Remembering Coach Ginolfi

A former player reflects on the passing of a legendary Saugus High School football coach

By Vincent Serino

  (Editor’s Note: A 1983 photograph of then-Saugus High School football Head Coach Mike Ginolfi conferring with one of his players, then-junior Vincent Serino, has been circulating since the Dec. 11 death of the legendary coach. Saugus Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Anthony Cogliano (a 1984 Saugus High graduate) had a newspaper copy of the old photo in his High School scrapbook and began sharing it in the Saugus community after Coach Ginolfi passed away. ”I do not have any info on  the game or score.  Just saved the picture because Vinny and I were best friends in High School,” Cogliano said of the old newspaper clip he photographed with his cell phone. Cogliano graduated in 1984. Serino graduated in 1985. The Saugus Advocate asked Serino to reflect on the photo and the coach.)

Thank you to The Advocate for this opportunity to reflect on my time as a Saugus High School football player and to tell you about our Coach Mike Ginolfi, Gino.

Like many young players, I didn’t fully understand at the time how much those years and Coach would shape me — not just as an athlete, but as a person. Football at Saugus was about more than wins and losses. It was about discipline, accountability and showing up for your teammates no matter what the circumstances.

Coach Ginolfi demanded effort and toughness, but he also taught us something deeper: pride in representing our school, respect for the game and responsibility for one another.

He believed in preparation and doing things the right way. Practices were tough, expectations were high, and excuses weren’t part of the culture. At the time, it felt demanding. Looking back, I realized it was a gift. He was preparing us for life beyond football — where hard work, resilience and integrity matter far more than any scoreboard.

What stands out most now is how much he cared. He cared about the program, about the traditions of Saugus football and about the young men wearing that uniform. Long after the final whistle, the lessons stayed with us. Many of us carried those lessons into our families, careers and communities.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to have played for him and to have been part of something bigger than myself. His impact lives on through every player he coached and every life he influenced. Saugus football is better because of him, and so are we.

Rest easy, Coach. Your legacy will never be forgotten.

An update by Vincent Serino:

“I played for four years in high school and four years in college. I was a WR, defensive back, and a kicker in high school, and a Safety in college.

“That photo was taken during my junior year, the 1983 season. Not sure on the background of the picture, but whatever he was telling me, you can be sure I was listening.”