D’Alessandro, True to His Word, Retires

Three decades ago Frank D’Alessandro, Monroe High’s football coach, made a pact with himself: Thirty years of coaching and then it’s adios.

D’Alessandro, 55, made good on that promise this week, announcing his retirement from coaching after 30 years at the high school level, including 28 as a head coach. D’Alessandro coached at Washington, Fairfax and Monroe, compiling a 146-91-14 record as a head coach, including a 9-2 mark at Monroe in 1988.

D’Alessandro, who will retire from teaching at the end of the school year, will coach one more game, sharing responsibilities with Bill Redell as head coach at an all-star game sponsored by the Daily News of Van Nuys this summer. Redell also left a high school job after the season, resigning as Crespi’s coach.

“I always said I’d go 30 years and get out, and it is nice to go out after having a good season,” D’Alessandro said. “I know I’m going to miss it after being out there after 30 years. I’ll miss the kids and other coaches, but I’ll probably miss game day the most. It’s so invigorating. The kids are pumped up, you’re pumped up. And you’ve got to make decisions right now.”

Monroe Principal Joan Elam said that D’Alessandro will be difficult to replace. “He was a great coach who was very sensitive to the young men he worked with,” she said.

Elam said the search for a replacement has begun, but there are no deadlines set for applicants. Neither of D’Alessandro’s assistants--Joe Lipari and Brian McGregor--teaches on campus, so Elam will look to other schools, she said.

D’Alessandro, a Pepperdine graduate, began his coaching career as an assistant at Washington High in 1959 and became the school’s head coach 2 years later. He compiled a 43-31-6 record in 10 seasons before moving to Fairfax. In 13 seasons Fairfax was 78-40-6 and won 5 league titles. Twice he was The Times West Side Coach of the Year.

In 1984 he moved to Monroe with co-Coach Howard Reisbord, who shared the job until last season. In D’Alessandro’s 5 seasons, Monroe was 25-20-2 and won 2 league titles, including the Mid-Valley championship last fall.

D’Alessandro listed Clarence Davis of the Oakland Raiders among the best players he coached. Davis played at Washington and USC before his career in the NFL.

Curtis Scott ranked among the best backs he coached, D’Alessandro said. Scott, The Times Valley Player of the Year last season, rushed for 1,943 yards and scored 18 touchdowns. In a playoff win over Roosevelt, the Monroe senior tied a state record with 54 carries and set the state mark for consecutive carries with 22.