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to perennial champion started with that
first recruiting class. Girardi sat in living
rooms promising that first class they’d
have a winning season by the time they
graduated from Lycoming. At its surface,
it didn’t seem like too bold of a promise.
But in the 1960s, the Warriors had just
one winning season under head coach
David Busey. (Busey actually posted
four winning seasons in his tenure from
1954-1966, including three winning
seasons in a row from 1956 to 1958.)
Lycoming went 2-6 each of Girardi’s
first two seasons and 3-6 his third
year. But he kept his promise to those
players in his first recruiting class. As
seniors, that group finished 6-2 with
only a 14-0 loss to Albright and a 7-0
loss to Upsala blemishing the record.
It was a proud moment for Girardi. He
had seen the growth in the program
over the first three seasons, but this was
the culmination of the changes he had
made, his first steps toward making the
program relevant.
“In 1974 I saw the light at the end of
the tunnel. I think we lost three or four
games by less than a touchdown that
year. Then we had that winning season
their senior year,” Girardi said. “From
that point, that’s where we set the bar.
So let’s increase our level of expectation.
When you increase that level of
expectation, now you increase the level
of achievement. Now our goal is to win
championships and get to the national
playoffs. And if we’re good enough, let’s
see just how far we can go. But at first, I
just wanted to survive.”
Those teams from the 1970s still hold
a special place in Girardi’s heart. He saw
what those kids put themselves through
to help him build the program. It’s no
surprise when it was announced he had
been selected for the College Football
Hall of Fame, the first phone call he
received at his home while he and his
wife Lynn watched the announcement,
was from a player from one of those
squads from the 70s.
Part of the culture change when
Girardi began at Lycoming was to
create a family atmosphere among the
football team. He valued loyalty and
always wanted to make sure he was
approachable to all of his players. It’s
why when any recruit came to visit
the Williamsport campus, he invited
them all in to his office to sit down for a
meeting with him.
He had a way of
motivating you
to go the extra
mile because you
wanted to succeed
for him.
I think he had
a really unique
ability to interact
with people and to
make everybody
feel special.
”
He had a way of
making everybody
feel important, not
just the great ones.
Girardi addresses the crowd at the unveiling of his bust, which stands inside the Shangraw Athletic Complex, on Oct. 20, 2012.
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