Join us as we return to our discussion about our latest potential holy donor, Vince Lombardi. After college, Vince bounced around a little bit before kicking off his coaching career as assistant football coach at St. Cecilia, a Catholic high school in New Jersey. Our hosts discuss Vince’s early days as a football (and basketball!) coach and explore how his family’s values and his Jesuit education influence his coaching style at St. Cecilia, and later at Fordham and West Point.

In this episode, we also learn a lot about Vince’s marriage to his wife, Marie. The pair married in 1940, and the early years of their marriage were filled with the tragedy of pregnancy loss, followed by Marie’s depression and drinking. Vince and Maria eventually had two children, yet their homelife was not ideal. Vince was largely an absent father, spending most of his time coaching football, and Marie turned to alcohol for comfort.

In 1954, Vince got his chance to move past high school and college football to become assistant coach for a pro football team, the New York Giants. The transition was tough as professional players had much less patience for Vince’s aggressive approach to coaching. With help, Vince adapted and learned to connect with his new team. After 5 years in New York, Vince accepted a head coaching position with the Green Bay Packers.

At this point, Green Bay is not a good team, and Vince is under pressure to turn them around. Will he be successful in creating a winning team in Green Bay? Listen next week to find out!

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Recommended reading:

"When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi" by David Maraniss

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