MSJ picks Damico to take over program
Former McDonogh coach holds a 173-98 career record
The winds of change have blown at Mount Saint Joseph, as their football head coaching search came to a quick conclusion. Former McDonogh coach Dominic Damico will take the reins for the Gaels next season.
Damico has more than 30 years of coaching experience with 24 years at McDonogh, where he won at least a share of eight MIAA championships. His tenure included being named The Baltimore Sun Coach of the Year twice (2000 and 2013), along with Maryland State Football Coach of the Year in 2013. He holds a 173-98 record in his career.
He follows Richard Holzer, who resigned last month to take a teaching and coaching job at Northern-Calvert.
“Dom’s experience and winning ways will surely elevate The Mount’s football program, and we are excited to get started under his leadership,” said Mount Saint Joseph athletic director Kraig Loovis in a news release. “His passion for impacting young men, understanding of our Catholic Xaverian mission, and his relationships with our current players and coaches make him the right man for the job. I am confident that The Mount’s football program is in good hands.”
Holzer finished with a 41-15 record in five seasons and coached 47 players that ended up playing college football. Holzer went on to win the James Margraff Coaches Award in December and was honored in March. He recommended Damico as his ideal replacement.
Mount Saint Joseph is coming off of a Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference championship. The season included heavy accolades for the team in a 10-2 finish, along with a top-20 ranking in the nation from MaxPreps. It was the first MIAA championship for the team in 12 seasons along with the first outright championship for the school since 1949.
The program is returning a number of Baltimore Sun All-Metro players in quarterback Billy Atkins and wide receivers Don’t’e Thornton and Ausar Crawley. Atkins, Thornton and Crawley were joined by teammates Tyler Leavy, Marlowe Wax, Aamir Hall, Jabari Echols and Stephen Schulze as All-MIAA selections.
“I know the talent level that is coming back from last year’s championship team has the ability to do that, so that’s going to be our main goal,” Damico said.
Damico said he relishes the chance to join the St. Joe community.
“I grew up in a Catholic family, went to Catholic elementary school, Catholic high school, and my first big football job and athletic director job was at a big Catholic school,” Damico said. “It feels like I am going full circle back to my Catholic roots, and it feels good. I want to be a part of that mission again.”
In 2018, Damico left McDonogh after going 149-74. Damico guided the Eagles to an outright A Conference title with an 11-0 mark in 2013 after sharing the crown three times. Before moving up to the A Conference in 2001, McDonogh claimed four B Conference titles with an undefeated season coming in 2000.
Prior to his McDonogh days, he spent four years at Cardinal Dougherty in Philadelphia and was named Philadelphia Catholic League Coach of the Year in 1992.