Posted: Apr 03, 2012
The award - named in memory of the late New England Patriots running back who cofounded the Pop Warner program in Framingham - is presented to a former player who has carried the lessons learned on the field to a lifetime of service to the community. The presentation will be made on May 14, 2012 during the chapter’s scholar-athlete banquet at Lantana’s in Randolph, Mass.
Bandini’s coaching credentials span four decades. A member of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Athletic Hall of Fame as an offensive lineman, Bandini began his coaching career as a Buccaneer assistant in 1981 under the tutelage of 2011 Burton Award winner Don Ruggeri. He had high school head coaching stints at St. Clement and his alma mater Don Bosco, and was an assistant coach at Dom Savio, Stoneham, and Reading high schools.
Bandini moved to the college ranks as offensive coordinator at MIT for three years under 2007 Burton Award winner Dwight Smith. Assistant coach positions at Mount Ida College and UMass Lowell, preceded his move to Curry as defensive coordinator for two years and offensive coordinator for a year under former New England Patriot Steve Nelson.
Bandini was named head coach at Curry in 2006 following Nelson’s departure. In the five seasons since he took over the reins, the Colonels have compiled a 52-16 record (.765 winning percentage). Curry captured the championship of the New England Football Conference in 2006 and 2007, and Bandini’s squads participated in the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament in 2006, 2007, and 2008. A 2007 win over Hartwick College was the first ever NCAA tournament win for an NEFC team, and a 26-21 victory at Ithaca College in 2008 marked the NEFC’s first-ever road Tournament victory. Following the 2011 season, Bandini and his staff were selected to coach the North squad in the Division III All-Star Classic in Salem, Va.
In 1999, Bandini began MasterSports, an organization originally designed to provide an opportunity for coaches to get together and discuss football. In 2001 Bandini conducted the first MasterSports Football Clinic, and established awards as a memorial to special men who played and/or coached the game. To date, the awards made in honor of these men have resulted in the distribution of nearly $114,000 to 136 young men to assist them in furthering their education.
“I’ve known Skip since we worked together at MIT,” Grinold Chapter Executive Director Roger Crosley says. “As great a coach as he has proven to be, he’s an even better human being. The work he and his board of directors have done with MasterSports is truly amazing. He has shown his love for the game of football by giving back in a way that few have. I’m thrilled that the Chapter is honoring his incredible body of work.” (Release courtesy of NFF)
