The St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows, and CHSFL communities are mourning the passing of longtime L’il Terriers assistant varsity football coach Frank Nastro, who died Feb. 13.
He began coaching football at the Prep in 1956 as an assistant to the late great Vince O’Connor. They coached together for 35 years, winning 14 CHSFL championships and numerous other accolades.
Nastro also worked for the FDNY for 37 years. He was named an honorary alumnus of St. Francis Prep in 1985 and was a member of the school’s inaugural Ring of Honor in 2014.
Coincidentally, Nastro passed away on the same date as longtime varsity basketball coach Tim Leary, who died last year, and just a day apart from O’Connor, who died on Feb. 14, 2015.
Student allows comes before athlete in the term “student-athlete.” The same is true at St. Joseph’s College Brooklyn, Clinton Hill.
The third annual Bears Scholar-Athlete Team recognizes student-athletes who achieved a 3.5 or better grade point average during either the spring or fall semester of the 2018 calendar year. In total, 76 student-athletes earned the distinction.
“We are extremely proud of the way our student-athletes continue to succeed on the fields and courts and most importantly in the classroom,” said James Lally, director of athletics and recreation for the St. Joseph’s Brooklyn campus. “Academics will always be our top priority as a department and we are fortunate to have so many students who embrace what it means to be well-rounded student-athletes in Bears uniforms.”
