Bob DeFelice: The title ‘Coach’ doesn’t begin to tell the story

Nine Halls of Fame, 1,800 games with one program, two Super Bowls, and one massive impact.

For Winthrop’s Bob DeFelice, who died Sunday at age 82, it was always about the game – and it didn’t matter which one.

“He was born to coach,” said former Salem High football coach Ken Perrone. “He was a living legend. He’s a great coach and great role model for kids.”

Born to coach, indeed. At Winthrop High, DeFelice (101-65-2 record) won two Division 2 Super Bowls and four Northeastern Conference titles across 17 years.

He had the respect of his players, but also, his competition.

“We competed as football coaches and were very competitive with everything, but had a lot of respect for one another with great games,” Perrone said. “Then, when I took the Salem State baseball job, we competed with each other as college baseball coaches.”

Yes, Bentley University, where DeFelice coached the baseball team from its inception for 54 years (1969-2022) and won 848 games.

The team’s current coach, Mike Hill, was a longtime assistant under DeFelice.

“I am heartbroken and deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Coach DeFelice, a loss that resonates profoundly with everyone he touched,” Hill said in a statement from Bentley University. “His unwavering support and dedication to his players were truly remarkable. I will always be grateful for the impact he had on my life and the baseball program. His legacy will live on in our hearts.”

DeFelice was also athletic director at Bentley from 1991-2020. Under his direction, the women’s basketball team won two national championships, the field hockey team added another, and the ice hockey team was elevated to the Division 1 level.

“Hard for me to express in a few words how special Coach DeFelice was, especially at this time,” said Bentley men’s basketball coach Jay Lawson, whose Falcons have achieved winning records in 30 of his 32 seasons. “The quick version would be that he was a great man and friend who had a huge impact on everyone (young and old) who was fortunate enough to be part of his life.”

But it all started in Winthrop. Frank DeFelice, Bob’s brother and legendary Swampscott baseball coach, said the two were “inseparable.

“What I remember most is when we were young boys with my father – throwing rocks, playing catch with a rubber ball, and doing those things together. When my father left for work, we’d be out in the yard,” Frank DeFelice said. “We’d be inventing games for a good part of our youth, all kinds of games and doing them together. I cherish those young days with my brother and those are the things I remember when I have a chance to reflect.”

A day in the brothers’ lives was simple: play catch, swing sticks, hit a soft rubber ball with no gloves, then, find a new game.

“You name it, we did it,” Frank DeFelice said. “We didn’t know what we were doing; we just had fun doing it. It seems that when I drift back, I think about those things.”

Years later, Barry Rosen, former Winthrop, Merrimack, and Saint Anselm baseball coach, was introduced to Bob, who would become a lifelong friend.

“I first became acquainted with him in the eighth grade. He was home teaching and became the freshman baseball coach. I went out for the team,” said Rosen, who also coached football with DeFelice in Winthrop. “It was the best I ever hit in my life because everything he said made perfect sense, so that’s how I got to know him.”

With DeFelice in his ear, Rosen batted .400 that season.

“And I never hit close to that,” he said.

When asked about DeFelice’s coaching style, Rosen said he “treated everybody the same.

“It wasn’t always pretty, but it was bare honesty with everybody,” he said. “Almost everyone who played for him will say something great about him.”

Even years later, when Rosen began coaching at Merrimack, their relationship was just like old times.

“I ran into Bob and said, ‘Hey, I got the job at Merrimack’ and he put his arm around me and said, ‘That’s great, Barry. That’s three wins for Bentley every year,’” Rosen said.

After graduating from Winthrop High in 1959, DeFelice took his talents to Boston College, where the defensive catcher was a career .300 hitter who helped the Eagles advance to the College World Series in 1960 and 1961.

“Not only a great coach, but a great athlete,” Rosen said. “It’s a huge loss to the area – that’s for sure.”

After his BC days, DeFelice spent three years playing in the Red Sox organization before transitioning to coaching for good. DeFelice is a member of nine Halls of Fame, including Boston College, Bentley, Winthrop High School and Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association.

“It was a great ride and I’m going to miss him terribly,” Rosen said.

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