For the love of the game, kids, an era ends filled with successful memories on and off the gridiron

From player to coach to president, Brian Dimond announces he’s stepping away from the Crimson Tide Pop Warner program after over four impactful decades

By Joe McConnell

The year was 1990, and Brian Dimond was 20-years-old. He had the usual dreams of any young adult, but first he wanted to give back to the Everett Eagles organization that taught him so much about life on and off the gridiron, when he was a player in it for six years.

Thirty-four years later, Dimond, who is currently the president of the Everett Crimson Tide Pop Warner Football League, announced this week that he’s stepping away from a lifetime of fond memories at the conclusion of this season. It all started for him as an Eagles player, before returning years later as the Eagles’ E-team coach. He moved up the ranks rather quickly, having also coached the B, C and D-teams – and also helped out on the A-team staff when George Paone and Bobby Hart coached them – before assuming the presidency in 2000. When the Everett Huskies and Eagles merged in 2012 to form one league, he remained in charge.

But why is he announcing his resignation now? His answer is as simple as the reason he gave over three decades ago, when he returned to the league in supervisory roles. “We have a lot of good young blood right now in this league with great ideas, and it’s their time,” Dimond said. “I’m not tired of it, but it’s just good to get others involved at this point in the decision-making process.”

Dimond is not quite finished as a youth football administrator. He’ll still be the vice president of the Northeastern Massachusetts Pop Warner Conference, the league that Everett plays in during the regular season.

Through the years, Dimond says he wouldn’t change a thing. “I don’t regret any second of it,” he said.

Tom Abruzzese, the Eagles president prior to Dimond taking over the post, and Peter Mangraviti, the Eagles founder and its first president, are two individuals that Brian has looked up to, and tries to emulate. He specifically said of Mangraviti: “He was a kind-hearted man, who constantly gave back to the city, and I wanted to follow that lead.”

At first, the Everett Eagles were known as the St. Anthony’s Eagles under Mangraviti’s watch, and he continued to preside over the organization through the name change to the city it represents. When the city bragged of having two Pop Warner football leagues – Huskies and Eagles – they each had two teams on the four younger levels, while both had one A-team. A total of 600 players (at least 35 on each team) suited up annually to play youth football in Everett, and that doesn’t count the same number of cheerleaders who graced the sidelines.

Believe it or not, it’s almost getting back to that point, and Dimond couldn’t be happier. There are at least 270 combined players and cheerleaders today, the most the program has had in years. Instead of referring to the teams with letters (A-E), they are now labeled by age. Everett has five football teams that includes two U-11 squads. There’s also U-7, U-9 and U-13 clubs. Among the cheerleaders, the organization brags about having seven teams this year, with girls as young as four learning the cheering techniques.

Brian remembers the Eagles practicing at Sacramone Park, and when they merged with the Huskies all football practices were held at Glendale Park. As a player, he was a center and middle linebacker. He continued to play football at Malden Catholic, before heading into the plumbing business, where today he’s a night supervisor for Elge Plumbing that has a warehouse on Sunnyside Avenue.

The Everett native was born and raised on Winthrop Street, before raising his three daughters – Kloey, 25; Chelsi, 19; and McKenna, 11 on Rosedale Avenue. He has since moved to Peabody with his wife Nicole. Brian’s parents, the late Eddie and Marie, ran the Eagles concession stand at the Stadium. The ECTPW president is the second oldest in his family. Michelle, Danielle and Nicole are his sisters.

Dimond opened up to the Everett Advocate earlier this week for a quick Q&A on his many years in local sports after his retirement announcement was made public.

While you were coaching, did you have any championship teams, and did they ever go to Florida to play for the national championship at the Wide World of Sports Disney World Complex in Orlando? Also, have you had any championship teams since you have been president?

As a coach, we were EMass champions once, before falling short in the semifinal round of the New England Regionals. My teams also won a few North Shore championships.

As president, I have been honored with multiple trips – pretty much almost every year – down to the Pop Warner national football and cheerleading championships in Orlando, Fla. I’m very proud to say we have had a lot of national finalists, and a few national championships, both with the Eagles and the Tide.

