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Coming home: Frazier grad Battaglini determined to resurrect Commodores football program

By Rob Burchianti 6 min read
article image - Submitted photo
Tony Battaglini walks on the football field at Thomas Jefferson with his son Cam. Battaglini was hired as Frazier’s new head football coach at the school board meeting Monday after being on the Thomas Jefferson staff as quarterbacks coach since 2015.

Tony Battaglini is returning to his alma mater and bringing a ton of success with him.

The Frazier graduate’s goal is to resurrect a Commodores once-proud football program.

Battaglini was hired Monday as Frazier’s new head football coach after serving as quarterbacks coach at Thomas Jefferson under Bill Cherpak since 2015. He was a part of six WPIAL and two PIAA championships while on staff with the Jaguars.

Battaglini kept an eye on his old school throughout his time at TJ, though.

“I kind of always kept tabs on how things were going there because I know a lot of those kids and have interacted with a lot of them over the years and kind of helped them out,” said Battaglini, who was a four-year letterman and two-year all-conference player at Frazier. “There is a level of familiarity there with some of the kids with me being from there, knowing the families, seeing them at workouts, so I do have a bit of a pulse on what’s going on there.”

Battaglini felt the time was right to leave Thomas Jefferson and try to get the Commodores back on track.

He’s already got the support of Frazier athletic director Mandy Hartman.

“We are thrilled to have Coach Battaglini at Frazier,” Hartman said. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and, more importantly, he knows what it takes to be a true champion.”

Hartman realizes it won’t be an easy road ahead for a team that’s gone 4-26 the past three years.

“We have some work cut out for us and changes won’t happen overnight,” she said. “Our kids are hungry and ready to put the work in and I’m excited to be part of that.”

Battaglini pointed to Hartman as a factor in his decision to take the Frazier job.

“Mandy being there was a huge reason why I would even consider it, same thing with (Frazier superintendent) Mike Turek,” Battaglini said. “They have a commitment to trying to win and trying to turn it around. Them being willing to do that sold me that we can change what it’s been like there for a while.”

Battaglini was a quarterback at Frazier and went on to play wide receiver and special teams at California University of Pa. under coach John Luckhardt. He played in every game during the 2008, 2009 and 2010 seasons for the Vulcans.

“That staff when I was there with Coach Luck was full of excellent coaches,” Battaglini said. “Guys like Larry Wilson and Chad Salisbury, those guys were Frazier guys themselves. Then on top of that Mike Keller, Walt Harris for a year. I picked up little things here and there from all those guys as a player. I tried to sum all that up, knowing down the road I’d probably get into coaching. It was such a huge help.”

Battaglini went back to Frazier for a couple years as an assistant coach under Mike Steeber, who guided the Commodores to a 55-38 record from 2010 to 2018.

“Mike is fantastic,” Battaglini said. “Mike is one of my favorite people in this world. He’s highly respected and has been a great coach, a great person and kind of mentor to me. I trust what Mike says as far as guidance.”

After working with Steeber, Battaglini coached with Laurel Highlands graduate and former Cal quarterback Matt Humbert at Belle Vernon and then went on to join Cherpak’s staff at Thomas Jefferson in 2015.

Battaglini soaked in all he could from both coaches.

“Cherp was great and I learned a lot from him about the amount of work it takes to be great,” Battaglini said. “There’s something that separates him from pretty much every coach and I think it’s his work ethic. The amount of work that he puts in is probably unmatched, and he expects his coaches to do the same. He’s always said you’re only going to get out of this what you put into it. He’s really big on that and that was something I definitely picked up along the way.

“I think one of the big things that we do with those guys at TJ and what Cherp is so great at is mentally preparing them for everything, every scenario, everything they encounter in a game has been gone over numerous times throughout the week and on top of that, throughout the summer. Everything is so detailed to the max. That’s one of the things that makes him a great coach.”

While he wasn’t with Humbert nearly as long, Battaglini took much away from his experience with the Leopards head coach.

“Matt is up there also with the best coaches in the WPIAL,” Battaglini said. “You look at how he’s taken Belle Vernon to the next level with his dedication to building a culture and building a program and all the success he’s had there, it’s amazing.

“I can’t tell you how much respect I have for Mike, and Matt and Cherp.”

Battaglini sees potential with the Commodores.

“When you watch them on film they do have some players,” he said. “They have some guys that have some talent. But I think a big part of what a lot of those guys are missing is an understanding of the game. There’s so much that goes into the game in terms of mental preparation, preparing throughout the week. And I think a lot of them are missing that to take it to the next level.”

Battaglini already has fashioned an impressive coaching staff to join him.

“We’re ready to hit the ground running,” Battaglini said in discussing who he’s brought in. “Jeff Ogrodowski has been a longtime coach around here. He’s worked at Connellsville and he’s most recently been at Belle Vernon probably about 10 years. Aaron Szakal is another guy from Belle Vernon. Dakota Romantino, and Dave Wojtanowski, who was Southmoreland’s defensive coordinator last year who’s a Perry guy. Josh Stewart played with me at Cal and played at WVU. Ryan Keebler is another Perry guy who played at Frazier and Cal.

“We’re all going to work hard to make Frazier a proud program again.”

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