Digeronimo ‘thrilled’ to take coaching job
Fitchburg Hall of Famer named school's football coach
Paul Digeronimo still remembers a bit of knowledge the late, great Doug Grutchfield bestowed upon him countless years ago.
The legendary Fitchburg High basketball took a much younger Digeronimo aside and stated what seemed like the obvious.
“If you want to be a head coach, you need to go out and get a head coaching job.”
It seemed painfully simple at the time, but it stuck with Digeronimo and over time he realized that the directive was more complex than it seemed. Experience matters along the way.
And the only way to gain that experience is by just going out and getting it.
Digeronimo tried twice to achieve his dream of coaching the Fitchburg High School football team and was twice turned away. He coached both the boys and girls basketball teams at the high school, gaining valuable experience.
And now, in his third attempt to land the Fitchburg High football job, Digeronimo has finally landed his dream coaching gig. Sure, the 2007 Fitchburg High School Athletic Hall of Famer is a fixture on the sidelines for the Red Raiders on the basketball court, but this coaching assignment is different, he says.
“This is a job I’ve dreamed of for a long time. I’m thrilled,” DIGeronimo said Friday afternoon. “I love Crocker Field and the chance to go back there is amazing. How many chances am I going to have to do that at this stage? Putting my name in for this position and then getting it is a big deal to me “
Digeronimo is a former threesport standout in Fitchburg, graduating in 1984. He played collegiate football at Boston College.
The longtime Red Raider girls basketball coach applied for the job once more after former head coach Greg Graham stepped down recently. Digeronimo served as an assistant with Ray Cosenza during his 23 years at the helm of the FHS football program
and held the same position with the late Charlie Raff at Oakmont Regional.
His older brother, Tom, coached the Red Raiders from 2017-19.
When the job opened up this year, the 56-yearold was interested but wanted to make sure his family would be open to him being occupied for the countless hours required to coach a football team.
“That was a big thing for me, making sure my wife and kids were OK with the commitment,” Digeronimo said. “I know they’d support me no matter what, but I wanted them to be onboard with me. My kids are older, but they still have milestones coming in their lives that I need to be part of and I wouldn’t be able to take this job without them being OK with it.
“Throughout the whole process, I’ve gotten a lot of support from friends and my family and colleagues. It’s nice that it has all worked out.”
The new head coach has yet to reach out to players formally, but he says he’s talked with a few in passing. Though the season is still several months away, Digeronimo says he’s already putting together the beginnings of schemes and game plans in his head, while also starting to pull together a staff.
:I know it’s a ways away, but as a coach, you never stop prepping,” he said. “I’m excited for the season. I’ve got a few coaches that I’m looking forward to working with and starting to fill out the staff.”
Digeronimo says he has no plans of vacating his role as head coach of the Fitchburg High girls varsity basketball team. He knows it will be a challenge once the two seasons near, but he’s embracing it, for the time being at least.
“I’ve never held two head coaching jobs at the same time and had to juggle that, but I have good people around me with the basketball team and plan on doing the same with football,” Digeronimo said.
The Red Raiders, coming off a 4-7 season, will kick off the Paul Digeronimo era Sept. 8 when they host North Middlesex Regional.