Remembering legendary Brother Rice Coach Al Fracassa

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. (FOX 2) - A titan among titans in high school football has passed away as the legendary coach at Brother Rice, Al Fracassa, died on Sunday.

Big picture view:

Fracassa was a resident of Warren, but his impact was boundless. The storied high school football coach, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, was gone too soon.

"Gosh, I gotta tell ya, this is a real hard day, hard week for Brother Rice. Coach Fracassa was a legend here," said Principal Ed Okuniewski. "He came to every one of our football games. Just about every one of them. He wasn’t there on Friday, but a week ago Friday he was at the game."

Brother Rice Principal Okuniewski believes that may have been one of Fracassa’s last games. He passed away Sunday, 92 years young.

"He was a man who loved people," said Okuniewski. "He’s been back to see our boys, and he’s like, ‘I love you,’ and you know it’s heartfelt. And people know it."

The backstory:

Fracassa was known for his dominance on the gridiron, coaching for more than 50 years in Metro Detroit, first at Royal Oak Shrine in the 1960s, and then moving to Brother Rice in '69, winning 430 games and 9 state championships in his career, touching hearts and playbooks along the way.

"If you’re a classroom teacher, you’re a baseball player. He’s a coach there too," said Okuniewski. "If you’re a Shrine graduate, you had him back in his early days. He’s just impacted so many people."

What's next:

He retired from Brother Rice in 2013. The school is determined to keep his legacy alive for seasons to come.

"Loved the boys. Loved the program," said Okuniewski. "His heart was with Brother Rice, and our hearts at Brother Rice are with Coach and his family now too."

He’s had graduates go on to the NFL. He'll be missed. Friday is the funeral at St. Regis across the street, expected to be packed wall to wall.