Football

	Ed Zaloom
	/ Head Football Coach ezaloom@wpi.edu 508-831-5624

2008 will mark the tenth year for Brooklyn native Ed Zaloom at the helm of the WPI football program.

WPI's 17th head football coach, Zaloom has several qualities that make him the ideal head football coach. It is said that his coaching style is entertaining, his philosophy stimulating, and his personality magnetic.

Zaloom has put all those qualities together and turned WPI into a football force to be reckoned with.

Zaloom wasted no time in making his presence felt on Boynton Hill. During his first season in 1999, he led WPI to its first winning season in five campaigns, including a key victory over Union. Within Freedom Football Conference play, as late as the final weekend in October, WPI was one of only two teams with a chance to capture the conference crown.

During the next four years, the Engineers finished just under the .500 mark, but were clearly one of the more competitive teams in New England.  In 2001, WPI defeated nationally ranked (#13) Western Connecticut State, 22-15 in one of its biggest wins in school history.  Entering the final weekend of the season, WPI still was in the hunt for a share of the conference title and a spot in the NCAA championships.  A year later, the Engineers proved they were playing their best football at the end of the season by winning their final two contests.

In 2003, WPI finished 4-6 but along the way, Zaloom's squad went 2-1 versus New England Division III Top 10 teams, including a pulsating 49-38 win over Western Connecticut State during which WPI scored 21 points in a span of 2:38 in the game's final three minutes.

With Zaloom at the reigns, WPI has made a successful transition to the Liberty League.  WPI joined the New York based conference in 2004 and proved to be a solid team right off the bat with wins against Rochester and Coast Guard.  The Engineers still enjoyed success in New England with three non-conference wins en route to finishing 5-5.

Zaloom's 2005 squad provided countless highlights as the Crimson and Gray went 6-3 with several exciting victories.  The team won their final three road contests, including a victory over Rochester highlighted by a 61-yard touchdown pass in the final minute, en route to an impressive 4-3 mark in the rugged Liberty League.  WPI's three losses came to two teams who reached the second round of the NCAA Division III championships and a third who won an ECAC bowl game.

During the 2006 season, sophomore linebacker Matt Boudreau was named Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year while the Engineers were a perfect 3-0 versus New England opponents.  In 2007, the Engineers jumped out of the gates quickly, winning their first four contests en route to earning the number one ranking in New England. 

Prior to WPI, Zaloom was the first full-time head coach in the history of Siena College, where he inherited a program with a 2-28 record at the Division I-AA level. During his three years (1996-98), he compiled a 12-16 record. That included a 6-3 mark in 1997, which translated into the eighth most significant turnaround in I-AA that season.

Previous to his head coaching stint at Siena, he spent 13 seasons as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at the University at Albany. In 1994 his "freeze option" attack set a single-season record for total yardage. From 1983 to '94, he also served as head baseball coach at Albany, where he led the Great Danes to a 124-117-2 record.

Zaloom was a standout defensive back at Brooklyn Prep before heading to the State University of New York at Cortland where he earned his bachelor's degree in education in 1975. He began his head coaching career as an assistant football coach and head baseball coach at Port Byron (NY) High School. For three years (1976-78), he held that position until he joined the football staff at Albany as a graduate assistant coaching the wide receivers.

After earning his master's degree in educational administration from Albany in 1979, Zaloom was named head football coach at Fulton (NY) High School, where he stayed until moving to Appalachian State in 1982. During his stay at Fulton, Zaloom was named Onondaga Central Coach of the Year.

Zaloom lives in North Grafton with his wife Debra, who works in Human Resources at UMass-Medical.

Coach Zaloom on...

His Coaching Philosophy: "In football, unlike most other sports where skill is the order of the day, I believe that chemistry, heart, commitment and determination can win a ton of games. Unity and trust must become the blocks upon which to build. And through that the team can develop the belief that it can win. I am a firm believer in two things - a coaching staff that demands a most fervent attention to detail, and a football team that understands the importance of commitment and chemistry. Winning is always a can-do thing. It has got to be, however, something your players and coaches crave, thus stimulating the inexhaustible will and dedication necessary to achieve success."

Being at WPI: "I have come to respect WPI as one of the nation's elite institutions of higher learning. WPI's unique approach of a hands-on education is what impresses me the most. A WPI student learns by doing. The first thing any football coach must ascertain before taking a job at a particular school is whether or not that school can attract top-notch high school football talent. After witnessing the love that these student-athletes have for WPI, and after reviewing the school's most impressive placement record and percentage of graduates who secure top-paying, prestigious jobs, I had no doubt that we could attract talented athletes. My main attraction to WPI, simply stated, is that it is a fine school that should appeal to accomplished students from all over the country."

On the Liberty League and WPI's Schedule: "We are very excited to be a part of the Liberty League. I feel the Liberty League is nationally one of the top football conferences. There are no guaranteed wins. As we learned a year ago, any team within the league must be ready to play, no matter the opponent.  WPI has always played some of the strongest teams in the Northeast quadrant, and that will not change.  As always, we look forward to the challenges ahead and our goal is to participate in NCAA postseason play.

	Pat Hickey
	/ Assistant Football Coach phickey@wpi.edu 508-831-6087

Pat Hickey enters his tenth season on the WPI staff.  Prior to the start of the 2007 campaign Hickey added the role of offensive coordinator duties to his plethora of responsibilities.  Since arriving at WPI, he has handled many of the day-to-day tasks of the football program including serving as the recruiting coordinator. 

