Marian athletic director and head football coach Billy O’Gurek always remembers what former head football coach Stan Dakosty told him as a player.

It was one of Dakosty’s trademarks that made him a father figure/mentor to his players. Dakosty was among several long-term area coaches who went above and beyond the Xs and Os to assist their players.

Often, for every coach, it has become more about implementing life lessons and values through a wide range of emotions and actions.

“One of his famous mantras was ‘never forget where you came from,’” stated O’Gurek of Dakosty. “He was always a great motivator and leader.

“He would do anything for his players and went above and beyond to help guys advance their careers.

“To this day, he continues to be a great mentor in my coaching career.”

Dakosty, who coached the Colts for 44 years, noted a tight family bond with his players as one of his pillars to success.

“One of the hardest things was when a player was in the hospital or passed away,” stressed Dakosty. “It was a heartfelt and emotional issue for me.

“They were my football sons. I treated them that way. It was about instilling values in them to help make good choices.”

In turn, Dakosty’s values were passed down from his parents, Stan and Jackie. The esteemed coach passed those along to his son, Stan, who had a stint as Colgate University’s head coach.

“They instilled their values in me, and that always has been important,” added Dakosty. “I feel fortunate to pass those along.”

Longtime Palmerton head baseball coach Ted Plessl, who guided the Blue Bombers for 30 years, has continuously cherished the words of former player Mike Mazepa, who went on to a coaching career.

“He once told me, ‘Coach, thank you for everything you taught me. It has helped in life and in coaching,’” stated Plessl. “Something like that really hits home. You know you have touched their lives beyond baseball. To see them go on as coaches is better than any trophy I could have won.”

The grizzled veteran, who also coached Lehigh Valley’s Carpenter Cup squad from 1998 to 2023, took the advice from his father about the game and life. He then passed it along to his son, Tom.

“He told me not to burn my bridges,” recounted Plessl about his father. “It was about every now and then taking a step back and thinking about what you’re going to say.”

The younger Plessl respected his father’s tutelage in the home and in the dugout. They easily handled their relationship as player and coach.

“He taught me about life and baseball and how to handle failure, which you have to do most times in baseball,” said his son. “We respected each other when we were in those roles, but I always thought of him as a father first.”

The older Plessl occasionally also had to implore a different approach, one that wasn’t usually in his repertoire.

“Sometimes using tough love hurt me more than the kid at that moment,” said Plessl. “It was just another incident to deal with in their lives.”

Plessl stated that he strived to treat all his players with the same reverence regardless of their spot on the team.

“I take pride in remembering the great ones as well as the ones that had a bat or two,” gushed Plessl. “They were all dear to me.

“To see them now as men is priceless. That’s what it is all about.”

Northwestern’s Bob Mitchell had the reins of the football program for 28 years. Like his contemporaries, Mitchell embraced a cohesive community.

However, there wasn’t always a need for a father figure. It was a matter of being ready.

“It didn’t happen all the time,” stated Mitchell. “When I saw something that needed to be addressed, I reached out.

“But over the 28 years, we were one big family. Each player was different, and you treated them like that. You were the parent and the coach. Some days, you spent more time with them than their parents. You tried to guide them the best you could.”

Mitchell is still reminded of his role.

“My son, Greg (who played at Bethlehem Catholic and is the current Northwestern defensive coordinator), was playing in a golf tournament and texted me the other day, telling me he was thinking about me and thanked me. That made me a little bit emotional.”

Mitchell knows the Tigers’ family ties don’t end.

“Once you play football at Northwestern, you are a Tiger forever,” emphasized Mitchell. “Our goal was to make them good on the field, but also in life.”

He’s glad that the current Northwestern culture hasn’t deviated from the course. Instead, he sees it heightened.

“They have a very strong bond between player and coach there now, probably stronger than ours,” added Mitchell. “You can see it from the coaches.”

Panther Valley’s Pat Crampsie, who will be starting his 25th year at the helm of the Panther Valley program and 28th overall, took his direction from his father James, or “Juvey,” Uncle Bob, coaches and mentors along his path.

“I was extremely fortunate to have the most amazing coaches during my childhood and high school days,” exclaimed Crampsie.

“Guys like Cazzie Kosciolek, Chet Michalik, Eddie Breslin, Jim Filer, Freddie Helmund, Charley Depuy, Tom Bonner, George Whary and Tony Antinozzi. A lot of those guys looked out for all of us kids growing up.”

That proved to be a blueprint for his coaching career.

“It starts there,” said Crampsie. “I’m certainly not putting myself up there with those guys. My staff and I always try to make sure the kids know we are there for them not just during their playing days, but more importantly as they go through life.”

For Crampsie and his peers, it comes down to the coach-father figure bond.

“Without a doubt, the greatest part of coaching has been the 28 years worth of relationships formed,” highlighted Crampsie. “I definitely cherish every one of them.”