Rick Haggerty: Former assistant moves out on his own

Last Saturday, as Gavin Hoffman was completing his second straight 300-yard passing game, as Mike Verille was admirably filling in for Kris Ryan with 99 rushing yards and as the Penn football team was piling up 45 points against Lafayette, there was another football game going on in Hartford, Conn. This game had no impact at all upon the Quakers, and ordinarily there would be no reason for anyone in West Philadelphia to give it much thought. But this particular contest marked a special occasion. As Penn was furiously trying to hold on to its lead against the Leopards on a wet and gloomy day in Franklin Field, a man who had been by Al Bagnoli's side for the previous 13 seasons was stepping out on his own. Last Saturday, Chuck Priore made his debut as the head coach at Trinity College, guiding his Bantams to a 46-34 win over Bates College. From 1992 through last winter, Priore was the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Penn. Prior to that, he worked under Bagnoli at Union College. And last week, Priore finally paced the sidelines for the first time as a collegiate head coach. "I don't know if you ever prepare yourself for that situation, but I think I was prepared and a little bit excited," Priore said. "The thing I don't think I was is nervous, because I've been involved in a lot of good football games. I coached under some good coaches during my time and learned some good things. "I think it was more excitement. The nervous part was just to make sure things ran smoothly and that I didn't cost my team anything, and I don't think I did." He seemed to do pretty well for himself, as the Bantams scored 46 points and racked up 552 total yards of offense. Tomorrow, Trinity might not have as easy of a time. The Bantams meet up with defending NESCAC champion Williams. Priore knows his team might have its hands full, estimating that Williams has lost "about a dozen games" in the past 20 years. But now that he has the first game under his belt, Priore knows it can only get easier from this point on. "I think you need a dry run," Priore said. "I think the part that is real good is that I have a good staff, a very dependable staff. That takes a lot of pressure off the head coach." Priore knows. He was there to take the pressure off Bagnoli for 13 seasons at both Union and Penn. They were successful years for Priore, as he helped engineer the offense that took the Quakers to three Ivy championships in the 1990s. He coached the four quarterbacks at the top of Penn's single-season passing list, as well as four of the top five single-season rushers in Quakers history. These items on his resume certainly helped Priore land the job at Trinity, and now that he has the position, he will hope to lead the Bantams to the same type of success he enjoyed with the Quakers. It's a different situation for Priore. After eight years in Philadelphia, he is now in Hartford. He's moved from Division I-A to Division III. Most importantly, though, he's moved from shotgun to the driver's seat, shouldering all of the responsibility that comes with being a head coach. Priore said he compares Penn and Trinity often, and he notes that the programs are not as different as one might think. He said many of the players he coaches at Trinity are like those at Franklin Field, hard-working kids from blue-collar backgrounds that can handle the pressures of football and tough academics. And while Priore has moved out from under Bagnoli's wing, he has not forgotten where he came from. He said he talks to the Penn coaches often, especially his brother Ray, Penn's defensive coordinator, and Bagnoli. He has also kept an eye on his former team's progress in this young 2000 season. "They have Dartmouth this weekend," Priore said. "Penn by 21. That's my prediction."

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