Florence football's family tradition continues as Frappolli takes over top job from father

Joe Frappolli has done every job within the Florence High School football program.

Now, the 45-year-old has the top job.

Frappolli was approved as the new head football coach at the school in late May, keeping his family tradition going into the future. He takes over for his father, Joe, the legendary coach who guided the Flashes to 337 victories over a 50-year tenure before stepping down in November.

“From water boy to player to assistant coach to head coach, it’s been a great ride and I’m excited for this new challenge,” said the junior Frappolli, who is the sixth head coach at Florence since 1947. The program began in 1943.

A two-way starter at center and linebacker for Florence, Frappolli played collegiately at William Patterson before getting into coaching.

Frappolli became an assistant coach on his father’s staff in 2003, during one of the program’s finest runs, one that included a 47-1 record over the next four years.

His first head coaching job came at Florence as he led the baseball team for eight years, guiding the Flashes to back-to-back Central Jersey Group 1 championships in 2011 and 2012.

The younger Frappolli learned plenty about football from his father, lessons that went far beyond Xs and Os.

“One of the things he always said, and it was a trademark of his, you have to surround yourself with good people and hard-working coaches. It’s something he was certainly blessed with during his time here,” Frappolli said. “We had plenty of darn good football players go through this program, but we’ve also had an outstanding staff to work with them.

“We’ve also had a really strong support system here with strong ties with the young program. My father also preached that the football program was more than just football. It was the cheerleaders, the band, the student body. He always went out of his way to make sure that everyone felt special and included. That’s what it’s special.”

While the Florence football tradition is strong, Frappolli said he’ll likely put some of his own twists on the program in time.

But will he wear a white dress shirt on tie on the sidelines – a staple of his father’s during the last half century?

“I’ve been asked that question a few times,” Frappoli said with a laugh. “I’ll cross that bridge when it gets here. It would be an honor to replicate that, so we’ll see. My dad was a creature of habit and there were a lot of things that worked over the years.”

Florence went 8-1 last fall, including a 6-3 loss to Penns Grove in the South Jersey Group 1 quarterfinal round.

There will be some new challenges for Frappolli in his rookie season. The team is scheduled to play a Week 0 game, opening its season at Deptford on August 29.

And maybe the biggest change for the Florence faithful will be no Thanksgiving Day football. The annual showdown against Riverside, which began in 1942, will be played on Sept. 6 instead of the fourth Thursday in November.

Tom McGurk is a regional sports reporter for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com . Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports . Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Florence football's family tradition continues as Frappolli takes over top job from father