(Photo Credit: 27east.com)
During my days at Farmingdale State, I had the pleasure of playing for Coach Dan Luisi in 2011. Since then, he has moved up the coaching ranks to Div-I as an assistant at Stony Brook, then a Head Coach for the West Hampton Aviators of the HCBL and now as the Head Coach of his alma mater, Holy Trinity HS.
I had the opportunity to speak with him, and here is what he had to say…
How excited are you to be taking over a very storied and successful Holy Trinity program and taking over for a well-respected Head Coach?
Being able to take over Holy Trinity HS is inspiring and self-rewarding for me. I have always been a Titan–even long after I graduated from there in 2005. I have a great deal of pride in the school and the program, an I’m honored to follow in Coach Bob Malandro‘s footsteps. I can only hope to have the same positive impact on my players that Coach Malandro had on me.
You’ve had the opportunity to coach on staffs led by some very well-known coaches around Long Island. What did those experiences teach you about being a Head Coach?
I have truly been blessed to coach under some of the greatest leaders in baseball, most recently Coach Matt Senk at Stony Brook University. I have learned many great things from Coach, but I think the one thing over the years I started to figure out for myself was the style of coaching, and the culture I wanted to create with my players. To me, it’s about one question–how do I get my players to play their best? Understanding how to communicate, to motivate, to teach and sometimes even to learn has been a big part of the learning process for me and my ability to motivate a group of individuals to come together as a team.
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Have you enjoyed your time as a Head Coach in the Hamptons League?
I love being the Head Coach of the West Hampton Aviators. Being a member of this great organization and league has given me the opportunity to coach great players from schools all over the country. The greatest memory I have as the Aviator manager came last season, finishing with a HCBL Championship. The level of commitment it takes to be able to call yourself a champion should never be taken for granted.
Who are some people that have been influential in your life?
I would have to say my family. I am very fortunate to have a great support system. Baseball has been part of the Luisi family for many years and it’s challenged us as players, and continues to challenge me as a coach today. My support system starts with my parents, who have been very supportive in my coaching career, my two brothers who were great college baseball players and my little sisters who’s my biggest fan and keeps us all in line.
The Catholic League has been historically competitive. What will it take for Holy Trinity to compete for the title next year with the reigning champs from Kellenberg?
I truly enjoy the competitive nature of the Catholic League. A conference filled with very competitive teams, great coaches and some of Long Island’s best players. In order to compete with any of the schools in this conference, we have to be very sound fundamentally, and it starts with taking care of the baseball. If we can simplify the game and do our job to the best of our ability we will find ourselves in position to win baseball games.
Who are some athletes that you looked up to during your playing days?
I only had one athlete I looked up to as a player and that was Derek Jeter. I liked other players, but I wanted to mold my game after only one. The older I got, the more I realized it wasn’t about his inside-out swing, or his leaping jump-throw plays that I wanted to duplicate, but his ability to lead. I aimed to duplicate his consistency. Every day when you showed up to the ballpark, you knew exactly what you were getting–a leader who always put the team first, somebody who wasn’t worried about his stats. Players like that win championships, roster may change, but what you need to win doesn’t. Winning has no name, it’s selfless.
