Coach Datillo (left) looks on during a game

During Scott Dattilo‘s time as a teacher and football coach at SHS, he made a positive impact on everyone he came across. He always prioritized relationships more than wins; when he was asked what his best memories were from his career he responded by saying, “The relationships with the coaches, number one, and the great connections with the players.”
Despite not playing on the football team, I can also attest to how important relationships were to Coach Dattilo. I had him for Geometry as a sophomore and I remember he was always smiling when we would walk into the room. His kindness and his ability to connect with students helped place him as a cornerstone of Sycamore athletics during his remarkable tenure. Beyond the wins and accolades (of which there are plenty), Coach Dattilo’s ability to connect with his players really set him apart. He always emphasized hard work, discipline, and character, creating an environment where students could become better versions of themselves on and off the field. After his retirement announcement, many former players swarmed to social media to credit him with teaching them invaluable life lessons that shaped their futures, proving how valuable having a role model like Coach Dattilo has been for generations of Sycamore Students and Athletes.
As Coach Dattilo steps away from his position, it is especially important to mention to current students, who have recently seen some of the worst years of SHS football in recent memory, that Coach Dattilo is the all-time “winningest” coach in Sycamore Football history. Some of his best seasons were between 2006-2008, when the Aves finished 27-6 and were ranked inside of Ohio’s top 20 on a regular basis, transforming one of the smallest D1 schools in Ohio into one of its best football teams that would regularly be in the mix for the GMC title. Some other notable years are 2012, in which the Aves went 9-2 and were ranked in Ohio’s top 20, and 2016, when Coach Dattilo led the Aves to a year-end ranking of 12 in Ohio.

While it is easy for current students and players to complain about Sycamore football, which has sat around 200 in the state the last several years, it is important to remember the new heights that Coach Dattilo led us to during his career.