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Gilbert Tabbed to Lead Storied St. Joe’s Football Program
Gilbert was a sophomore defensive back for the Marauders in 1981 when O’Connor was elevated to the position that he would hold at St. Joe’s for 29 years. Following a senior season in which Gilbert earned All-Catholic honors a quarterback/cornerback, he was immediately hired by O’Connor to fill the junior varsity team’s head coaching vacancy. In that capacity, Dennis would go on to win 16 Monsignor Martin High School Athletic Association (MMHSAA) titles in 20 years and, in 1996, was the recipient of the Frank A. Constantino “JV Coach of the Year” award. Six years later, he was inducted into the St. Joe’s Sports Hall of Fame. “Obviously, a great deal of the football knowledge that I’ve obtained over the past three decades has been taught to me by Bob,” said Gilbert, who also served as a varsity assistant under O’Connor the past two seasons. “From a philosophical standpoint, my plan going forward is to utilize some of those same general schemes while, at the same time, making sure to tailor our game plans to the specific strengths of our student-athletes.” Gilbert, a Canisius College graduate and City of Buffalo police officer, is part of a familial legacy of St. Joe’s alumni. His father, Richard, graduated from the college-preparatory high school in 1954, and then watched each of his four sons, Rick Jr. (a 1980 graduate), Dennis (1984), Mike (1986), and Kevin (1992), be welcomed into the St. Joe’s community over a 12-year period. Dennis’ sister, a Mt. St. Mary’s alum, even served as a St. Joe’s cheerleader in the early 1980’s. Looking to extend that tradition, Dennis and his wife of 15 years, Kimberly, will be enrolling their eldest son, Dennis Jr., at St. Joe’s this fall, at a time when the school will be celebrating its 150th anniversary in Western New York. The Gilberts also have an 11-year-old daughter, Shannon, and a 9-year-old son, Patrick. “We are very excited to announce our selection of Dennis Gilbert as the next head football coach at St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute,” said Robert T. Scott, AFSC, President/Principal of St. Joe’s. “Dennis’s familiarity with our school’s longstanding traditions and Lasallian values, coupled with the intrinsic commitment and sense of community that comes along with graduating from St. Joe’s, really made him an ideal choice to lead the next generation of St. Joe’s student-athletes.” |
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When St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute began the task of replacing a coaching legend who amassed 169 wins and 13 league championships during his tenure, it seemed sensible to select a candidate who had been closely affiliated with nearly every single one of those victories. And that is precisely what St. Joe’s did this week when they announced that Dennis Gilbert ’84 would succeed former Head Football Coach Bob O’Connor ’65 at the helm of the school’s storied football program. The announcement follows an extensive search involving more than 15 candidates from around the United States.