The Blue Devils have a guardian angel in Fred Fusaro.
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Devils → have → Fusaro
At age 83, Huntington’s storied offensive and defensive line coach continues to leave a legacy for Long Island football after more than half a century of mentoring young men on the gridiron.
“The camaraderie you develop with kids is where it’s at,” Fusaro, a former noseguard at Huntington, told The Post.
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Fusaro → continue → Post
“If you get involved in coaching, you’ve got to love it … and I love these kids,” added the volunteer, now in Year 2 with his alma mater as a super senior.
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volunteer → involve → senior
The godfather of Long Island football has helped land four athletes in the NFL — most notably Giants Super Bowl champion John “Jumbo” Elliott, when Fusaro was the longtime Sachem head coach — and estimates more than 150 of his players went on to college ball over his 55 years.
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150 → help → years
Fusaro now enjoys seeing his name atop the Sachem North varsity field as a way to honor his two Rutgers Cups, numerous county titles, and the character development he instilled in the young men of the Flaming Arrows over 34 years, until 2002.
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he → enjoy → 2002
“He’s a humble man,” said former Sachem running back Dave Shanahan, who helped lead the school to a 1986 Rutgers Trophy.
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who → ’ → Trophy
“Since I was a young man, he was always behind me and my decisions he thought were good for me.”
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he → think → me
Sure, Fusaro and Shanahan admitted it wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows, as many of the most impactful moments came through tough love that the players took in stride.
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players → admit → stride
“If they know you care about them,” Fusaro said, “you can pretty much do whatever you want.”
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you → know → whatever
Winning isn’t everything
Beyond wins and losses — Fusaro said he has more than 200 victories — the most humbling honor is seeing how many of his former players he inspired to become coaches.
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he → say → players
“I would say there’s a minimum of 50,” Fusaro added.
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Fusaro → say → 50
“You like to think that you’re doing something right.”
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you → like → something
When Fusaro stepped away from Sachem — he was ready to stop dealing with parents but certainly not the kids — his next career opportunity was a full-circle moment thanks to Shanahan, who became head coach at Elwood’s John Glenn High School in 1995.
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who → step → 1995
He happily brought Fusaro on as an assistant in 2004.
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He → bring → 2004
“I figured I’d be with him for a couple of years — I was with him for 19 years,” Fusaro said.
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Fusaro → figure → years
The pair won back-to-back Long Island championships in 2010 and 2011, which Shanahan said Fusaro was “instrumental in” while running the Knights defense.
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Fusaro → win → defense
“He had excellent schemes — he’s a true technician,” Shanahan added.
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Shanahan → have → schemes
Glenn’s 2010 team enjoyed Long Island’s only undefeated season, with a Rutgers Trophy to show for it.
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team → enjoy → it
“The kids loved him because he was such a hard worker,” Shanahan added, as Fusaro called him “one of my best players.”
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Fusaro → love → players
Calling the right plays
The Fusaro way made X’s and O’s a secondary objective toward a bigger picture for the teenagers — whether they were slated to play after high school or not.
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they → call → school
“By pushing you hard, by holding you accountable, he prepared you not only for the game of football, but for the great game of life,” added Shanahan.
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Shanahan → push → life
“The kids really bonded to him.”
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kids → bond → him
When John Glenn boys soccer coach Lou Hanner overheard Shanahan talking about Fusaro, he interjected to call him “first class.”
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he → overhear → him
Fusaro was inducted into the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame over the summer — and had an entire first string of those he mentored right there with him for the honor.
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he → induct → honor
“I had 25 players come up to Buffalo for the induction,” Fusaro said.
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Fusaro → have → induction
When Shanahan retired from coaching in 2025, Fusaro said he knew it was time to go back to where it all began for him: the Blue Devils, who are 2-1.
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who → retire → Devils
Fusaro found his love for coaching from the staff he enjoyed as a varsity lineman in the 1960s.
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he → find → 1960s
It led him to play for Ithaca and later coach at the college level with St. Lawrence and Hofstra.
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It → lead → Lawrence
“It brought back a lot of memories being here,” Fusaro said.
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Fusaro → bring → memories
“I’ve been blessed, truly blessed, to have the kids that I had and the dedicated coaches that I had over the years.”
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I → bless → years
The Aporia
