The theme has always been “Family” at Marian Catholic High School.

It’s the motto; it’s the DNA; it’s been the lifeline since the school’s formation back in 1960.

Those family ties continued on Monday afternoon when Marian introduced Billy O”Gurek Jr. as it’s new varsity football coach, succeeding the lengendary Stan Dakosty.

O’Gurek is a 2001 Marian graduate and a four-year member of the Colt football team. He was part of the 2000 District 11 championship team which was quarterbacked by Dakosty’s son, Stan, Jr. - the present head coach at Colgate University.

“I’ve been honored to be part of the search for our new head football coach,” said Marian Head of School Mike Brennan before introducing O’Gurek as the ninth head coach in the school’s history.

Brennan thanked Dakosty for his awe-inspiring leadership for 44 years - including his second stint which began four years ago. He then directed his comments toward O’Gurek, who was one of 12 applicants for the job.

“As we preach at Marian, family, faith and tradition is so important,” Brennan said. “Nothing means more to us.”

O’Gurek was next to speak, thanking Brennan and Marian Athletic Director Pete Sanfilippo before acknowledging his parents and Dakosty.

“I told our players this is a wanted position,” said O’Gurek. “Wanted because of them and the effort they put on the field this past season.”

O’Gurek said the Marian football program has held a very special place for him since he was a youngster growing up in Summit Hill mimicking Colt players during his elementary school days.

“Our next-door neighbor was fullback/middle linebacker on our state championship team in 1990,” recalled O’Gurek. “When we were young kids playing football and everyone else was running around pretending to be on the Philadelphia Eagle, I was thinking I was a Marian Colt.”

“This is a very special program.”

That feeling of being a Marian Colt has never left O’Gurek.

“Mr. Brennan has a saying around here, ‘Be Marian,’ - and I sort of lived that,” said O’Gurek. “But that doesn’t make me unique. A lot of people have the same sort of stories as me, growing up as a kid on Hazard Street, going to the games on a Saturday afternoon or a Friday night.”

O’Gurek - who works for the state of Pennsylvania as an auditor - praised Dakosty, calling him a special mentor. He has been part of a Dakosty staff that helped save and steady the program the last four years.

“He (Dakosty) exposed me to anything and everything that could happen in a football program, on and off the field,” said O’Gurek - calling it “a Master’s level” of football education.

“I’m excited that coach Dakosty is going to still be around the program so whenever I need some advice or a pep talk he will be there for me,” said O’Gurek. “I’m also excited that coach (J.D.) Hackenberg - our defensive coordinator - is going to be returning along with the rest of the staff from last season.”

The new coach, who is 40 years of age, also thanked his parents for being his biggest supporters, saying “… they were always there for me. They’d come to passing scrimmages, they’d come to our JV games, varsity games, home and away, they’re always there for me and for Marian.” Dakosty, who joined Brennan and O’Gurek at the head table for the press conference, said he is enthusiastic about the direction of the program.

“It took a lot of effort to get the program back,” he said. “It comes back to our coaches and our players … the work they put in and they persevered - and I leave with only good feelings. I feel like a proud football parent. Bill is definitely the right guy for the job. He bleeds blue and gold.”

Dakosty said he will gladly do anything he can to assist the new head coach.

“If he wants me to carry water, I’ll do it,” Dakosty said, with a laugh.

To be sure, the new coach is fueled with a desire to succeed.

“I’m not going to be coach Dakosty, I’m going to be myself and that’s the approach our kids understand,” O’Gurek said. “You have to be honest with them, let them know where they stand, and that if they put the work in they will be successful.

I’m going to have fun. This is pretty special.”

With a high number of applicants for the position, Brennan the school had numerous options, but said they made a decision which was true to the heart of Marian.

“We knew what was best for our program,” Brennan said. “And that comes down to the tradition here at Marian and being a great representative of the school. We certainly have had that for 44 years with coach Dakosty, and Billy is right there as well.”

O’Gurek is anxious to get started.

“We have 32-33 underclassmen returning, so we’re in a healthy spot,” he said. “This past fall there were 14 new faces, and we feel next fall should fall right around that number as well. We are hoping to have about 44-45 players next season.”

A new day is dawning at this tiny Catholic school where the spacious grounds on the campus of the school present an ideal academic and athletic setting.

It’s never easy to replace a legend, but O’Gurek seems like the perfect fit.