NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - Retired Westminster College head football coach Dr. Joseph B. Fusco is one of seven individuals selected for induction into the Divisional (non-NCAA Division I) Class of 2001 of the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind. The 2001 induction class will be enshrined during ceremonies at the Hall of Fame in South Bend during the weekend of August 10-11, 2001.
Fusco served as head football coach at Westminster for 19 seasons from 1972-90, posting an overall record of 154-34-3 (.814 winning percentage) and leading the Titans to four NAIA Division II National Championships (1976, '77, '88, '89). When he stepped down following the 1990 season, his career winning percentage ranked second in the nation among all active NAIA coaches with at least 10 years of experience.
"The entire Westminster College community takes great pride in Dr. Fusco's many accomplishments, both on and off the field," said Westminster President R. Thomas Williamson. "We congratulate Joe and his family on this well-deserved honor."
Fusco is just the third person in school history to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. His predecessor as Titan head football coach, Dr. Harold Burry, was inducted into the inaugural divisional class of the Hall of Fame as a coach in 1996. Former Titan offensive and defensive lineman Larry Pugh
was inducted into the Hall in 1998.
A 1960 Westminster alumnus who was an all-state selection and two-time all-district honoree at offensive guard playing for Burry, Fusco began his football coaching career as head coach at nearby Wilmington and Grove City high schools (posting a combined record of 55-14-3) before joining Burry's staff as offensive line coach in 1968. After serving as a Titan assistant for the next four seasons, helping Westminster to a 30-5-1 combined record and the inaugural NAIA Division II National Championship in 1970, he began a head coaching career that included nine NAIA national playoff appearances and 15 NAIA Division II Top 20 finishes. However, it was the national championship seasons that left Fusco an undeniable legacy of success.
Fusco led Westminster to a combined 21-1 record while capturing the 1976 and 1977 national crowns. His 1977 team finished 11-0 (Fusco's first undefeated team) and also won the Lambert Bowl trophy as the top small college football team in the Eastern United States. Fusco again led the Titans to back-to-back titles in 1988 (14-0) and 1989 (13-0), compiling a 27-game winning streak that, at that time, was the longest win streak of any college team in the nation at any level.
The 1988 championship is the most vivid in the memories of Titan fans. Nobody who was at Memorial Field in New Wilmington that cold, snowy December day will forget Joe Micchia's 33-yard scoring strike to Dave Foley on 4th-and-10 with just seconds to play, breaking a 14-14 tie and giving the Titans a 21-14 national championship win over Wisconsin-LaCrosse. Westminster made it back to the NAIA title game in 1990 for an unprecedented third time in 1990, only to fall to Peru State in Fusco's final game as head coach.
Fusco was showered with awards throughout his coaching career. He was named NAIA National Coach of the Year in 1988, while earning NAIA District/Area Coach of the Year laurels on seven occasions. In 1994, he joined Burry in the NAIA Hall of Fame. His other inductions include the Westerm Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, the Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame and the Lawrence County Sports Hall of Fame.
"I offer my sincerest congratulations to Joe on this tremendous honor," said second-year Titan Head Football Coach
Jerry Schmitt, who was a three-year starter at offensive guard under Fusco at Westminster from 1978-81, leading the team to an undefeated regular season as a senior. "It was a great experience to play for him. Joe taught me many things as a player — about football, about dealing with people and about life. All of those lessons continue to help me in my current position today."
In addition to his football coaching accomplishments, Fusco also served as athletic director at Westminster from 1985 until his retirement in 1999. He also coached numerous other sports at the College throughout his 30+ year coaching career.
In addition to earning his undergraduate degree at Westminster, Fusco also earned a master's degree in education from the College in 1965 and a doctor of education degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1980. Joe and his wife. Gail, have two adult sons, Joe (33) and
Mark (31), and reside in New Wilmington.
A complete summary of Fusco's football coaching career follows:
Year Position School Record Notables
1960-66 Head Coach Wilmington H.S. 50-12-1 Named Lawrence County Coach of the Year three times
1967 Head Coach Grove City H.S. 5-2-2
1968 Asst. Coach Westminster College 6-2
1969 Asst. Coach Westminster College 6-2
1970 Asst. Coach Westminster College 10-0 1970 NAIA Division II National Champions; Fifth undefeated regular season in school history
1971 Asst. Coach Westminster College 8-1-1 1971 NAIA Division II National Runners-up;Sixth undefeated regular season in school history
1972 Head Coach Westminster College 7-1
1973 Head Coach Westminster College 7-1
1974 Head Coach Westminster College 7-1
1975 Head Coach Westminster College 6-1-1
1976 Head Coach Westminster College 10-1 1976 NAIA Division II National Champions
1977 Head Coach Westminster College 11-0 1977 NAIA Division II National Champions; Seventh undefeated regular season in school history
1978 Head Coach Westminster College 6-2-1
1979 Head Coach Westminster College 4-5
1980 Head Coach Westminster College 5-3
1981 Head Coach Westminster College 10-1 NAIA Division II National Playoffs; Eighth undefeated regular season in school history
1982 Head Coach Westminster College 9-2 NAIA Division II National Playoffs
1983 Head Coach Westminster College 9-2 NAIA Division II National Playoffs
1984 Head Coach Westminster College 5-2-1
1985 Head Coach Westminster College 5-4
1986 Head Coach Westminster College 6-3
1987 Head Coach Westminster College 9-2 NAIA Division II National Playoffs
1988 Head Coach Westminster College 14-0 1988 NAIA Division II National Champions; Ninth undefeated regular season in school history; 1988 NAIA National Coach of the Year
1989 Head Coach Westminster College 13-0 1989 NAIA Division II National Champions; 10th undefeated regular season in school history
1990 Head Coach Westminster College 11-2 1990 NAIA Division II National Runners-up
Fusco record as head coach at Westminster:
154-34-3 (.814)/19 seasons - four NAIA National Titles (1976, '77, '88, '89)
Fusco record as head/assistant coach at Westminster:
184-39-4 (.819)/23 seasons
Fusco record as head coach (H.S. and College combined):
209-48-6 (.806)/27 seasons
Fusco career coaching record (all seasons - H.S. and College, head and asst. coach):
239-53-7 (.811)/31 seasons