Hickey is a 1999 graduate of Assumption College, where he was a four-year letterwinner at wide receiver for the Hounds.  In his final year at Assumption, he received a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award from Central Massachusetts for his outstanding performance on the field and in the classroom.  Hickey is also the Director of the Fitness Center at WPI. 

	Greg Crum
	/ Assistant Football Coach gcrum@wpi.edu 508-831-5100

2007 will mark the third season for Greg Crum as defensive coordinator at WPI.  In addition to his football duties, Crum heads the department's intramural program.  In his two seasons, the Crimson and Gray proved to be one of the most respected defenses in the Liberty League.  In 2006, the unit sported the Defensive Player of the Year in Matt Boudreau. 

Crum arrived at WPI after a three-year stint as defensive coordinator at Worcester State.  As a player, Crum was a four-year starter and two-time captain during his Hall of Fame career at Worcester State.  As a player and a coach, he helped the Lancers earn an ECAC Bowl bid five times.  Crum also spent two years on the coaching staff at Assumption.   

	Patrick Hatch
	/ Assistant Football Coach phatch@wpi.edu

Patrick Hatch is entering his third year as an assistant coach at WPI where he will concentrate on the offensive line.  Last year Hatch made a seamless transition after working with the defensive line during his first year. 

Hatch came to WPI after being a four-year starter on the offensive line for Union.  In 2005, the Dutchmen were undefeated in the regular season en route to capturing the Liberty League championship and reached the second round of the NCAA Division III championships.  Hatch, a three-time all-conference selection at Union, played his high school ball at Maloney High School in Meriden, CT.

	Anthony Figueiredo
	Defensive Line - / Assistant Football Coach

Anthony Figueiredo will begin his second year on the WPI staff after a standout career at Worcester State.  He will coach the defensive line. 

Figueiredo was a four-year starter at defensive end for the Lancers, earning All-New England Football Conference honors during his final year in 2006.  His standout senior campaign was highlighted by being named All-ECAC first team after registering 62 tackles including 6.5 sacks.  Figueiredo, who as a senior shared the NCAA Division III lead in forced fumbles (6), graduated from Worcester State in May of 2007 with a degree in health education. 

	Steve Kasprzak
	Running Backs - / Assistant Football Coach

2008 will mark the second year for Steve Kasprzak on the WPI staff.  He'll shift to the offensive side of the ball and work with the running backs after guiding the linebackers a season ago. 

Kasprzak enjoyed an outstanding career with the Lancers, earning All-NEFC honors twice and being name team offensive MVP in 2004.  The Tewksbury native was team captain during his senior season in 2006 and twice was selected to the All-Worcester team.  The elusive running back ranks third all-time in all-purpose yards and graduated from WSC with a degree in history and minor in psychology.

	Brian Boyle
	Linebackers - / Assistant Football Coach

Brian Boyle is entering his sixth year as an assistant football coach at WPI.  2008 will mark his eighth year in coaching as he served as the defensive backs coach and strength & conditioning coach at Merrimack for two years prior. At WPI this season, Brian will focus on all aspects of the defense.

As a player at Merrimack, Boyle was a four-year starter at defensive back. He was a two-time recipient of Merrimack's Defensive Back Award (1998-99). He also received the "12th Man" Award as a freshman. A resident of Worcester, Boyle currently serves as a superintendent for the Methuen Construction Company.

	Dave Kaizer
	Assistant Offensive Line - / Assistant Football Coach

Dave Kaizer joins the WPI staff after a successful playing and coaching career at Worcester State.  He spent the last four seasons as an assistant to Brien Cullen, including the 2007 season as offensive coordinator. 

As a student-athlete, Kaizer was a three-year starter for the Lancers and was a member of the 2001 ECAC championship team.   In between his time at Worcester State, he spent a year on the coaching staff at Assumption.  Kaizer, who heads the alternative high school at Tantasqua Regional High School in Fiskdale, MA, will work with the Engineer offensive lineman.

	Ryan Matson
	Defensive Backs - / Assistant Football Coach

Ryan Matson starts his first year with the Engineer football program and will work with the defensive backs.  A 2008 graduate of Assumption College, Matson brings four years of coaching experience to WPI.  The past two seasons he has led the wide receivers and defensive backs for the Tantasqua Regional High School varsity program while serving at the JV coach. 

A native of Sutton, Matson attended St. John's of Shrewsbury where he played football, wrestled and ran track.  He currently lives in Worcester and works as a sales representative for WB Mason.       

	Mike Ragusa '05
	Assistant Defensive Line - / Assistant Football Coach

Three-year letterwinner Mike Ragusa returns to Boynton Hill to work with the defensive lineman.  Ragusa, a 2006 graduate, overcame several injuries to enjoy a standout career as a lineman for the Crimson and Gray.  He will work on a daily basis with defensive coordinator Greg Crum and line coach Anthony Figueiredo on all aspects of the WPI defensive attack. 

Ragusa, who now lives in Cambridge, played scholastically at St. Sebastian's School in Needham.  He is currently putting his WPI degree to use as a civil/environmental design engineer.

	Byron Menides
	Offensive Assistant - / Assistant Football Coach

Bio Coming Soon