The first year we merged to become the Crimson Tide we won the national C-team cheerleading championship. I’m proud to say my daughter Kloey – now a ECTPW cheerleading coach – was on that team. On that same trip, we won our first football title as one league with the A-team. Since then, we got a couple of more cheerleading championships, and also took home another national football title, when coach Dennis Wilcox guided a group of Everett kids to a perfect season in 2014. It was probably the best Pop Warner team that I have ever seen here or anywhere else for that matter. It consisted of a group of players that you could never stop cheering for, and some of them were Ake Wilcox, Lewis Cine, Mike Sainristil, Jason Matre and Gabe Desousa.

Every year, we seem to have our cheerleaders head down to the Sunshine State, and place at least in the Top 5 in the nation. We have had two football teams go down there the past two seasons, only to fall short of the title. They, however, still made myself and the city proud.

Which players specifically did you coach that went on to win Super Bowls at the high school, and did you know they’d be that good?

The players who have stood out from the beginning would be the Nuzzo brothers, Frank and Matt. They were on my first team in 1990. Watching them play football and baseball as young boys was a treat in itself.

Another player who I got to watch as a coach – even though I never coached him myself – was Genaro Leo. He was a sight to watch, and like I mentioned earlier you have that group that Dennis coached that I’ll never forget.

It’s hard to point out just a few players, because there were tons of great athletes who have passed through our gates during the last 34 years, and I certainly don’t want to slight any of them.

I’ve been constantly impressed with the talent that I’ve seen rise through the ranks all the way through high school, college and the pros. It’s beyond humbling knowing that I may have had a little part in their successes.

What are some of your fond memories as a Pop Warner coach and president, and feel free to list those people who meant so much to you over the years?  

My memories started way back to the days when I played. My first coach was Chuckie Leo, and it was Chuckie who got me involved in coaching.

As a coach, my best memories were those when I was just surrounded by young enthusiastic kids. The best feeling that I had as a coach was teaching players that were struggling on Aug. 1, but when that last whistle blew to end the season, you see those same players leave the field with a big smile, knowing just how much that they had improved in a few months. To see the look of accomplishment in the eyes of those kids is just a memory that I’ll never forget.

On the selfish side, I will never forget watching my daughters – Kloey, Chelsi and now McKenna – cheer, and doing what they love doing in the organization that I’m a part of. I could go on with more memories and people that touched me over the years, but there’s not enough time in the day for that.

I had so many memories, and made so many lifelong friends just being a part of this organization for many years. I will never forget the likes of Peter Mangraviti and George Castiello, who have given up their time over the years to make football in Everett successful. George is like a second father to me, and somebody who I’ve always leaned on for advice. There are many more who have touched my heart, and I wish I could list them all, but I hope they all know how much they meant to me, while also helping make this program the best youth organization around, in my mind.

From the Eagles and Huskies to the Everett Crimson Tide PW

For the last 33-plus years when August 1st came around you knew that it was football season throughout the city of Everett – it just felt like something special and on that same August 1^st, you knew I would be down Sacramone Park getting ready for the Pop Warner season.  It’s been a ride that I can’t believe I was part of. Since day one until now, it’s been an honor to give back to the youth of this great city which I love. I’ve made a ton of friends and memories along the way and wouldn’t change a thing. I had the privilege to watch so many young men and ladies grow to become great adults and, in some cases, had the privilege to watch their children come through those same park gates and no one can take those memories away from me. With that I’d like to say this will be my last season as president of the Tide. This decision I made to not run for my position as president at the end of this season, although painful, doesn’t bother me as much as one would think and that’s because I know for the past 33 years, I gave my all to this organization and to the youth of Everett and no small group of people can ever take that away. So, at this time, I would like to thank the city of Everett for allowing me to be part of running such a great organization. I would like to thank the volunteers that stepped up throughout the years that dedicated their time to help grow this organization into a nationally-known one. Thank you to the parents that brought your children to the park day in and day out. Last and definitely not least, thank you to the players and cheerleaders – it’s been a ride. I will never forget you all and you will be a part of my heart forever.

For one last time from me to you all

“ROLL TIDE ROLL”

Brian Dimond