NO SILVA LINING
Unwillingly reaches end of his career in Marshfield
MARSHFIELD — He walks the field during practice, alternating between offensive and defensive groups, talking and smiling with the ease of someone who has done this for decades.
At first glance, it seems like business as usual for Marshfield football coach Lou Silva. Those close to the scene, however, know that scenario couldn’t be further from the truth.
When Silva leads his Rams onto James G. Anderson Field for tomorrow’s annual Thanksgiving game against Duxbury, it will be the 37th and final time the Hall of Fame coach will serve in that capacity. The school informed Silva some time back he would not be the coach in 2018, a decision that still boggles his mind.
“They said there were some issues, like the fact I don’t teach in the building, but most of the coaches here don’t as well. I just can’t put my finger on what exactly the real reason was,” said Silva, whose 241 career wins rank 23rd in Massachusetts history. “No offense to the administration because they have to do what they have to do, but I have not been given one definite reason as to why they did this. It’s still kind of vague to me right now.
“I’ve been trying to go the high road through all this, but it hurts.”
Marshfield athletic director Scott Madden recently reiterated the school’s stance, which is that it does not comment publicly on personnel matters.
If the school had its way, Silva would not have been coaching this season. Six weeks after the Rams defeated Duxbury on Thanksgiving Day last year, Silva met with the school and was told his position was being opened. The news, which was first reported by the Herald, stunned a community rich in football tradition.
“I was kind of shocked when I first heard about it,” said Matt Kalapinski, who starred on Marshfield’s first two Super Bowl championship teams in 1995 and 1996 then played for Maryland and the Miami Dolphins. “Coach Silva was someone who dedicated a large chunk of his life to Marshfield. He is the reason why the program is where it is now.”
Former All-Scholastic linebacker Freddy Allen III, who played a key role in Marshfield’s Super Bowl titlw run in 2014, was at Central Connecticut when he first heard the news. Like many of his former teammates, it took him by surprise.
“My first thought with him being let go was that I was confused,” Allen recalled. “It’s just sad how they treated the whole situation, especially after all he has done for the town of Marshfield. Not just the school, but the entire town.”
The community showed how upset it was. A few days after Silva was told he would not be allowed to coach in 2017, a few hundred people bared the elements of a cold January day to march in front of the school, many holding signs and chanting, “Bring back Lou,” and, “Free Lou Silva!” Administrators met with Silva later in the week, and they came to an agreement. He would be allowed to coach one more year.
“Oh my God, I don’t know how to thank the people in this community,” Silva said. “They came together, put pressure on the administration to give me the one more year.”
The fact a meeting was needed just to ensure Silva one more year at Marshfield still grates on him. Silva’s teams are among the top 15-20 in the state on a yearly basis. He’s only had two losing campaigns in the past
23 seasons, and his players are respected in the community.
“We have a good program. We might not win every single year, but our kids are competitive in all our games,” Silva said.
“I think our kids are pretty good citizens.
We don’t have any problems in the classroom. As a program,
I think we’ve represented the school pretty well.”
The Rams enter tomorrow’s tilt with a 5-4 record. Injuries and a tough schedule (three losses came to teams ranked in the Herald’s Sweet 16 at the time) have put a damper on Silva’s final campaign. Still, to a man, the players are happy they had their coach for one more year.
“Coach is the greatest guy you will ever know,” senior captain Jake Devonshire said. “He’s always wondering how you are doing, how your family is doing. It’s frustrating to see what is happening to him because he’s done so much for the school. He’s basically the program.”
You can see by the look on Silva’s face the final days have not been easy on him. He freely admits to being saddened and disappointed, but that pales in comparison to the true pain he feels.
“My greatest regret is not getting a chance to coach my grandson, (sixth-grader) Jadon, that’s Jadon Lucien,” said Silva, with an extra emphasis on Lucien, the coach’s given first name. “I always wanted to be here for him and told administration as such, but they told me that’s not going to happen. “That hurts me, and it’s killing him.”