Tom Cassese is in his third season as a volunteer assistant coach with the Lehigh men’s lacrosse program. In 2007, Cassese retired as the Head Football Coach at Comsewogue High School, a public school found on the North Shore of Suffolk County, Long Island.
Cassese began his tenure at Comsewogue in 1973 and is the winningest coach in Suffolk County history and the first to reach 200 career victories. During his tenure, Comsewogue made 18 appearances in the playoffs, earned 14 League or Division championships, six Suffolk County Championships, and one Long Island crown. His 1990 squad earned the
Rutgers Trophy as the top team in the county.
Cassese has been named either League or Division Coach of the Year an astounding 16 times, County Coach of the Year twice and participated in the Boomer Esiason Outback Steakhouse Challenge four times. Tom was also selected by Madison Square Garden as its Coach of the Year in 1998 and earned two New York Jets Coach of the Week awards during the 1998 and 2003 campaigns.
On a personal note, Tom graduated from C.W. Post College in 1967 with a degree in Business Administration. He went on to enjoy a five year career in professional football with the Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers, New Orleans Saints, and the Montreal Allouettes and B.C. Lions of the Canadian Football League.
Upon the conclusion of his playing career, he attended the University of Vermont where he
earned a Masters Degree in Physical Education and coached the Wide Receivers and Defensive Backs on the football team.
He assumed his teaching duties at Comsewogue High School in 1973 and retired in 2003. He is married to Barbara, his wife of 39 years.
