said. "Different building, same spirit."
DiPilla has begun preparations for the upcoming school year by helping hire Rich Garfagno as head football coach. He replaces Bill Sytsma, who resigned last fall.
"I was involved in hiring Richard and now my job is to give him all the support he needs," DiPilla said. "We need to keep the team as competitive as possible and bring them up to standards that all others have of them."
With September fast approaching, Neumann-Goretti is looking to continue building on its ’08-09 success when the boys’ basketball and baseball teams won Catholic League and City championships. Garfagno is hoping his squad can enjoy similar success this fall.
"We want to do our fair share," he said. "There’s no pressure to keep up, but we want to keep up and our goal is to make the playoffs."
He previously served as Neumann’s defensive coordinator from ’91 to ’93 and then from ’00 to ’03. More recently, he was an assistant football coach at Southwest’s Bartram High School. With more than 20 years of coaching experience, Garfagno is back. He attributes his new coaching success to DiPilla.
"He works all day every day getting things settled. He made my transition easy. Without Pat, we might not be lining up in 2009. Pat’s the man," Garfagno said.
DiPilla, of the 2900 block of South 18th Street, has made a life for himself in sports and athletics. It dates back to the ’60s as a Catholic Youth Organization coach at St. Edmond’s, 2130 S. 21st St., and the following decade at St. Monica, 17th and Ritner streets. He returned to his alma mater in the ’70s as an assistant football coach. In addition to working for 30 years as assistant health commissioner for the City of Philadelphia, DiPilla furthered his athletic supervising career by becoming assistant athletic director at Neumann from ’91 to ’04, until the school merged with Goretti.
Retiring from his city job five years ago, DiPilla made the move to Radnor’s Archbishop Carroll, where he served as an assistant football coach and long-term substitute teacher.
But it wasn’t long before he returned to his roots.
"[Last] spring, I was a substitute teacher at Neumann-Goretti, teaching English," DiPilla said. "The job for athletic director became available, so I applied and was accepted."
DiPilla said he has a lot to live up to in his new post since, earlier this year, Neumann-Goretti’s athletic program was chosen as tops in the state by Sports Illustrated. He anticipates school spirit will be the driving force behind another successful year.
"We want to keep the quality that we have — great coaches, great teams and great school spirit," DiPilla said. "I hope to live up to the high standards."
